Andersson, Ove

▪ 2009

      Swedish rally race car driver and manager

born Jan. 3, 1938, Dannemora, Swed.

died June 11, 2008, George, S.Af.

transformed Toyota's rally car team into a world-championship racing organization. During Andersson's stint (1972–99) as team manager, Toyota garnered four world rally driver's titles (1990, 1992–94) and three manufacturer's titles (1993–94, 1999). Andersson briefly studied engineering in Uppsala, but he quit school to work at a local auto shop. After serving (1958) with the UN peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip, he returned to Sweden, and by 1964 he was driving for the Saab rally team. He enjoyed moderate success with Saab, as well as driving for Lancia (1966–71) and Renault (1971–72), with his most notable victory coming in the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally. He was hired by Toyota in 1972, and when Toyota shifted its focus in 1999 to Formula One Grand Prix racing, the organization kept Andersson on as team principal. He retired in 2003. Andersson was killed in a crash while participating in a vintage car rally.

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