New Zealand motorsport icon Peter Raymond George "Possum" Bourne, whose motor rallying exploits and engaging personality made him a household name died at 12.58am today.

Bourne, New Zealand's only professional rally driver, was critically injured in a car crash on April 18 and had been in a drug-induced coma since undergoing surgery for severe head, chest and leg injuries.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce Possum Bourne passed away peacefully at 12.58am on Wednesday, April 30, at Dunedin Hospital," his family said in a statement.

Another statement would be made on behalf of the family at 11.today.

On Monday his family decided that life support systems would be gradually decreased as the brain injury Bourne suffered was severe and continuing "full life support is no longer in Possum's best interests".

Bourne, 47, who became the public face of New Zealand rallying, was born in 1956 in Pukekohe and was originally named Peter, but acquired his nickname as a result of a teenage driving indiscretion. He rolled his mother's car when avoiding a possum on the way back from a mechanic's course in Auckland.

A member of New Zealand Motorport's Wall of Fame Bourne began his rallying career in 1979, driving a Mark 1 Cortina with a V8 engine in which he gained 3rd placing in the first rally he entered.

The result inspired him to become a professional rally driver and by 1983 he had attracted the attention of Japanese car manufacturer Subaru who backed his New Zealand rally campaigns.

Further strong results followed and encouraged Subaru in 1986 to back him in rally events in Australia. Asia, Africa, the United Sates and Great Britain.

By the mid-1990s Bourne had established himself as the most successful rally driver in the southern hemisphere, a position he cemented with a string of successes right up until his death.

But these successes were achieved at a cost. In 1993 Bourne was driving when long time co-driver, friend and business partner Rodger Freeth was killed in a spectacular accident on the first day of the World Championship round in Australia.

Devastated by the tragedy Bourne continued driving, dedicating the 1993 Asia Pacific Championship he subsequently won to his dead friend.

A seven-time Australian rally champion, Bourne was New Zealand Champion in 1991 and Asia Pacific Champion in 1993, 1994 and 2000.

This year Bourne achieved a long held ambition to drive on the world rally circuit.

It was a belated reward for a driver who had frequently taken on the world's best in New Zealand and Australia in inferior machinery and outperformed many of them.

He came fourth in the first round in Sweden in February, although he had never competed on snow before.

Despite his failure to finish in the New Zealand round of championship earlier this month, Bourne was in seventh place in the championship.

Interviewed last year after winning his seventh consecutive Australian championship, Bourne was asked whether he would try for another?

"Yes. I'm doing what I like doing. The trouble is that in a materialistic world people seem to think when you've done it once why would you do it again," he said.

"They fail to understand the reason you do it is not for the results, but because we're doing what we want to do and we've worked damn hard to put together the best team in this part of the world.

"The only hard thing is the time away from home. I have fantastic support from Peggy and the three kids. They hate seeing me go and when I ring up they ask whether I've won the rally yet. They don't expect anything but wins."

- NZPA
Herald Feature: Possum Bourne, 1956-2003