Race ace a local hero

By David Christie

davidc( 'at' replace )mediacorptv.com

ONE of the all time legendary race drivers in this region, Lim Peng Han , passed away peacefully on March 29^th in his home in the presence of some of his family.

Peng Han was 91.

Born in Kulang Su, a British colony in China, young Peng Han, a British subject at birth, came to Singapore in 1920 when his father, the distinguished Professor Lim Boon Keng, migrated here.

Unlike his medical doctor father, young Peng Han was more intrigued by motorcars than medicine.

So intrigued was the young man that, by the age of 12, he was already driving his father’s Austin 12 Tourer motorcar under the supervision of the family chauffeur. By 14, he drove himself to school.

At 18, Peng Han was packed off to England to pursue his tertiary education. Being a motoring enthusiast, little persuasion was required for Peng Han to take up automotive engineering.

He also quickly got himself an MGM sports car and made his mark as a top-notch racer in England’s famous Brooklands racetrack. In the 1930s, the Brooklands was regarded as one of the most difficult racetracks in the world.

Peng Han returned to Singapore in the mid-1930s as the first local UK-trained automotive engineer in Singapore.

During the Japanese Occupation, Peng Han’s survival was assured. Because of his unique automotive skills, he was given the all-important challenge of supervising the restoration of the cars that were forcibly “commissioned” by the Japanese for their own use.

After the war, Peng Han resumed his passion for racing. He was among the very first local race car constructors and his super fast “Specials” that resembled F1 racing cars launched his status as an unbeatable racing force, both in Singapore and Malaya.

He even raced in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix with great success and soon became a household name, just like Sir Stirling Moss of the 1950s and Michael Schumacher of today.

Apart from his prolific driving skills, Peng Han also owned some of the most desirable cars of the day, including the awesome Jaguar SS100, one of the most sought-after classic sports cars in the world even today.

Peng Han’s contributions to our motoring scene make him a local legend, both on and off the racetracks.

“Peng Han will be dearly missed. His racing achievements will always be part of our local motoring history. He was a hero and an inspiration to other race enthusiasts,” said motoring enthusiast Philip Chong, 78, Peng Han’s dear friend of more than 50 years.

“Peng Han will always be fondly remembered by the racing fraternity here,” said Mr David Chan, the President of the Malaysia and Singapore Vintage Car Register and an ace driver with the Singapore Motor Sports Association (SMSA).

David Christie is a vintage car enthusiast and honorary assistant secretary of the Malaysian and Singapore Vintage Car Register.

This article has been copy typed by Joy, holder of the Unbeaten Speed Record from Penang (Butterworth) to Singapore and the mother of Peng Han's two youngest children Arthur & Evil Sister..