Rally hero Tony Pond dies.

One of Britain's best-loved, most charismatic and successful rally drivers, Tony Pond, has died at the age of 56.

The former MG Rover driver, renowned for his exploits in the Metro 6R4, also drove for Vauxhall, Opel, Nissan, Chevrolet and Chrysler in his long career, which spanned the 1960s, '70s and '80s. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for some time, and died at his home in England.

A hero to many for his daring exploits behind the wheel, Pond made his name by winning the Manx Rally no fewer than four times, often in the face of stiff international competition. He was most widely remembered for driving the unlikely Triumph TR7, as well as the infamous 6R4 and a range of Vauxhall Chevettes, and held a strong position in the British rallying consciousness despite never getting a successful break onto the world stage.

He began his rallying career in 1967, and became associated with Opel and Vauxhall when he began to challenge Jimmy McRae and Russell Brookes for the British title with the venerable Chevette. In between times, he took a Nissan Violet to third place on the Tour de Corse, aided undoubtedly by his preference for tarmac over gravel.

The loose surface did not deter Pond, however, and he remained as spectacular as ever, whether it was chasing McRae and Brookes for the British title or the works Lancias in international competition. The last of the 'old-style' Lombard RAC rallies, with its night stages, provided the then works MG driver with perhaps his greatest moment, harrying the factory Lancias of Markku Alen and the late Henri Toivonen for victory on treacherous stages. Again, he had to settle for third, but the performance established Pond as a hero in the hearts of British rally fans.

When Group B and the 6R4 project were canned, however, Pond was unable to regain his foothold at the forefront of the sport, and switched his attention more and more to racing. Having already represented the Rover team in international touring cars, he found himself a niche in the company's one-make series - again with often spectacular results - and established the first 100mph average lap of the Isle of Man TT course in a Rover Vitesse, before calling time on his competitive career.

Like all heroes, Tony Pond will be sadly missed. We send our condolences to his wife and family.