PRESIDENT BUSH has chosen Robert Tuttle, one of his biggest fundraisers and a multimillionaire Californian car dealer steeped in Republican politics, to be the next US Ambassador to Britain, a post that has been vacant for nearly a year.

Mr Tuttle, 62, was an aide to Ronald Reagan for six years and will replace William Farish, who stepped down in July after less than three years, having failed to impress in London. In Mr Tuttle, Mr Bush has picked a man whom he hopes will not repeat the mistakes of Mr Farish, whose low profile in London during the run-up to the war in Iraq became an embarrassment on both sides of the Atlantic.

Mr Tuttle, who has two grown-up daughters and a second wife, Maria — his first marriage ended about 12 years ago — must first be confirmed by the US Senate.

He was named by The Times in March as the favourite for the post. Although a president’s pick for the US Ambassador to the Court of St James is usually a formality for congressional approval, the White House hopes that Mr Tuttle’s confirmation will not be delayed because of the fuss surrounding other nominations, notably that of John Bolton as UN Ambassador.

The lack of a US Ambassador to Britain during the G8 summit in Scotland next month would be a glaring omission. Mr Tuttle, an avid tennis player and collector of modern art, is a Bush “pioneer”, part of a group that raised at least $100,000 each for the President’s re-election. He also gave $100,000 (£55,000) towards the celebration of Mr Bush’s inauguration in January.

Brad Freeman, a fellow Californian who is Mr Bush’s chief West Coast fundraiser and a confidant of the President, said that he had known Mr Tuttle for 40 years, since the two studied at Stanford University, California. “He’s great fun to be with — smart, funny — and he’s been studying hard for this posting,” Mr Freeman said.

Mr Tuttle chairs the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. His father, Holmes Tuttle, built the first Ford dealership in California and famously sold a car to Ronald Reagan, in 1946, when he was an unemployed actor.

They became friends and Mr Tuttle Sr was one of three Californian businessmen who helped to convince Reagan to run for the governorship.

After Stanford and attending the University of California between 1965 and 1968, where he gained an MBA, Mr Tuttle joined his father’s car dealership, sweeping the floors. He is now managing general partner of the Tuttle-Click Automotive Group, with an annual turnover of $700 million (£386 million). He has been involved with the Republican Party since 1979, when he became a member of Mr Reagan’s election team. During his final four years in the White House he was assistant to President Reagan and the director of presidential personnel.

Although Mr Tuttle is not a close friend to Mr Bush, he has known the Bush family since the 1980s, when he frequently dealt with the current President’s father, who was then Reagan’s Vice-President.

Edwin Meese, a former Attorney-General, told The Times: “Bob has all the leadership qualities of a successful businessman, and a good deal of political experience. He’s also very amiable.”

Mr Tuttle has a sister living in London. An assistant at his office said last night that he had no comment on the nomination. His wife, Maria, is a successful lawyer and a former managing partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, a big Californian law firm. His daughters — Tiffany, 29, a fashion designer, and Alexandra, 27 — will remain in America.

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