The Australian automotive industry has lost one of its most innovative and enthusiastic contributors in William Francis ‘Bill’ Buckle, who passed away on 9 May, aged 96.
Born into the industry, Buckle’s father owned a car dealership in the heart of Sydney, Buckle Motors, that initially carried Triumph and Talbot, but would later gain franchises for Armstrong-Siddeley, DeSoto, Citroen, Borgward, Hillman and Humber. Buckle Snr was a racing enthusiast, too, and passed this passion on to young Bill, who would take part in numerous events, including the Redex Trial, Australian GT Championship and five starts at the Armstrong 500/Gallaher 500 enduro in the 1960s.
In the early 1950s, Buckle travelled to the UK, where he was exposed to more racing, the British automotive industry and the emergence of fibreglass-bodied sportscars.…
