Gérard Bonny, who piloted a Renault 4×4 truck called the “Desert Fridge” at the Paris–Dakar Rally for over a decade, has passed away. He was 80 years old. His old friend and teammate Nicolas Paty confirmed the news on Saturday.

Bonny was born on August 7, 1945. In 1987, he teamed up with Philippe Cornier and Jean Sudriez to drive a Renault C 260 that was nicknamed “Le Frigo du Désert”. The name stemmed from the truck having a refrigeration unit storing medical supplies and food for delivery to locals once the race crossed into Africa. J. Luc Derderian joined Bonny and Cornier for the 1988 race.

Being a service truck, the Fridge was classified as a DNF in each of its entries. Ironically, the 1994 race was a case of a “true” retirement when it—now a C 290—rolled with Bonny and Paty in the cockpit. Alain Marechal helped roll the Renault back on its wheels using his Mercedes-Benz 2635 AK 6×6.

He eventually switched to a Renault Kerax, though it kept the Desert Fridge moniker. Bonny continued to appear at Dakar into the early 2000s.

His service will take place on Tuesday, November 25, at Notre-Dame du Rosaire in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.