Rob Collard
A demolition boss turned touring car warrior, he scrapped his way to the top of Britain's most brutal racing series.
Born 1968 (age 58)·British racing driver·Birthday: October 1·Generation X
Biography
Rob Collard’s career is a story of grit and self-reliance, forged as much in the boardroom as on the racetrack. The Hampshire driver didn't follow a conventional path; he funded his early racing through his own successful demolition business, R Collard Ltd. This independent spirit defined his approach in the British Touring Car Championship, a famously cutthroat arena of door-to-door combat. His breakthrough came in 2003, when he mastered the privateer ranks to seize the Independent's Cup title, proving a driver could compete with the factory teams on guile and determination. Collard became a beloved fixture in the paddock, known for his aggressive yet fair driving style in cars like the West Surrey Racing MG. His longevity, bouncing between teams like Motorbase and WSR, underscored a deep respect earned through consistent, hard-fought performances, making him a quintessential BTCC battler.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rob was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Rob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the British Touring Car Championship Independent's Cup title in 2003 as a privateer entry.
- Secured multiple race victories in the BTCC, including wins driving a West Surrey Racing MG.
- Maintained a full-time professional driving career in the BTCC for over a decade, from 2008 onward.
- Successfully owned and operated his own demolition firm, R Collard Ltd, to fund his racing ambitions.
Did You Know?
He is the father of racing drivers Ricky Collard and Jordan Collard.
His demolition company was a primary sponsor on his race cars throughout much of his career.
He made his BTCC debut in 1997 at the age of 29.
He competed in the prestigious Porsche Supercup support series at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2005.
“I built my own car and my own team; that's the only way I know.”
