Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu (born February 9, 1932 in
Kericho,
Kenya) was a successful endurance
rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the
Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a
Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a
Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.
The eldest of ten children born to Sardar Battan Singh and Sardarni Swaran Kaur, he was educated at a
boarding school in
Nairobi. His first work experience was as a
spanner boy in his father's garage, and he gained further experience as a mechanic in other organisations before becoming the Royal East African Automobile Association's first patrolman in 1958., Eric Cecil,
Sikh Heritage, 1973
The first Asian driver ever to win an international rally, and also the first man to win the Safari Rally three times, he was fondly known as the "Flying Sikh" for his exploits behind the wheel. Although
Ugandan rival
Shekhar Mehta has more outright victories in the event, Singh's record of 19 finishes in 22 attempts is an unprecedented feat of consistency in what has been long regarded as the world's toughest rally, where the attrition rate can exceed 90%. He was even one of the so-called "
Unsinkable Seven" - the only crews in the 1968 event who were able to reach the...
Read More