Off-road Motorsport Legend Drew Bowler Dies
Drew Bowler, the founding father of monstrous rally-ready Land Rovers, passed away unexpectedly on November 14th. For over 30 years, Bowler Motorsports has produced a succession of iconic vehicles for winning trials, hill rallies, comp safaris, and raids.
Drew’s history in off-road rallying began in the early 1980s during some personal successes with his home-brewed Series I Defender. By the middle of the decade, he was building cloned and custom Defenders for enthusiastic customers all over the world. Bowler Motorsport has since been the leading authority in ludicrously modified Rovers capable of tearing through sand, snow, and dirt at speed.
Despite the loss of its creator, Bowler Motorsport says it will continue to produce competitive off-road vehicles. Proceeding his death, the company’s website was changed to a single statement celebrating Drew’s achievements and confirming its own commitment to maintaining his dream.
“Drew did more than anyone to bring rally raid to the UK, and through the succession of innovative and race winning cars he developed, he took Bowler to the highest levels of international motorsport including the Dakar Rally, where the Bowler cars and team spirit shone brightly.
“A pioneer, engineer and racer, Drew will be greatly missed by all who knew him, but the thriving Belper-based company that proudly bears his name will live on and continue his vision.”
[Images: Bowler Motorsport]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Sorry to hear about this - I remember one of their Defenders featured on an episode of TopGear. Rest in peace.
RIP Drew. He certainly had an adventurous life! http://www.bowlermotorsport.com/bowler-motorsport-heritage/