As we begin a new year, we take time to remember some of those in the classic car community who left us in 2019 (presented here in chronological order of their passing):

Peter Giddings, vintage racer

Michael T. Lynch, historian and author

Glen Wood, longtime NASCAR team owner

Robert Hubbard, inventor of the HANS device used in racing

John B. Haynes, founder of the Haynes Manual publishing company

Bob Nixon, former American Motors designer

Charles Whiting, longtime Formula One race director

Arlen Ness, custom-motorcycle builder

Jim Russell, racing champion and driving-school founder

Howard Danino, FIVA vice president

George Drolsom, racer and Amelia Island Concours board member

Heidi Hetzer

Heidi Hetzer

Heidi Hetzer, round-the-world driver in her 1930 Hudson Great Eight

Niki Lauda, Formula 1 champion

Robin Herd, Formula One racing car designer and co-founder of March cars

Norman Dewis, Jaguar test driver

Norman Dewis

Norman Dewis

Richard Kughn, car collector, museum owner and reviver of Lionel trains

Gene Romero, motorcycle racer

Rod Hall, off-road racer

Monte Shelton, longtime import-car dealer and vintage racer

Nicole Meguiar, founder, Benedict Castle Concours

‘Cactus Jack’ Gartley, early collector car auction founder

Kenneth Behring, founder, Blackhawk Collection Museum

Lee Iacocca, ‘father’ of Ford Mustang and Chrysler minivan

Mitsuo Ito, only Japanese rider to win Isle of Man TT

Don Sommer, car collector and co-founder of the MeadowBrook/Concours of America

Dick Jordan, longtime U.S. Auto Club public relations director

Don Roberts, driver of “winningest” Shelby Cobra

Ferdinand Piech, chairman of Volkswagen, former head of Audi, Porsche racing

Ferdinand Piech

Ferdinand Piech

Jessi Combs, speed-record racer and TV personality

Mike Stefanik, 9-time NASCAR modified or truck series national champion

Luigi Colani, car and industrial product designer

Chuck Stoddard, racer and one of original Porsche dealers in U.S.

Andy Cohen, co-founder, Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories

Ron Watson, founder, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

Louis “Sonny” Meyer Jr., 15-time Indy 500-winning engine builder

Walter “Wally” Miller, museum founder and automotive literature collector

Jerry Hirchberg, Buick and Nissan designer

Print editions of AutoWeek, Automobile, Lowrider and more than a dozen other car magazines

Bill Simpson, Indy racer and safety-equipment pioneer

Junior Johnson, moonshine runner turned stock car racer

Horst Kwech, two-time Trans-Am racing champion

Syd Mead, illustrator and futurist

This article, written by Larry Edsall, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.