Gallaher 500
Mount Panorama, Bathurst
1st October, 1967

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Falcon XC Cobra
Bathurst 1967
Torana L34

Number of Laps: 130


Total Race Time: 6:54:99.10
Fastest Lap: Fred Gibson, 3:03 (121.42 km/h)
Classes: Class A - Up to $1800; Class B - $1801 to $2100; Class C - $2101 to $3000; Class D - $3001 to $4500; Class E - Over $4500

The first appearance at Bathurst by the Falcon GT’s was eagerly awaited ... and didn't disappoint. Mastermind of the first-up win was competitor/director Harry Firth. Seven of the new Falcon GT’s fronted the starter for the 1967 Bathurst 500, including three works-entered cars driven by Harry Firth and Fred Gibson, lan and Leo Geoghegan and Bob Jane and Spencer Martin. After 130 taps and 500 miles the winner was declared to be the Falcon GT of the Geoghegan brothers, with the Firth/Gibson car in second place on the same lap, which must have been a trifle upsetting for Fred Gibson, as he quite rightly thought he had won by six seconds from the Geoghegan’s car. But lan Geoghegan got the chequered flag, the hapless Gibson forced to do another lap.

The error was corrected but the initial glory went to the Geoghegans. It was Harry Firth's fourth "500” win and Fred Gibson's first, but more importantly it was also the Falcon GT's first ever win in competition. Significantly, all seven Falcons finished the race, although the Bob Beasley/Des West car was later excluded for having oversize valves. The winning car put in a fastest lap of 3 min. 3 sec. around the 3.875-mile Mount Panorama circuit, which is an average speed of just under 79 mph. In addition, the car was clocked at 125.69 mph on Conrod Straight, at that time the fastest ever achieved by a series production car on the Bathurst circuit.

Please Note: You can sort this listing by simply clicking on the column heading
DRIVER / CO DRIVER(S)
1
Harry Firth / Fred Gibson
Falcon XR GT
D
130
2
Leo Geoghegan / Ian Geoghegan
Falcon XR GT
D
130
3
Doug Chivas / Max Stewart
Alfa 1600 GTV
E
130
4
Kevin Bartlett / Laurie Stewart
Alfa 1600 GTV
E
130
5
Tony Fall / Bob Holden
Morris Cooper S
C
128
6
Charlie Smith / Barry Seton
Morris Cooper S
C
127
7
Timo Makinen / John French
Morris Cooper S
C
127
8
Paddy Hopkirk / Brian Foley
Morris Cooper S
C
126
9
Arthur Davis / Paul Mander
Alfa 1600 GTV
E
126
10
Damon Beck / Lakis Manticas
Morris Cooper S
C
125
11
Warren Weldon / John Hall
Studebaker Lark
D
124
12
John Millyard / Andy Frankel
Morris Cooper S
C
124
13
Mike Savva / Bob Wilkinson
Falcon XR GT
D
124
14
Peter Brown / Bob Cook
Morris Cooper S
C
123
15
Bill Burns / Chris Brauer
Alfa Giulia Super
D
122
16
David McKay / George Reynolds
Audi Super 90
D
122
17
Greg Cusack / Bill Brown
Falcon XR GT
D
121
18
Bob Jane / Spencer Martin
Falcon XR GT
D
118
19
Barry Sharp / Lindsay Derriman
Phoenix TD2
E
118
20
Bill Tuckey / Max Stahl
Fiat 124
C
118
21
Fred Sutherland / Alan Mottram
Falcon Auto
C
117
22
Bob Young / Bob Sorrenson
Triumph 2000
D
117
23
John Roxburgh / Doug Whiteford
Datsun 1000
A
117
24
Bill Daly / George Murray
Fiat 124
C
117
25
Syd Fisher / Paul Hawkins
Alfa 1600 GTV
E
117
26
Dick Thurston / Bill Buckle
Toyota Corolla
A
116
27
Peter Cray / Don Holland
Morris Cooper
B
116
28
Kunimitsu Takahashi / Hideo Oishi
Datsun 1000
A
116
29
Mike Kable / John Smailes
Fiat 124
C
115
30
Jack Eiffeltower / David O'Keefe
Hillman Imp GT
A
114
31
Bob Edgerton / David Toshack
Hillman Imp GT
A
114
32
George Garth / Geoff Westbury
Hillman Arrow
B
114
33
Trevor Meehan / Gary Cooke
Fiat 124
C
113
34
Carl Kennedy / Jack Murray
Prince Skyline
C
113
35
Doug Macarthur / Arthur Treloar
Hillman Arrow
B
111
36
Jane Richardson / Midge Whiteman
Morris 1100S
B
110
37
David Frazer / Bernie Breen
Renault R8
B
109
38
David Bye / Lynn Brown
Fiat 850
C
109
39
Clyde Hodgins / Kevin Nipperess
Morris 1100S
B
108
40
Ken Stacey / Bruce McIntire
Falcon XR GT
D
106
41
Chris Cronan / Steve Parkes
Holden Torana
A
103
42
Bruce Darke / Bill Ford
Datsun 1300
A
103
43
Lindsay Adcock / Mike Schneider
Morris Cooper
B
100
44
Jim Smith / John Colwell
Datsun 1300
A
100
45
Bill Stanley / Digby Cooke
Morris Cooper
B
96
46
Jeff Thompson / Bob Romano
Cortina 1500
B
96
47
Gerry Lister / David Seldon
Volvo 122S
D
86
48
Herb Taylor / Don Smith
Holden X2
C
75
DNF
Lindsay Little / Stan Pomroy
Hillman Imp GT
A
DNF
DNF
Barry Tapsall / Bevan Gibson
Datsun 1200
A
DNF
DNF
Bruce Hindhaugh / Peter Macrow
Toyota Corolla
A
DNF
DNF
Glen MacKinnon / John Smith
Cortina 1500
B
DNF
DNF
Rick Radford / John Prisk
Morris Cooper
B
DNF
DNF
Peter Williamson / Alex Macarthur
Toyota Corona
B
DNF
DNF
Mal Brewster / Bob Skelton
Morris Cooper S
C
DNF
DNF
Malcolm Bailey / John Hicks
Prince Skyline
C
DNF
DNF
Gary Hodge / Glyn Scott
Morris Cooper S
C
DNF
DNF
John Leffler / Les Carne
Morris Cooper S
C
DNF
DNF
Bob Beasley / Des West
Falcon XR GT
D
DNF
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