April 30, 2003 - New Zealand motorsport icon Peter Raymond George "Possum" Bourne, whose motor rallying exploits and engaging personality made him a household name died at 12.58am today. He was 47.

Born in 1956 in New Zealand, Bourne was given the unusual nickname 'Possum' after an incident in which he rolled his mother's car off a bush track after swerving to avoid a possum. His friends came to the conclusion that if he was willing to make such a sacrifice for one of his fuzzy bush friends, he must be part possum himself.

The name stuck.

The possum was unharmed.

Bourne began his rally career in 1979 at the Woodhill Forest Rally in New Zealand in a Mk1 Ford Cortina with a V8 engine. After taking third place, he was inspired to become a professional rally driver. As a result of his early successes, in 1983 he acquired some invaluable factory support from Subaru for his outings in New Zealand. In 1986 extended support from Subaru allowed for his attack on the world rallying stage.

In 1993 during a leg of Telstra Rally Australia, Bourne had a major 'off' in which co-driver, friend, and business partner Rodger 'Roj' Freeth was killed. From this point on, all Bourne's competition vehicles bore the licence plate 'ROJ'. Though Bourne was devastated by the incident, he continued driving, saying that if he were to quit, 'Roj' would have died for nothing. Bourne went on to dedicate that year's Asia Pacific Championship win to his friend.

Since then he has won seven Australian Rally Championships and three Asia Pacific Championships, and has driven for the Subaru 555 factory team alongside rally greats like Colin McRae, as well as driving for his own team, Possum Bourne Motorsport, often taking on the world's best drivers in Australia and New Zealand, and often outperforming them.

To this point his only injury due to rallying had been a broken wrist in 1986.

On April 18th 2003, Bourne's Subaru Forester was involved in a collision with fellow rally driver Mike Baltrop during recce for the 'Race to the Sky' hillclimb near Cardrona, Central Otago. Mike suffered only minor leg injuries. Possum was not so lucky, suffering major head and leg injuries. Rushed to Dunedin hospital, and put into a drug induced coma, Bourne was on full life support for several days. After doctors attempted to lower the level of support, his condition deteriorated rapidly, the full extent of his head injuries becoming aparrent. Shortly after this his family made the decision to have him taken off life support to allow him to die peacefully.

Possum will be remembered not just for having been an incredible motorsport success story, but also for being a very ordinary friendly Kiwi bloke. His favourite food was pasta, and he enjoyed good red wine with dinner, Tom Clancy books, action and sci-fi films, watching sport on the TV, and had a Labrador/Mastiff cross named 'Pirelli'. He always had time for his fans and was well known for offering advice to younger and less experienced drivers, even those competing against him.

Possum is survived by his wife Peggy and his children Taylor, Spencer, and Jazlin.