Botnar was born in Chernivtsi, which was then called Czernowitz and belonged to Austria-Hungary. During his childhood, in 1918, Austria-Hungary dissolved and his hometown, renamed Cernăuţi, became part of Romania. Under its present name it is now part of Ukraine. He spent 1932–1936 in prison. Afterwards, he moved to France, where he joined the French Resistance and fought against the Nazis in World War II. He returned to Romania in 1946 and remained there until 1960. In 1966, he fled Communist Eastern Europe and ended up in Worthing in England. It was in Worthing that he founded the new company Datsun UK in 1970.
Botnar had originally run the UKimport business for the German manufacturer NSU, however this business was dissolved when NSU was taken over by Volkswagen in 1969 , and Botnar was looking for a new venture. He successfully became the UK franchisee and importer for Nissan, and its Datsun range of cars. Under Botnar's leadership, Datsun had become one of the biggest car imports in Britain, outselling not only its arch Japanese rival Toyota but eventually became the most popular foreign brand in the UK. At its peak, Botnar owned more than 200 Nissan dealerships throughout the country and was considered one of Britain's wealthiest men.
Philanthropy
Octav's only child, Camelia Botnar, was killed in a car crash near Stonehenge in 1972 at the age of 20. Her death led to a wave of philanthropy that saw Botnar donate millions to charity throughout his later life. One of his larger donations was £13 million to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. He also established the Camelia Botnar Foundation in his daughter's memory. The foundation, located in West Sussex, is still active today, providing residential training and work experience, helping young people to learn a skilled trade, embark on a useful career path and successfully make their own way in life.
Tax Controversy
In June 1991, the Inland Revenue raided Nissan UK's headquarters, as well as Mr Botnar's home and the homes of other company officials. The tax authority accused Botnar of evading more than £200 million in taxes. Botnar left for Switzerland and lived for the rest of his life there in Villars-sur-Ollon. The Nissan UK and AFG businesses subsequently foundered, after Nissan took its UK distribution and import activities completely in-house in 1991. Although Botnar maintained his innocence up until his final hours, he had agreed to pay £59 million to settle the case. Following settling, he opened a suit against the Inland Revenue for damages and malicious prosecution. At the time he said: "The damages I am seeking are only token, but I want to clear my name. I want my day in court."
A biography of the life of Octav Botnar, written by John Laughland, was published in October 2018. The book is available for purchase from OMC Investments Limited, and from the Camelia Botnar Foundation website.
