Billy Coleman is an Irish motorsport rally driver. Nicknamed Millstreet Maestro, Billy Coleman is Ireland's most successful motorsport rally driver^{[citation needed]} and in twenty years of racing has claimed 29 victories,^{[citation needed]} including a number of British Rally Championship and Irish Tarmac Rally Championship titles.^[1] He is the older brother of John Coleman who was a Gaelic footballer.^[2][3][4]

Billy Coleman is a farmer native to Millstreet, County Cork, where he still resides.^{[citation needed]} He developed an interest in cars from an early age,^{[citation needed]} reminiscing how his father let him steer the car sitting on his knee at the age of five.^{[citation needed]} His father Paddy Coleman was the local Ford main dealer and owned a motor garage in Millstreet. Spending time at his father's garage further nurtured Coleman's early interest in cars.^{[citation needed]} Coleman studied commerce in University College Cork, but preferred farming as his occupation, and undertook it full time after finishing up his racing career.^[5] His first racing car was Ford Cortina which Coleman drove in 1967. In 1969 a crashed Ford Escort was acquired, repaired and converted into a rally car. It was in this car (a self-prepared green Ford Escort Mark I; TIU 250) in 1969, that Coleman won the special stage ahead of the works Ford Escort of Roger Clark.^[6] Coleman dominated the rallies in Ireland and Britain the 1970s and 1980s.^{[citation needed]} He has also been seen in international arena, including in Corsica and Monte Carlo.^[7] In his racing career, Coleman drove Ford Cortina, Ford Escort, Alpine-Renault, Lancia Stratos, Fiat-Abarth 131, Opel Manta 400, Porsche 911, Porsche 959, MG Metro 6R4 and BMW M3.^[5] Coleman's two sons, Robby Coleman and Gordon Coleman, also take part in Irish and British racing events.^[8]

Between his active racing years 1968 to 1987, Billy Coleman started in 128 national and international rally events and claimed 29 victories.^[18]