According to an article at LuxuryFitnessFun.com, Bob Wallace, the first Chief Test Driver for Lamborghini has died.
New Zealander Bob Wallace, Lamborghini’s former chief test driver in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away late last week aged 75, after suffering a heart attack at his Phoenix, Arizona workshop.
Mostly known for developing the Lamborghini Miura Jota and the Urraco Rally (basically track-prepped versions of the production cars), Wallace worked with Lamborghini from 1963 through 1975.
But Wallace was more to Lamborghini than just a test driver. The New Zealander took Valentino Balboni as an apprentice and was replaced by him in the 1970s, with the latter to spend 40 years in Sant’Agata and become a legend of his own.
Prior to working for the Italian sportscar manufacturer, Wallace worked as a mechanic for Ferrari and Maserati racing teams, including the famous Camoradi stable, who dominated the 1960 and 1961 Nurburgring 1000 km races.