Bob Wallace (test driver)

Bob Wallace (1938 – 19 September 2013) was a New Zealand test driver, automotive engineer and mechanic, best known for his role in developing early Lamborghini road cars.

Wallace was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1938.

He became involved in auto racing as a teenager, meeting local and international drivers and mechanics at races in New Zealand. He moved from Auckland to Italy in 1959, prompted by an invitation from to work at Maserati. When Wallace arrived in Italy, he was not able to get a job at Maserati. He instead worked as a mechanic for the racing teams Camoradi USA and Scuderia Serenissima. During his time with Camoradi, Wallace worked on the team's Maserati Tipo 61 "Birdcage" and Chevrolet Corvette, including at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans. Later on with Scuderia Serenissima, he would work on the Ferrari 250 GTO and Ferrari 250 TR 61 Spyder Fantuzzi and have contact with Scuderia Ferrari.

Following the 1963 racing season, Wallace was hired by Lamborghini at the then-new factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Initially, his role was to assist in production of the 350GT as a mechanic and, in his words, "trouble-shooter." He was soon recognised at the factory as talented in vehicle evaluation and subsequently became the chief test driver for Lamborghini, a position which included duties as a road development engineer. The majority of Lamborghini testing at that time was conducted on public roads, including the autostrada and mountain roads, although cars were also run at tracks such as nearby Varano Circuit. During road tests, Wallace often engaged in informal competition with the Ferrari and Maserati test drivers, either directly or through timed runs such as the 105-mile distance between the Milan and Modena autostrada toll booths.

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