Koji Nakauchi RIP 27th March 1949 - 14th July 2026 Koji Nakauchi, the Japanese businessman and automotive enthusiast whose Middlebridge Group made a memorable mark on British motor racing and who revived the Scimitar GTE after Reliant ceased production, died in July 2026 aged 77. He leaves a wife, Kazumi, and three children. It is a traditional custom in Japanese society to delay such announcements up to 2 1/2 months after the event, and depends on the status of the deceased.

Koji Nakauchi was a Japanese businessman and principal shareholder of the Middlebridge Group. He owned a printing company in Japan and had racehorse interests in Japan and the UK. His printing company produced the Japanese equivalent of the UK's "Sporting Life" paper. The Middlebridge Group emerged in Britain in the second half of the 1980s, initially with ambitions in Classic Car restorations and eventually motor racing, which was achieved.

When asked about the origins of the name he usually quipped that his own name translated into English as "Middle House" and his friend and business partner's name Ohashi translated as Bridge but could also mean Chopsticks; "I chose 'bridge' as Middlechopsticks didn't sound quite right!"

Koji Nakauchi was a true Anglophile and loved this country, nevertheless he remained staunchly Japanese. He was a collector and enthusiast with a particular appreciation for important British marques and he amassed his own extensive collection of British cars, including Ginettas, Astons, Austin 7's and Triumphs, etc. He was an active and influential member of the Sports Car Club of Japan and organised races in Japan. His passion for collecting went beyond that and he was also the President of the Cigarette Lighter Club GB and had a large collection of petrol lighters.

For Koji Nakauchi, however, motor racing offered an opportunity to pursue his passion on a much larger stage.

Middlebridge established itself in junior single-seater racing, including Formula Ford 2000 where the team were highly successful. They then progressed to Formula 3000 where Damon Hill was the driver The organisation's progress eventually brought it into contact with one of the great names of Formula One - Brabham. Under Middlebridge's ownership, Brabham competed in Formula One during the final years of the famous team's existence. Drivers associated with the team included David Brabham, Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell, while the Middlebridge operation also competed in Formula 3000.

Koji Nakauchi's role was not merely that of an anonymous investor. Former Brabham driver Mark Blundell later recalled meeting him in Japan. Blundell had expected to be collected at the airport by 'staff' and taken to meet the team owner. Instead, Koji himself was waiting for both drivers! His chosen transport was a Rover SD1 - an anecdote that captured something of the eccentric, personal character of the Middlebridge enterprise.

By 1992 the once-famous team was struggling simply to make it to the races. Its final Formula One season was one of survival rather than competition.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix that year, Damon Hill brought a Brabham home in 11th place. It proved to be the final classified finish for the historic team. Brabham subsequently ran out of money and withdrew from Formula One.

The collapse was a painful end to Koji Nakauchi's Formula One ambitions, but it also marked the conclusion of one of the sport's most unusual owner stories: a Japanese industrialist had taken control of an iconic British team and attempted, however briefly, to restore it to prominence.

To remember Koji Nakauchi solely as the man associated with the troubled final years of Brabham would be to overlook the wider story.

His interests reflected a genuine fascination with British engineering and automobile culture. Middlebridge's work with classic Aston Martins and its subsequent involvement with the Scimitar demonstrated that the group's ambitions and influence extended beyond the Formula One paddock.

The Scimitar project was particularly significant. Peter Boam and John McCauley met with Koji Nakauchi and they bought the GTE / GTC manufacturing and tooling rights from Reliant for £400,000 and in late June 1987 Middlebridge Scimitar was formed. A further £2 Million was also invested into the project and the initial purchase from Reliant was completed in 24 hours.

Koji Nakauchi and Dennis Nursey had already made plans to build an aluminium-bodied two-seater combining British craftsmanship (which was in high demand in Japan), with Japanese mechanicals and reliability. They were aiming to create an instant classic look and the car was described as an affordable Ferrari 250 GTO. The Scimitar deal was seen as a quick way into car production "a step on the ladder" and the £400,000 was small price to pay compared to designing and building a car from scratch.

Middlebridge were fully aware of some of the shortcomings of the new car ie: huge turning circle, front suspension, seat runner positions to name a few. They also knew how to rectify the problems but expensive impact testing and Type-Approval costs were the limiting factors.

They were well on the way to developing the Scimitar but with production and sales only averaging 1 to 2 cars a week Dennis Nursey made the decision to bring in Steve Coughlin (Ex Aston Martin and Tickford Director) to oversee and make improvements to the management and production systems. Despite this and a very reduced workforce, several factors, other than the slow production and sales were to eventually culminate in the downfall of Middlebridge Scimitar including the purchase of Brabham and other racing interests and finally the ill-fated purchase of the £10 million historic Le Mans "Bentley Old Number One". Middlebridge started to purchase this famous car and part way through the deal wanted to withdraw from it on the grounds that it was not the authentic specimen it was purported to be. Ed Hubbard, the then owner was the wrong man to take on as he quickly enlisted the help of the well-known Wally Hassan and others to argue his corner in a very publicised court case which was lost by Middlebridge, The Judge ordered them to proceed with the purchase, and with no way of avoiding the bill the parent company pulled the plug on the Scimitar division that was purchasing the Bentley and the Middlebridge Scimitar operation went into receivership.

It is ironic that one of the last Middlebridge Scimitars, chassis number 77, which had been built as his own car is also the age at which he died.

Koji moved from Japan in 2002 to fulfil an ambition to live in England and engage in his various passions which included having a stall at the 'Beaulieu Autojumble' and attending VSCC meetings with friends who visited from Japan.

He leaves behind the memory of a successful life that linked Japan, Britain, Classic Cars and Formula One - and of an extraordinary attempt to preserve and revive one of motor racing's greatest names and one of Britain's iconic cars.