Peter Smith passes away aged 74

Peter Smith, former joint managing director of historic tyre distributor BMTR, has passed away suddenly at the age of 74. Along with his brother Paul, Peter was part of the third generation of the Smith family to run the business founded by their Grandfather Jack Smith in 1919.

A former chairman of the NTDA Midland region in the late 1970s, Peter was best known for developing the Bike Tyrestore motorcycle tyre wholesale division of BMTR. Under Peter’s guidance, Bike Tyrestore was the sole importer and distributor of Bridgestone motorcycle tyres for many years, working closely with Bridgestone to build the brand from nothing into a market leading force. Bike Tyrestore continues to flourish and is the chosen route to market for many leading motorcycle tyre manufacturers.

Following his retirement in 2017, in addition to his interest in all things motorcycle, Peter devoted considerable time and effort to his passion for ancient Rome, travelling to Rome several times a year. He had recently been made a fellow of the prestigious British School at Rome in recognition for his contribution in furthering the knowledge of Rome and its archaeology.