Mining entrepreneur and avid classic car collector Peter Briggs has passed away at the age of 83.
Mining entrepreneur and avid classic car collector Peter Briggs has passed away at the age of 83 on Tuesday.
Mr Briggs is survived by his wife of 67 years Robin, daughters Heidi and Jodie, and four grandchildren.
He was born in the United Kingdom in February 1939 and his family migrated to Perth when Mr Briggs was eight years old.
Mr Briggs left school at the age of 15 and obtained a carpentry apprenticeship before becoming a quantity surveyor at the Public Works Department.
He became a property developer but after recovering from bankruptcy in 1972, Mr Briggs turned to mining.
Mr Briggs controlled more than 30 listed companies in the West Australian mining industry, oil and gas production in the USA, and exploration, oil and gas drilling in the Middle East and Australia.
He was entangled in legal issues in the 1980s, being sentenced to jail time for a "bottom of the harbour" tax avoidance scheme which operated between 1977 and 1982.
A statement was posted by Australian motoring historian Graeme Cocks on behalf of the Briggs family yesterday afternoon.
"He always said that he was born to be an entrepreneur and it was not something that could be taught," the statement said.
"In later years, Peter Briggs continued to pursue new business plans, eager to do new deals and make an impact on the business world.
"He was an eternal optimist who refused to be constrained by negativity or people who would say that things couldn’t be done.
"If a business deal failed, he would not give it a second thought and he would move on quickly to the next big idea.
"The constant in his life was the love for his family."
His love of cars was fueled through his success in the mining sector, leading to him owning more than 200 cars to drive in rallies all over the world.
Mr Briggs also began racing at the old Caversham circuit in the Swan Valley and won the WA Touring Car Championship at Wanneroo Raceway in 1971.
Mr Briggs and sports car dealer James Harwood opened the York Motor Museum in 1979, growing the initial collection of 15 cars by buying vehicles at international classic car auctions and shipping them to York.
His stint as a racer came to an end after a serious crash involving 10 hours of surgery in 1994.
