He was knighted for his contribution to motorsport, to the support and development of countless number of drivers, and his generosity to numerous over the decades.
Among the drivers he helped have been Scott Dixon, Shane van Gisbergen, Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber, Mitch Evans, Haydon Paddon, Richie Stanaway, Liam Lawson and his grandson Marco Giltrap to name a few.
He supported a New Zealand Le Mans entry that in Greg Murphy and the NZ A1GP team that featured drivers Matt Halliday and Jonny Reid.
Among his friends were Formula 1 Kiwi stars Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Chris Amon as well as internationals Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark that made the summer journeys to the Southern Hemisphere for the Tasman Series races.
He spent a lifetime in the motor vehicle industry. He founded the influential and powerful Giltrap Group around 60 years ago. While he more recently handed over to sons Richard and Michael, Sir Colin in his 80s, remained active in the business.
It began in the 1960s when a young Colin Giltrap co-founded Hamilton luxury car dealership, Monaco Motors. In the early 1970s, he purchased Matamata Motors and then a Mazda and Audi dealership.
In 1977, he founded European Motor Distributors which bought the rights for Volkswagen and, later, Audi before even more were added which included NZ’s only Aston Martin and Lamborghini dealerships.
In 2012, Giltrap was made a Knight Companion of the Order of New Zealand for his services to motorsport and his generosity.
He was a patron of the McLaren Trust and had supported and contributed to many sporting events and charities including the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal and the Starship Foundation.
By 2017, his business had new $40 million headquarters which won a national award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
Late last year, it was reported Giltrap broke ribs and been hospitalised in London after a fall and battled ill health since.
Sir Colin Giltrap is survived by his wife Lady Jennifer, their adult children, and their families. Speedcafe offers condolences to his extended family and his friends.
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