From humble roots in the inner Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, Bob Jane grew up to be a tough and determined young man. Starting his first business, Bob Jane Autoland, Bob was a successful distributor for Jaguar and Alfa Romeo. A short stint as a racing cyclist was soon overtaken by an undeniable passion for cars. Before long the glamour and excitement of the motor racing world had its hold. From here, Bob never looked back.

In the early 1960’s it seemed that Bob left everybody in his dust as he sped his way to the top of Australian sedan racing. In 1961 he and his racing partner Harry Firth won the Armstrong 500 (later the Bathurst 1000) at Phillip Island, an achievement they were to repeat in 1962 and 1963 at Bathurst. Bob then teamed up with George Reynolds to again win in 1964. Fittingly, from 2002-2004, Bob Jane T-Marts became the sponsor of this great race.

In 1962 and 1963, Bob Jane was also winning back to back Australian Touring Car Championships, a feat he was to repeat again when he won in both 1971 and 1972. Overall, after 38 Australian Touring Car Championship career starts; he finished on the podium an impressive 21 times.

Bob firmly believed that the difference between winning and losing lay in choosing the right equipment, especially tyres. His superior knowledge of tyres was highly celebrated within the motor racing fraternity and he began to import high-speed tyres from Germany, both to give himself a competitive edge and to fulfil special orders for his Jaguar and Alfa Romeo customers.

As word of Bob’s expertise spread, his import business grew and in 1965 the first Bob Jane T-Marts store opened in central Melbourne. This was the beginning of a phenomenal business success that throughout the next four decades would continue to thrive and expand throughout Australia.

In 1986, Bob retired from racing after 30 years on the track. His racing achievements were many, winning hundreds of races at home and abroad.

After an illustrious career of an inestimable contribution to Australian motor racing, you could say Bob Jane has achieved true icon status. He gained an official induction into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame, the honour of introducing NASCAR racing to the country and even the distinction of being featured on an Australia Postage stamp. All this whilst founding Australia's leading independent tyre, wheel and battery retailer. Not bad for a battler from Brunswick.