Bob Garretson
April 8, 1933 – April 13, 2025
American racing driver and Porsche enthusiast
Not long after serving in the US Navy during the Korean War, Bob Garretson attended California’s Berkeley University and, while there, he encountered his first Porsche 356 and immediately knew it was the car for him. He later owned a 356A, quickly followed by a 356B.
In the seventies Bob set up a Porsche repair shop in Cupertino, California, an area that became famous for Apple Computers Inc. In 1980, while in the workshop Bob was visited by a couple of tech’ geeks, a certain Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who were looking for someone to service their Porsches. That meeting led to Apple Computers sponsoring Bob’s racing team ‘Garretson Enterprises’ and he campaigned as owner-driver of a Porsche 935 at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans 24H among many other races.
In 1981 Bob won the World Endurance Championship, the only privateer to have achieved such a feat.
Bob retired from racing a short while after becoming WEC Champion and he re-entered business, setting up computer chip supply offices across Europe.
He maintained strong links in the Porsche Community and enjoyed a stint as Vice Chairman of the 356 Registry until very recently. He was also Technical Editor of Porsche Club from 1986 to 1989 when working for Co-ordinate Technology in Lancaster.
In 2019 Bob was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame for his achievement in the World Endurance Championship.
Bob died at the age of 92, leaving behind wife Ruth, and their seven children and six grandchildren.
Paul Smith and his father Mike, owners and founders of P R Services (prs356.co.uk), counted themselves as good friends of Bob Garretson and Paul shares his thoughts below.
“It is with great sadness that we received the news that our friend Bob Garretson had passed away last weekend.
I met Bob in 1982 at the 356 International as a 10-year-old and like many of the older guys of the time, he is partly responsible for my passion for old Porsches.
It is very difficult to express with words what a gentleman he was. When most people pass away you always get ‘what a great guy he was’ etc, etc, but anybody who met Bob or knew him will tell you he was the best. He would literally drop everything to help you, he wanted to help, no half-arsed promise. If you needed to drop an engine out or go to Germany on a road trip, Bob would want in!
I will miss our European and American road trips together, stories, laughter and adventure, fixing crap in the workshop, going to the racetrack and drinking beer. He could keep up with me drinking beer!
I will quote the great man as he would always sign things for me “Thank you for the friendship!”
Our thoughts are with Ruth and the family at this time.
RIP Bob.”
Paul Smith, Mike Smith and Team PRS-356
In the images above are Bob with wife Ruth and (L-R) Bob Garretson, Paul Smith and Mike Smith at PR Services