1963 Armstrong 500

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Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit (1938-1986) Mount Panorama 1938-1986.png
Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit (1938–1986)

The 1963 Armstrong 500 was the fourth running of the Armstrong 500 touring car race. It was held on 6 October 1963. After the 1962 race, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit was too damaged to continue to stage the race, forcing it to move to a new location, the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst with a new organising club, the Australian Racing Drivers Club. The race was open to standard production sedans with four classes based on the purchase price (in Australian pounds) of the vehicle.

Bob Jane and Harry Firth were the first team to complete the full race distance, taking victory in Class C in their factory backed Ford Cortina GT, the change of both vehicle and circuit making no difference to their result of the previous year. While outright victories were not to be recognised until years later, they had completed a hat-trick of 'first to the line' wins.

Class structure

A replica of the Ford Cortina GT in which Bob Jane and Harry Firth won Class C 1963 Cortina GT Armstrong 500 winner (9031573452).jpg
A replica of the Ford Cortina GT in which Bob Jane and Harry Firth won Class C

The largest change was cosmetic. The bigger cars moved down the alphabet, the smaller cars moved into classes A and B. The Volkswagens moved into class A. Ford Falcons disappeared from the race, replaced by an influx of smaller, more versatile Ford Cortinas. As in 1962 the Fords were the biggest threat, shaping up to be faster than the larger D Class cars which included Chrysler Valiants and Studebaker Larks.

Class A

Class A was for cars that cost less £900. It comprised Fiat 770, Morris 850, Triumph Herald and Volkswagen Beetle.

Class B

The £901 to £1,000 class featured 1.5 litre Ford Cortina, Morris Cooper and Morris Major Elite, Renault R8 and Simca Aronde.

Class C

The £1,001 to £1,200 class was contested by Ford Cortina GT, Holden EH S4 and Holden FB.

Class D

The £1,201 to £2,000 class featured Chrysler Valiant, Ford Zephyr, Humber Super Snipe, Peugeot 404, Studebaker Lark, Vauxhall Velox and Vauxhall VX 4/90.

Race

The race became the first Ford vs Holden head-to-head fight, with the works Cortina of defending race champions Bob Jane and Harry Firth winning by a lap over the first EH Holden of Ralph Sach and Fred Morgan with a second Cortina on the same lap. It was a third consecutive victory for Jane and Firth, each victory coming in a different model and back-to-back for the factory Ford team. Second place was the closest Holden would get to a win until the breakthrough in 1968. Chrysler got its first class win with the Valiant of Tony Reynolds and Tony Allen with Geoff Russell driving the factory prepared Ford Zephyr again narrowly missing out on the Class D win. The new Morris Coopers saw the Mini break out of the entry level class and gave Doug Chivas his first class win, co-driving with Ken Wilkinson in Class B, defeating the 1.5 litre Cortinas, ominously just a lap behind the Valiant and the Zephyr. In the small class, Volkswagen again defeated the Morris 850s with Barry Ferguson and Bill Ford taking first place ahead of the Mini of Don Holland and Lindsay Little.

Results

PosNoEntrantDriversCarLaps
Class A
154Lanock Motors Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Ferguson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Ford
Volkswagen 1200 116
255Vaughan & Lane Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Holland
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsay Little
Morris 850 116
351Victorian VW Agents-VW Sales Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim McKeown
Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Reynolds
Volkswagen 1200 115
461A. Andrews Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rocky Tresise
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Andrews
Volkswagen 1200 115
557Macquarie Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Mackie
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham White
Volkswagen 1200 113
653K.B. Nicholson Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Stanley
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Alexander
Morris 850 113
749H.E. Taylor Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Seton
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Herb Taylor
Morris 850 112
850Kinsley Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Forrest
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Hann
Volkswagen 1200 111
959T. Corcoran Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Corcoran
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Digby Cooke
Morris 850 111
1052Paul M. Samuels Flag of Australia (converted).svg [Barry Collerson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Howard
Fiat 770 103
1156Reg Smith Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Bonthorne
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Callan
Triumph Herald 101
1258Vaughan & Lane Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Nicholson
Morris 850 89
DNF60P & R Williams Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Hill
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Kleinig
Morris 850
Class B
142Denis Summers Conversions Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Chivas
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Wilkinson
Morris Cooper 125
241Delore Motors (Newcastle) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Gates
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Nedelko
Morris Cooper 125
328 Ford Motor Co. of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ern Abbott
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Caelli
Ford Cortina 1500 123
446 Ford Motor Co. of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Max Volkers
Flag of Australia (converted).svg K Burns
Ford Cortina 1500 123
543Bamar Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wal Donnelly
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Marchiori
Morris Cooper 122
644P & R Williams Flag of Australia (converted).svg Des West
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Martin
Morris Cooper 120
726C. Harding Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Harding
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Adrian Yannuccelli
Morris Cooper 120
829Total Team Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Matich
Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Murray
Renault R8 119
937Rex Emmett Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Connolly
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Draper
Renault R8 119
1039P & R Williams Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Foley
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Manton
Morris Cooper 116
1145P. Brown Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brown
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Marshall
Morris Cooper 115
1247C.G. Smith Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Hodgson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie Smith
Morris Cooper 115
1332Cecil R Pierce Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Brigden
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Smith
Simca Aronde 114
1438Gurdon Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Gurdon
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jerry Trevor-Jones
Morris Major Elite 113
1533Gurdon Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Murray
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Edney
Morris Major Elite 113
1648Gurdon Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warren Blomfield
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lorraine Hill
Morris Major Elite 112
1736Ron Thorp's Bargain Barn Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Thorp
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John White
Morris Major Elite 111
1840Rex Emmett Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Park
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Sutherland
Renault Gordini 110
1925 Scuderia Veloce Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Clarke
Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Walker
Renault R8 102
DNF30Delore Motors (Newcastle) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Kelley
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Kelley
Morris Cooper
DNF34Total Bexley Service StationMike Martin
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dave Humphries
Morris Cooper
DNF35Howard and Sons Racing Team Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sid Howard
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Weiley
Morris Cooper 18
DNF27P. & R. Williams Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Bolton
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Laurie Stewart
Morris Cooper 13
DNF31Three Way Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Carl Kennedy
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Stewart
Simca Aronde
Class C
120 Ford Motor Co. of Australia [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Jane
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harry Firth
Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 130
212F.G. Morgan [2] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ralph Sach
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Morgan
Holden EH S4 129
313Grawill Motors Pty. Ltd. [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce McPhee
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Ryan
Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 129
422Barrie Broomhall Motors [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Broomhall
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Cunliffe
Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 124
518H. Budd [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harry Budd
Flag of Australia (converted).svg R. Smith
Holden EH S4 123
623Geissler Motors Pty. Ltd. [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Grant
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Trevor Marden
Holden EH S4 120
716Muirs Motors (Ryde) [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Bartlett
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Reynolds
Holden EH S4 115
824B.P. Warwick Farm Service Station [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lex Bailey
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil McCumisky
Holden FB Special [1] 115
917Heldon Motors Pty. Ltd. [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Spencer Martin
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Muir
Holden EH S4 111
DNF21 Ford Motor Co. of Australia [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Geoghegan
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Leo Geoghegan
Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 105
DNF14Seatons Globe Hotel, Albury [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim O'Shaunnessy
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Brindley
Holden EH S4 65
Class D
18Ron Dunbier Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Allen
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Reynolds
Chrysler AP5 Valiant 126
25 Ford Motor Co. of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Russell
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Reaburn
Ford Zephyr Mk.III 126
39Killara Motor Garage Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Holden
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill March
Peugeot 404 119
42Needham Motors Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warren Weldon
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bert Needham
Studebaker Lark 115
456Alex Strachan Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Burns
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Lawler
Humber Super Snipe 21
DNF4Baulkham Hill Service Station Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Cook
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alwyn Rose
Chrysler SV1 Valiant 119
DNF7N.J. Wright Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Wright
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Ferguson
Studebaker Lark 57
DNF3Boyded Pty Ltd-Scuderia Veloce Flag of Australia (converted).svg David McKay
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Cusack
Vauxhall Velox 20
DSQ10Continental & General Distributors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Coe
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Syd Fisher
Peugeot 404 119
DNS12P. Fallu Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Fallu
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Kratzmann
Vauxhall VX 4/90

Statistics

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Philip McCumisky, Holden versus Holden at Bathurst, www.pccv.org, as archived at web.archive.org
  2. Barry Collerson, Behind the wheel, Australian Motor Sports, November 1963, pages 30, 31, 32 & 50
  3. Bill Tuckey and David Greenhalgh, Australia's Greatest Motor Race – The First 30 Years