A ‘quiet achiever’ and a ‘dare devil’ with a ‘need for speed’, Brian Learoyd’s early childhood of fixing trikes turned into an Australian car conversion empire. Read why he is remembered as a regional Queensland ‘visionary’.
Brian Learoyd, the co-founder of Performax International, had more than 500 people attend his funeral on June 2, 2023, and was honoured with a contingent of classic and street cars leading his funeral cortege from the Gympie Cemetery to the Junior Rugby League Grounds.
The company’s humble origins started when Mr Learoyd, along with lifelong friend and Performax co-founder Greg Waters, pooled their funds to buy an American Corvette and convert it to a right-hand drive for Australia.
With a group of five mates on a trip abroad, they bought a Corvette while in America, shipped it home, and converted it in Brian’s small shed.
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Brian Learoyd and Greg Waters first started converting American Corvettes to right hand drives, before going on to become one of Australia’s leading independent American vehicle converters.
Brian Learoyd with two of his prized cars – Torana XU1 and Monaro.
A contingent of classic and street cars led Brian Learoyd’s funeral cortege from Gympie Cemetery to the Junior Rugby League Grounds. Picture: Supplied
The project outgrew itself and eventually turned into the multimillion dollar business of Performax International, which now employs more than 80 people and “despite offers to relocate the business to larger cities” has kept true to its Gympie location.
The business success Mr Learoyd enjoyed was punctuated by many other feats, mostly to do with machines, speed and adventure sports.
His siblings remember him as a teenager putting a Holden motor in an old Austin A40 chassis with a kerosene drum for a petrol tank.
“He may have had an ulterior motive for wanting his siblings and neighbours to ride with him as they all had to push the heavy vehicle to clutch start the motor,” the obituary penned by his family said.
Mr Learoyd went from an apprenticeship at Mary St Accurate Engineering to working his way up to chief engine builder, where he “built engines for many people in Gympie”.
His “need for speed” continued into his adult life as a competitive champion race car driver.
“Brian also competed regularly in Targa Tasmania and Targa New Zealand where he raced alongside racing greats such as Peter Brock and Jim Richards and celebrities Eric Bana and Glen Ridge.”
A painting by Brian Learoyd at age 14, when he won the Open Championship prize at the Gympie Show. Picture: supplied
Brian Learoyd and his wife Leanne Learoyd met at age 17 and 15.
Brian Learoyd and his family (from left) Michael, Brian, Ashley, Leanne and Brendan.
When he stopped racing, he passed on the passion to his two sons and, as their crew chief, watched them take numerous state and national titles, travelling the circumference of Australia for competitions.
In addition to this he is remembered for his homemade bungee cords, his award-winning landscape painting, his handstand walk show, his love of extreme sports, fibreglass canoes, and most of all, his dedication to his wife and three children.
“More words to describe Brian: visionary, determined, loyal, family orientated, quiet achiever,” his sister Deanne Learoyd said.
Mr Learoyd, 61, died on May 25, 2023 with his family at his bedside after a 10- year fight with Parkinson’s disease.
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