Sir Tom Farmer dies aged 84: Kwik Fit founder’s family shares emotional tribute after man who built £1bn tyre chain passes away peacefully at home

Tom Farmer, one of Scotland’s most successful businessmen and the founder of the famous Kwik Fit garage chain, has died at the age of 84.

The Edinburgh-born entrepreneur died peacefully at his home in the city on Friday.

Born in Leith, Edinburgh in 1940, he became a household name after he founded the Kwik Fit chain of garages in 1971 and built it into the world’s biggest independent tyre and automotive chain, selling it to Ford for £1 billion in 1999.

Worth an estimated £126 million, Sir Tom received many accolades for his philanthropic work and was the first Scot to be awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy.

In 1990 he was awarded the CBE and in 1993 he was awarded The Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. 

In 1997 he was knighted by the Queen and also received the highest accolade possible from Pope John Paul II when he was made Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great. 

He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2009 for his work with the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Sir Tom owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for more than 20 years but sold his interest in the club in 2019.

He invested nearly £3 million to rescue the Edinburgh club from receivership, despite admitting that he had no great love of the game and rarely attended matches. 

He felt Hibs was important to the local community.

In 2006, Sir Farmer donated £100,000 to the Scottish National Party to help fund their campaign for the following year’s Scottish Parliament general election to allow them to compete with better funded opponents, but he insisted the donation did not reflect his political views.

In a statement, his family said: ‘The family of Sir Tom Farmer are deeply saddened to announce his death at the age of 84. Sir Tom died peacefully at home in Edinburgh on Friday May 9th.

‘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.

‘More than anything Sir Tom was a family man. Born in Leith, Edinburgh, in 1940 he was the youngest of seven children. 

‘He frequently spoke of the love, care and attention that was bestowed upon him by being the youngest in such a large family. 

‘Leith provided a wonderfully supportive environment for him growing up as a child and he retained a lifelong affection and connection to the area.

‘Along with his three sisters and three brothers, the siblings formed strong bonds from a young age that they continued to enjoy and cherish throughout their lives. Sir Tom had many nieces and nephews to whom he was proud to be an uncle to them and their families.’

‘In 1966, Sir Tom married his dearly beloved wife. They met at their local church, St Mary, Star of the Sea, and were married for 57 years up until her death in 2023. In later years, when asked about the secret to his success he would often say it was because he had “married a girl like Anne.” They lived their whole married life in Edinburgh and are survived by their two children and four grandchildren.’

The statement continued: ‘Sir Tom’s Roman Catholic faith was present throughout all areas of his life. 

‘He attended mass weekly in Edinburgh and enjoyed the friendship and company of many people with the Catholic community both here in Scotland and further afield.

‘Sir Tom will be remembered by many for his deep commitment to his family, his work and his faith and for being at all times a proud Scotsman.’