Canadian BMC Racing Legend Ed Leavens Passes Away

On Thursday, August 13, 2020, Canadian racing legend and noted BMC factory driver Edward Leavens passed away after a battle with dementia.

Leavens, of London, Ontario, was an extremely successful sports car racer from 1955 to 1962, who competed with the likes of Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren and other notables of the day, at Sebring for the BMC factory team in 1959, ’60 and ’61. In 1959, he helped set two land speed records for Austin Healey at Bonneville. Leavens was inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Leavens stands behind the sleek Sebring Sprite he was scheduled to drive in the under-two-liter class during Nassau SpeedWeek—teamed with Roy Salvadori in a second, three-liter car—until his mother’s illness forced him to abandon the weekend and return home.

In his business life, Leavens was the founder of Leavens Motors in 1958, which has grown into Leavens Automotive Group operating in London and Southwestern Ontario.

He is survived by his wife Pat (Finlay); his daughter Kelly Hodgins; sons: Paul and Chris; grandchildren and great grandchildren. As per Ed’s wishes, there will be no service.