Chester dealer Bill Smith, 77, has won the British Dealer News Lifetime Achievement Award.
His accomplisments over 60 years as a road racer and dealer were recognised by a standing ovation at the awards ceremony held at the Birmingham Airport Holiday Inn.
The first man to import Hondas (1960) and Bridgestones (1967), Smith won four Isle of Man TT races and at one time had won more TT Replicas (51) than any other rider.
Delighted to be recognised for his contribution to the industry, Smith remains an active dealer and is in daily attendance at Bill Smith Motors, but has passed the running of the business to son and daughter Mark and Karen.
His riding career started in 1953. He was the first to win a mainland race on a Honda (1959). He became a Honda dealer in 1962 and in 1978 set a Honda sales record by selling 3280 units. In addition to his TT victories and countless mainland races he won Ireland’s 1968 North-West 200. He moved into his current showroom in 1997. In 2002 he reluctantly quit racing, but the fire still burns and he continues to take an active interest in the road race world.
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Full details of the BDN Industry Awards winners will appear in the March issue of the magazine.