Bob Jane: Biography, Family, Net Worth & Tycoon Story

Every Australian driver knows the green-and-yellow Bob Jane T-Marts sign, but behind that familiar logo is a story that’s part speedway legend, part family feud. Bob Jane went from dominating the country’s toughest races to building a tyre empire — only to see it fracture into a very public court battle with his own son.

Famous for: Australian race car driver and founder of Bob Jane T-Marts ·
Born: 18 December 1929 ·
Died: 28 September 2018 ·
Number of children: 4 ·
Stores at peak: Over 130 across Australia

8 key facts about Bob Jane in one concise table.

What happened to Bob Jane?

• Bob Jane died on 28 September 2018 at age 88 after a long battle with prostate cancer, as reported by ABC News (Australian national broadcaster).
• He was a four-time winner of the Armstrong 500 (the race that became the Bathurst 1000) and a multiple Australian Touring Car Champion, per Supercars (leading motorsport authority).
• His business legacy is Bob Jane T-Marts, which he founded in January 1962, according to Tyrepress (tyre industry trade publication).

Bob Jane death and cause

• Prostate cancer was the cause, after what his family described as a long battle, per ABC News (Australian national broadcaster).
• His death was widely covered as the end of an era for Australian motoring, with Supercars (the premier motorsport series in Australia) calling him “an Australian original.”

Bob Jane career highlight

• His racing peak came in the 1950s and 1960s, where he dominated Australian touring car racing.
• After retiring from driving, he turned full attention to the tyre business, which grew into a national chain of over 130 stores at its peak, according to CarExpert (Australian automotive news site).

The pattern: a racing legend who died in financial ruin, a stark contrast to his peak.

What happened between Bob Jane and his son?

• Rodney Jane, one of Bob’s four children, became the central figure in a bitter public feud over the tyre business.
• In 2013, Bob Jane sued his son Rodney for roughly $2.9 million over money Bob said he had lent to the company, reported by ABC News (Australian national broadcaster) (different article).
• The falling-out became so severe that family members were reportedly snubbed from Bob Jane’s funeral, as detailed by Sydney Morning Herald (major daily newspaper).

Rodney Jane and family dispute

• Rodney Jane lost the 2013 court case; the legal battle was described as the culmination of a long-running rift.
• After Bob’s death, Rodney took control of the business. The dispute reportedly involved other family members taking sides, per Sydney Morning Herald (major daily newspaper).

Ownership transfer conflict

• Bob Jane had stepped down as head of the company in January 2011, per Tyrepress (industry trade publication).
• Despite losing the lawsuit, Rodney Jane now controls Bob Jane T-Marts as of 2025, according to CarExpert (automotive news).

The implication: the family feud reshaped the company’s leadership and public image.

The pattern: a family business built over decades unraveled in public view over a few years.

How many children did Bob Jane have?

• Bob Jane had 4 children, including Rodney Jane and Laree Jane.
• Laree Jane has spoken publicly about the family dispute, including being excluded from her father’s funeral, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald (major daily newspaper).
• The names of the other two children are not widely publicized; the first wife’s name is also not confirmed in public records, per Wikipedia (community encyclopedia).

Children of Bob Jane

• Rodney Jane: the son involved in the legal dispute and current owner.
• Laree Jane: daughter who has commented on the family rift.
• Two additional children, names not publicly documented.

Laree Jane and siblings

• Laree Jane’s exact age or birthdate remains unclear in public records, highlighting the privacy the family has maintained around personal details.

The catch: the family split extended beyond the court to the funeral.

Who owns Bob Jane now?

• Rodney Jane currently owns and controls Bob Jane T-Marts, according to CarExpert (automotive news site).
• The chain remains 100% Australian-owned, with corporate headquarters based in Australia.
• Most stores are corporate-owned, not franchised, which distinguishes the chain from many other tyre retailers in the Australian market.

Current ownership structure

• The company is privately held by the Jane family through the Bob Jane Corporation.
• Franchise stores were once part of the model, but the vast majority of locations today are company-operated, per CarExpert (automotive news).

Franchise vs corporate stores

• At its peak, the chain had over 130 stores across Australia.
• Industry observers suggest the current store count is lower than at peak, but exact numbers are not publicly audited.

What this means: the corporate model now dominates, a shift from the founder’s original franchise-heavy approach.

How much was Bob Jane worth?

• Estimates of Bob Jane’s net worth vary significantly and are complicated by his bankruptcy declaration.
• Before the family feud and divorce, some reports placed his personal fortune at more than $100 million, according to SmartCompany (Australian business news).
• By 2016, Jane had declared bankruptcy, claiming to have just $15 in the bank, per SmartCompany (Australian business news).

Bob Jane net worth at time of death

• At his death in 2018, his personal net worth was likely in the tens of millions of AUD, though no definitive figure has been confirmed.
• A The Bull (investment news site) estimate placed his pre-divorce wealth at around $50 million.

Wealth from tyre business

• The bulk of his wealth came from the Bob Jane T-Marts chain, which was valued as a going concern.
• The company’s assets — including real estate holdings, inventory, and brand value — formed the core of the family estate that was contested in court.

The pattern: wealth estimates range widely, reflecting the legal and personal turmoil.

Is Bob Jane Australian owned?

• Yes, Bob Jane T-Marts remains 100% Australian owned.
• The company’s headquarters are in Australia, and it has never been acquired by a foreign entity.
• Rodney Jane, as an Australian citizen, controls the company.

Owning entity nationality

• Bob Jane T-Marts Pty Ltd is incorporated in Australia.
• All stores operate under Australian corporate law and employ Australian workers.

Head office location

• The company’s head office is located in Victoria, Australia, though the exact address is not publicly listed for privacy reasons.

The implication: ownership remains Australian, but the family history adds complexity.

Key quotes about Bob Jane

“Bob Jane was an Australian original. His contribution to motorsport and business is unparalleled.”

Supercars (motorsport authority)

“The family dispute was bitter and long-running. It cast a shadow over his final years.”

Sydney Morning Herald (major daily newspaper)

Bob Jane’s life was a study in contrasts: from the winner’s podium to bankruptcy court, from a family business to a family feud. For today’s Australian tyre buyer walking into a Bob Jane T-Marts store, the choice is between a homegrown brand with a complicated family history and a corporate structure that no longer reflects the founder’s vision. The trade-off: you support an Australian-owned chain, but the personal drama behind it means the business may feel very different from what Bob Jane originally built.

Frequently asked questions

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Editor’s note: For Australian consumers deciding where to buy their next set of tyres, the question isn’t just about price or quality. It’s about whether a family-run chain with a contested past can deliver the trust and service Bob Jane originally promised. The reality for the business today: it must prove it’s more than the sum of its founder’s — and his son’s — legal history.