Chris Amon, with the Chris Amon Trophy, awarded to the winner of the winner of the Toyota Racing Series, in 2014.

Chris Amon, who learnt to drive when he was just six and became one of the world's best known drivers in the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 73.

Amon died in Rotorua Hospital on Wednesday morning, his family said in a statement. He had been suffering from cancer.

In the 1960s Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme were New Zealand motor racing stars - and world names at that.

RADIO NEW ZEALAND Kiwi motorsport legend Chris Amon has died aged 73. His friend Allan Dick shares some memories of his good friend.

Amon was born in Bulls and was brought up on a sheep farm. He said he was taught to drive by a shepherd on the farm at the age of six.

READ MORE:

* Remembering Le Mans 1966 and the Ford GT40 with Chris Amon

* Hartley to honour Amon, McLaren at Le Mans

* Le Mans triumph still special for Chris Amon 50 years on



At 19, he went to Europe to launch his international career and forged an imposing reputation, particularly after his win with McLaren in the 24-hour Le Mans race in France.

DAVID ROWLAND New Zealand motorsport legend, Chris Amon, getting reacquainted in 2010 with his Formula 5000 1974 Talon.

While Amon was less successful than McLaren and Hulme in the Formula 1 championship - never once winning from 96 Grand Prix starts - it was generally recognised that he was the most talented driving at speed.

"He is one of the most skilful and natural drivers ever to grace Formula One," three-times F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart once said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Amon's and Bruce McLaren's victory in a Ford GT40 at Le Mans.

NZPA/Alan Dick Chris Amon leads the field in a street race in Dunedin in 1962.

Kiwi racing star Brendon Hartley shared a tribute to his "hero" on Thursday.

"Very sad to wake up to the news that Chris Amon passed away. I feel privileged to have swapped a couple of racing war stories with him & to call him a mate. You will be missed buddy," Hartley said.

In June, Hartley had paid tribute to Amon and McLaren when he drove in the Le Mans race, wearing a helmet featuring pictures of the duo on the top, and coloured to match the helmets they wore in the race.

"Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren will always be New Zealand motorsport heroes," Hartley said at the time.

Kiwi star Mitch Evans, who races in the GP2 Series, took to social media to pay tribute to Amon.

Supplied Forza Amon! a biography of Chris Amon, by Eoin Young.

"Terribly sad to be given the news that Chris Amon has passed away. A Kiwi motorsport hero and an inspiration to many of us," he wrote on Facebook.

Evans received the Chris Amon Trophy for winning the Toyota Racing Series in 2010 and 2011.

The McLaren team also paid tribute to its former racer - calling him "the greatest racing driver never to have won a race at the very highest level".

"He nearly won a fair few, but always it seemed that his luck would run out before he saw the chequered flag."

McLaren Technology Group chief executive Ron Dennis shared his "profound sadness" at Amon's death.

"I have not met Chris for many years, but, even so, I have extremely fond memories of him, and indeed I would describe him as one of the most likeable men I have met in my long racing career.

"For all those reasons I want to take this opportunity to extend the heartfelt sympathies of all 3300 of us at McLaren to the family and friends of a great New Zealander, a true gentleman, and one of the fastest racing drivers there ever was: the one and only Christopher Arthur Amon. May he rest in peace."

The Le Mans win saw Ferrari sign Amon for the 1967 Formula 1 series and he stayed for three seasons, but the time was marked by misfortune, highlighted by unreliable engines.

He left and joined March in 1970, also later driving for Matra in Formula 1, and for BMW in the European Touring Car Championship.

Despite never claiming a championship Formula 1 grand prix, Amon did win eight non-championship GPs.

His major wins included the Silverstone International Trophy, the 1000km Monza, the Daytona 24 Hours, the New Zealand Grand Prix twice and the Tasman Championship in 1969.

"It was very frustrating sometimes - we were so close and yet so far on so many occasions right through my career really," Amon said in a later interview.

"But I did have a reasonable amount of success in sports cars and that sort of balanced it up a bit."

He raced at a time when a number of his rivals were killed and acknowledged he was one of the fortunate ones.

"It's been said that I was an unlucky F1 driver because I should have won a lot of races but the fact is many of my contemporaries were killed in F1, so I think I'm lucky to still be around," he said in an interview with Ford of Europe this year.

"There's no question that winning Le Mans with Ford was a very special moment in my career."

Very sad to hear about the passing of Chris Amon. Spoke to him a month or so back. Lovely man. The last of our golden era. RIP. — Play the Ball (@playtheballnz) August 3, 2016

Extremely sad to learn iconic kiwi #F1 legend Chris Amon passed today, from an era when men risked it all. I will miss you my friend. #RIP — Barrie Thomlinson (@TRSNZ1) August 3, 2016

Amon retired from Formula 1 in 1976, and from all motor racing in 1977 when he returned to New Zealand.

He married Tish and went back farming. While motor racing was never forgotten, it went on the backburner as he settled back into life in New Zealand after 15 years away. They were soon joined by daughter Georgie followed by twins James and Alex.



For many years Amon was a consultant to Toyota and the winner of the Toyota Racing Series receives the Chris Amon Trophy.

"Amon was widely regarded internationally as not only the best driver never to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix, but one of the best drivers never to be crowned world champion," his family said in its statement.

He was awarded an MBE for his services to motorsport in 1993, and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.



"Chris battled cancer in recent years but retained not only a close interest in Formula 1 – and his very wide range of favourite topics - but also his wonderful sense of humour complete with infectious chuckle."