The actor was a former racing team owner and drove the pace car in the Indianapolis 500 three times.
Many knew him for his iconic portrayals on the television shows Maverick and The Rockford Files. Racing fans, however, knew James Garner as more than just an actor. He was a devoted enthusiast of motor sports, particularly Indy cars and sports cars, as well as the star of Grand Prix, a film centered on Formula One.
Garner died at the age of 86 of natural causes at his Los Angeles area home Saturday.
Throughout a career that began in the 1950s, Garner starred in more than 50 films. But it was his involvement in the 1966 drama Grand Prix that endeared Garner to many who follow racing.
Directed by John Frankenheimer, Grand Prix is regarded as one of the very best movies to focus on motor sports. It deftly avoids the trite clichés and hokeyness that often become staples when Hollywood attempts to manufacture the drama and excitement of racing.
Cast as the role of dispirited Formula One driver Pete Aron, an American at the crossroads of his career who eventually wins the World Championship, Garner was the central figure in the film.
"Admired by all who knew him," tweeted Ron Howard, who directed the 2013 Formula One film Rush. "When starring in Grand Prix the people around F1 said he had the talent to be a pro driver."
After Grand Prix, Garner's association with racing continued in other forms.
He created American International Racer, which fielded cars in the Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans endurance races between 1967 and 1969, and the Baja 500 off-road event. And when time permitted, Garner competed in various races, and drove the pace car in the Indianapolis 500 on three occasions (1975, 1977 and 1985).
Garner is survived by his wife and two daughters.