The legendary motoring driver Juan Fernández died last Monday at the age of 89. Born in Sabadell in 1930, the textile businessman was ten times champion of Spain in the mountains and fifth in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1973. Known as “the king of the mountains”, he was one of the most important personalities in the history of Spanish motorsport and had always maintained a special bond with the Girona region.
Juan Fernández, who was an active driver from 1954 to 1990, won the Costa Brava Rally three times (1962, 1966 and 1967); twice the Girona Rally; and four the legendary Ascent to the Angels (from 1979 to 1982). The last year he was crowned in the rising car race, in 1982, he received the medal for Sports Merit from the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Entrepreneur and pilot
Long before winning the ten national mountain titles (1961, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976-83 and 1989), Juan Fernández was already working in a textile factory and was at the age of 16 when fell in love with motorsport after seeing Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio compete in the World Championship. From then on, he always shared his life as a pilot with that of an entrepreneur. He was also two-time European champion sports car (1973 and 1974) and the founder of the Escuderia Montjuïc, created in 1968 with Juncadella, Coma-Cros and Muñoz.
.
