Last month brought the passing of an abiding friend and associate; not just to me but a countless myriad of others too. 

Ron Hope was a fascinating man. Most people have a passion for this or that; some passions come and go or ebb and flow. Ron’s fervent pursuit of anything he involved himself with never seemed to wane or abate. It wasn’t always like a dog with a bone. He had a gentlemanly way of insinuating his will, to the point where others would come around to his way of thinking or opinion.

Some passions stood front and center; firstly his family was on the top of the list. He was devoutly fond of his huge retinue of children and grandchildren – and a great-grandchild. I was lucky enough to attend his 80^th birthday party last month and a great many of the celebrators were his progeny.

He avidly supported every effort they made to grow in whichever direction they chose. Salt-flat racing record runs? Go for it! Artistic painting pursuits? All there, all the time, anywhere in the world. And, of course, building businesses.

It was through his businesses, either with others or on his own, that he developed unfaltering friendships, literally around the world from a British Lord and Lady to drag racing enthusiasts in New Zealand.

He had a passion for process and how it could improve existing undertakings, especially in our industry. He was involved in new vehicle preparation for manufacturers and brought volume-related improvement capabilities to used vehicle reconditioning within the auto auction industry; a talent that used to belong to the clockers and cutters one at a time! This led to helping the manufacturers understand the importance of how to present their used inventory and protect their resale values. Tom Cunningham from Ford Motor Company took these processes very seriously in the early days of manufacturer remarketing.

Ron never saw geography or language as barriers to start or build a business or share his hard-won advice with others who might benefit from its use. He embraced Britain and Europe as fertile grounds for business development and he did it by leveraging his endearing and friendly personality, converting colleagues to life-long friends. Traveling with Ron was like being with the Pope – everyone knew him! And as a result he could regale you with stories about personalities and places without being a show-off, just pages in his book of life.

Ron never saw age as standing in his way to achievement either. Right up to the last he was piloting The Rat Trap – a Fuel-Altered drag racing machine that he used mainly for exhibition runs around the world. I’ve been present at many of these heart-stopping events to watch him and his crew, headed by his son, Brian, prepping the car for the next run in record time. 

Equally, he held records in many categories at the Bonneville Salt Flats. 

In spite of his fast-paced life, he always had time to spend with his friends and colleagues – friendships and connections formed a pathway to success, as far as he was concerned. And even though he had enough trophies and recognitions to line his office and garage at home, he was always self-effacing about his successes. In thirty some odd years of the privilege of knowing this wonderful fellow, I never once heard him brag about himself – about others? Certainly, all the time.

Charity was another passion that he gladly indulged. The more success, the more he shared. Whether his contributions were donations or sponsorships, underwriting the way for others’ betterment was a matter of everyday course and many have known the benefit of his gracious giving.

Ron’s iconic course through life and our industry is a lesson for all. I’m proud to call him ‘friend.’