A Honda test driver died from a severe head injury in a crash on a circuit designed to simulate roads in the Swiss mountains.

David Allan, who was also an experienced race driver, had been working at the Millbrook proving ground, near Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Three men and a woman, who were passengers in the car, were taken to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

An inquest into Mr Allan’s death was opened in Bedford on Wednesday and adjourned to a date to be arranged.

The long-serving Honda driver, of North Swindon, was driving on the route, a hill course described as being similar to driving in the Swiss mountains.

The track consists of camber bends, brows and dips designed to test both the car and driver. The course is described by Millbrook as being ‘an invaluable experience in itself for any driver who loves the open road’.

The circuit featured in an episode of BBC show Top Gear, where it was used for a coupe challenge.

Millbrook has also been used by shows including Channel 5’s Fifth Gear and the James Bond film Casino Royale. No other vehicle was involved in the accident, which happened at around 11.30am on Tuesday during routine vehicle testing.

Mr Allan would have been well equipped to have handled the testing circuit. He was part of Honda’s Synchro Motorsport team, formed in 1994 for employees to develop their technical skills.

He drove both the Civic and the Jazz at races and had just had his name added to the livery of a new car.

Tributes posted online yesterday included one from Andy Connolly, a race marshal, who honoured Mr Allan’s involvement in the British Touring Car Championship series.

He wrote on Twitter: “Saddened to hear that former BTCC driver Dave Allan passed away earlier this week. Remember him piloting that Civic to an inch of its life.”

An employee at Honda told yesterday how the news was broken to staff at the plant in South Marston.

He said: “We turned up for our shifts and we were read a letter by our team leaders, telling us an associate from product engineering had been involved in a fatal accident. Everyone was numb, especially those who had worked with Dave. He was very experienced and very well-liked across the plant.”

Mr Allan had worked at Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd for more than 26 years and was one of the original employees of the company.

The firm said in a statement yesterday: ”David will be sadly missed by all his colleagues and friends at the company. Our thoughts at this sad time are with David’s family.”