David Richards CBE
Pro-Chancellor, distinguished friends, colleagues, graduands and guests.
Many people here may have wished at some point in their lives to own an Aston Martin car. Aston Martin is one of the classic automotive marques; the Aston Martin car is an iconic vehicle in British motoring history. David Richards must therefore be a very proud man, as he, as part of a UK-led consortium, owns the Aston Martin company.
David has achieved an exceptional and highly successful career in world motorsport. But his success is not just a question of business acumen, it also owes much to his direct experience of the motorsport world from the front seats of some of the fastest cars.
David grew up on a farm in Wales, attending the Brynhyfryd Comprehensive School. His interest in racing was sparked at the age of 15 while watching the RAC rally in Wales.
After training initially in accountancy, David began his career in motorsport as a rally co-driver. His early successes were with the Finnish rally driver Ari Vatanen in a Ford Escort RS1800, in which they won their first race, the 27th Acropolis rally, in 1980. They also went on to win the British Rally Championship and the World Rally Championship before David retired from co-driving.
In 1984, after having decided to build up his own business interests in between races, David co-founded Prodrive. The company established a base in Banbury in Oxfordshire, from where it has grown into a world-leading independent motorsport and automotive engineering business, employing hundreds of staff and with an enviable sales record.
Prodrive has gone on to win more than two hundred international motorsport events, including World Rally titles with Subaru; British Touring Car Championships with BMW, Alfa Romeo and Ford; and class wins at Le Mans with Ferrari and Aston Martin.
In 2001, BAR (British American Racing) brought in Prodrive to run the Formula 1 team, with David Richards as the Team Principal. Under his direction the team finished runners up in the 2004 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, with notable successes during this period for a newly signed young driver, Jenson Button.
In the 2005 New Year Honours List David Richards was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution to motorsport.
In 2007, when Ford decided to sell Aston Martin, David led a consortium to purchase the company which he himself described as ‘one of the world’s iconic brands’. He has since led a resurgence in the fortunes of this great car brand. This year, fifty years on from Aston Martin winning the World Sports Car Championship in 1959, Aston Martin Racing has triumphed again, winning the Le Mans Series 2009.
In addition to Prodrive and Aston Martin, David sits as a trustee of the British Racing Drivers’ Club Benevolent Fund and is vice-president of BEN, the automotive industry’s benevolent fund. He is also a member of Government Motorsport Development UK.
David Richards’ lifetime passion for cars and for motorsport is reflected in his belief in the importance of long-term investment for the car industry. At a time when the car and motorsport industry is facing its most challenging period for a long while, it could want for no better ambassador than David Richards.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to international motorsport and the motorsport industry, Coventry University, by decision of the Academic Board, has the privilege of conferring the Degree of Doctor of Technology, honoris causa, on David Richards CBE.