Hugh Anderson (motorcyclist)

Hugh Robertson Anderson MBE (born 18 January 1936) is a four-time Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion and a 19-time New Zealand national champion. He is also a two-time Isle of Man TT winner. In 2022, the F.I.M. inducted Anderson into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.

Hugh Anderson MBE
Anderson at the 1963 Dutch TT
Nationality	New Zealander
Born	(1936-01-18) 18 January 1936 Huntly, New Zealand
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1960-1966 First race 1960 350cc Isle of Man TT Last race 1966 50cc Japanese Grand Prix First win 1962 50cc Argentine Grand Prix Last win 1965 125cc Japanese Grand Prix Team(s) Suzuki Championships 50 cc - 1963, 1964 125 cc - 1963, 1965 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 68 24 48 0 21 Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 7 (1960 - 1966) TT wins 2 First TT win 1963 Lightweight 125 TT Last TT win 1964 Ultra-Lightweight TT TT podiums 6

Motorcycle racing career

Growing up in Huntly, Anderson played rugby league for Huntly United alongside fellow future motorcycle champion Ginger Molloy.

Anderson received support for his racing activities from Rod Coleman, the Suzuki importer for New Zealand and former Grand Prix racer who won the 1954 Isle of Man Junior TT. He joined the Suzuki factory racing team in 1961, racing the factory's 50cc, 125cc and occasionally 250cc racers. During his team membership, Anderson was double World Champion (50cc and 125cc) in 1963 and retained his 50cc World Title the following year. In 1965, he was crowned 125cc World Championship on his factory Suzuki. Anderson's last race for the Suzuki factory was at the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix at Fisco in October 1966.

In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, Anderson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to motor sport. In 1995 he was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Points	Rank	Wins
1960	350cc	AJS	FRA -	IOM NC	NED -			ULS 3	NAT 6							5	7th	0
	500cc	Norton	FRA 7	IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	GER -	ULS -	NAT -							0	-	0
1961	250cc	Suzuki	ESP -	GER -	FRA -	IOM 10	NED -	BEL -	DDR -	ULS -	NAT -	SWE -	ARG -			0	-	0
	350cc	Norton		GER -		IOM 7	NED -		DDR -	ULS -	NAT NC	SWE -				0	-	0
	500cc	Norton		GER -	FRA -	IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	DDR -	ULS -	NAT -	SWE -	ARG -			0	-	0
1962	50cc	Suzuki	ESP -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -		DDR 3	NAT 4	FIN 6	ARG 1			16	7th	1
	125cc	Suzuki	ESP -	FRA -	IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	GER NC	ULS NC	DDR -	NAT -	FIN -	ARG NC			0	-	0
	350cc	AJS			IOM -	NED 6			ULS -	DDR -	NAT -	FIN -				1	14th	0
	500cc	Matchless			IOM NC	NED -	BEL -		ULS -	DDR -	NAT -	FIN -	ARG -			0	-	0
1963	50cc	Suzuki	ESP 2	GER 1	FRA -	IOM 2	NED 2	BEL 4			FIN 3		ARG 1	JPN 2		34	1st	2
	125cc	Suzuki	ESP -	GER 2	FRA 1	IOM 1	NED 1	BEL 2	ULS 1	DDR 1	FIN 1	NAT -	ARG -	JPN 5		54	1st	6
1964	50cc	Suzuki	USA 1	ESP 2	FRA 1	IOM 1	NED -	BEL 3	GER -			FIN 1		JPN -		38	1st	4
	125cc	Suzuki	USA 1	ESP 5	FRA -	IOM NC	NED 5		GER -	DDR 1	ULS 1	FIN -	NAT 2	JPN -		34	3rd	3
	250cc	Suzuki	USA -	ESP NC	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -	DDR -	ULS -		NAT -	JPN -		0	-	0
1965	50cc	Suzuki	USA 2	GER 3	ESP 1	FRA 6	IOM 2	NED 2	BEL 2						JPN -	32	3rd	1
	125cc	Suzuki	USA 1	GER 1	ESP 1	FRA 1	IOM 5	NED 3		DDR -	CZE -	ULS -	FIN 1	NAT 1	JPN 1	56	1st	7
1966	50cc	Suzuki	ESP 4	GER 3	NED 3					IOM 3	NAT 4	JPN 3				16	4th	0
	125cc	Suzuki	ESP -	GER -	NED 4	DDR -	CZE 4	FIN 4	ULS 5	IOM 3	NAT -	JPN -				15	5th	0

Further reading

• Anderson, Hugh (2014). Being there: an autobiography by arguably the most successful all round international rider in the history of New Zealand motorcycling. Hamilton, New Zealand: self-published. ISBN 978-0-473-29994-1.

External links

• Hugh Anderson at the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame