The founder of the Kwik Fit garage chain, Sir Tom Farmer, has died at the age of 84.
According to BBC, the Edinburgh-born businessman died peacefully at his home in the city on Friday, his family said. He built the company into the world's biggest independent tyre and automotive chain, selling it to Ford for £1bn in 1999.
Sir Tom owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for 28 years, selling his interest in the club in 2019.
Sir Tom was born in Leith in 1940 and first opened a tyre business in 1964. He started Kwik Fit in 1971, eventually operating in more than 2,000 locations in 18 countries.
He was knighted in 1997 for his services to the automotive industry and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2009 for his charitable work.
A statement from his family said: "Sir Tom's long and extensive career touched many aspects of Scottish and UK life.
"His business career is well documented, as was his commitment to philanthropy, his many public roles and his unwavering support and appreciation for the communities and people that he lived his life within."
Sir Tom's philanthropic work saw him awarded the Carnegie Medal and he became a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, an honour bestowed by the Pope, in 1997.
