Peter Wherrett
Peter Wherrett (born 9 June 1936) is an Australian motoring and motor sport journalist and former race car driver.
Wherrett first learned to drive when his parents got their first motor car when he was 12.[1] Angry at the lack of motorsport newspaper coverage, he complained to various newspapers and was hired in 1958 by the Sydney Morning Herald to write for them on the sport.[1]
Advanced driver training
In 1967, Peter Wherrett set up Australia’s first post-licence driver training school as "Peter Wherrett Advanced Driving". In 1980 he sold the school to his manager Peter Finlay.[2]
Motor racing
Peter Wherrett drove in the 1969 Bathurst 1000 race for Mazda, in 1970 for Ford and in 1974, 1975 and 1976 for Alfa Romeo.
Television
From 1973, Peter Wherrett presented the Australian Broadcasting Corporations television program series Torque and later a historical series called Marque, which is the only television program on that topic to be produced for free-to-air television.[1]
Wherrett Sigma
In 1981, Mitsubishi Australia produced a limited edition "Peter Wherrett Special" GH Series Sigma sedan. Only 1016 cars were produced, which were commissioned after Wherrett complained about the GH Sigma's handling and was challenged to design a better car by the Mitsubishi Chief Engineer.[3]
Family
Peter Wherrett has been married and divorced three times.
His first marriage was to Denise. They had a son and a daughter and now have six grandchildren; Angus, Connor, Brittany, Emily, Jackson and Nicholas.
His second marriage was to Lesley Brydon, former Executive Director of the Advertising Federation of Australia.
His third marriage was to Kim. When Kim obtained employment in Europe as a chef, Peter remained in Australia. Because of their physical separation, they decided to divorce amicably in 2007. Following that divorce, Peter sold the house that they had shared in Queensland and moved to New South Wales.
Crossdressing
Wherrett also wrote a memoir entitled "Desirelines" with his brother Richard, who died in 2001.[4] In the book he revealed that he is a heterosexual cross-dresser.
Bibliography
- Peter Wherrett's A Century Of The Motor Car
- Marque a Hundred Years of Motoring ISBN 978-0-642-97460-0
- Torque ISBN 978-0-7254-0383-6
- Quest for the Perfect Car : My Life in Motoring
- Motoring Skills and Tactics
- Explore Australia BY Four-Wheel Drive with Kim Wherrett
- What They Don't Teach You In Driving School ISBN 978-1-920923-40-2
- Grit: An Epic Journey Across the World - the story of Francis Birtles epic 1927 journey. ISBN 978-1-920923-62-4
- Wheels of Australia (editor)
- Drive It! The Complete Book of High Speed Driving On Road And Track (1981)
References
- ^ a b c Abc.net.au (August 29, 2004), ABC interview with George Negus. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ Finlays.com.au, About Us. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ Autoweb.com.au (June 3, 2004), 'Torque' of The Auction. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ Wherrett, Peter and Richard, Desirelines:An unusual family memoir, (Sceptre, 1997), ISBN 0733604854