Neville Crichton reckons his Queen's Birthday honour is a pretty nice birthday present.
The champion sailor and automotive mogul, who turns 67 today, has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and yachting.
"It's nice to get honoured for something you enjoy like yacht racing," Crichton told the Business Herald by phone from the south of France.
The Sydney-based Kiwi migrated to Australia in the early 1980s, where he founded Ateco Group, which today imports Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Citroen vehicles into this country and Australia.
In 1982 he founded Alloy Yachts in New Zealand, which has been credited with launching the local marine industry. Crichton said the high-end car market was a little difficult at the moment. But the cheaper, Chinese-made Great Wall and Chery vehicles his firm began importing 15 months ago were "going gangbusters".