1955 Australian Grand Prix

The 1955 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Port Wakefield Circuit in South Australia on 10 October 1955. The race, which had 22 starters, was held over 80 laps of the 2.09 km (1.3 mi) circuit. It was open to Formula Libre cars[1] of unlimited capacity.[2] The race was promoted by Brooklyn Speedway (SA) Ltd. and was organised by the Sporting Car Club of SA Inc.[3]

1955 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre race
Race details
Date 10 October 1955
Location Port Wakefield, South Australia
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.09 km (1.3 miles)
Distance 80 laps, 167.3 km (104 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver
  • Australia Reg Hunt
 Maserati
Fastest lap
Driver Australia Jack Brabham
Australia Reg Hunt		 Cooper-Bristol
Maserati
Time 1'03
Podium
First
Cooper-Bristol
Second
  • Australia Reg Hunt
 Maserati
Third
Talbot-Lago

It was the twentieth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be held on a purpose built motor racing circuit after the previous 19 were held on closed streets or country roads, or on airfields modified for the purpose. Future World Champion Jack Brabham won his first Australian Grand Prix in a streamlined Cooper-Bristol that Brabham, having recently joined the Cooper team, had assembled himself and sent to Australia. It was the first time a rear-engined car had won the AGP, although this was seen as an upset win and a rear-engined car would not win again until 1960.

Classification
The Cooper T40 Bristol with which Jack Brabham won the 1955 Australian Grand Prix (pictured in 2011)

Results as follows.[4]

PosNo.DriverCarEntrant[5]LapsTime /
Remarks
1 6 Australia Jack Brabham Cooper T40 / Bristol 2.0L J. Brabham 80 1h 26m 44.43s
2 5 Australia Reg Hunt Maserati A6GCM / Maserati 2.5L R.H. Hunt 80 1h 26m 47.54s
3 3 Australia Doug Whiteford Talbot-Lago T26C / Talbot-Lago 4.5L D. Whiteford 80 1h 26m 48.92s
4 10 Australia Kevin Neal Cooper T23 / Bristol 2.0L R.H. Hunt 78
5 12 Australia Murray Trenberth Vincent Special / Vincent 1.0L M. Trenberth 76
6 16 Australia Keith Rilstone Rilstone Special / Vincent 1.0L G.T. Harrison 75
7 14 Australia Bill Craig Alta / Holden 2.4L W.J. Craig 75
8 2 Australia Eldred Norman Eclipse Zephyr / Ford s/c 2.3L E. Norman & Eclipse Motors Pty. Ltd. 75
9 20 Australia Bill Wilcox Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.4L W. Wilcox 74
10 17 Australia Greg McEwin Austin-Healey 100 / Austin-Healey 2.7L Invicta Motors Ltd. 71
11 30 Australia Jack Johnson MG TC Special / MG 1.3L J. Johnson 69
12 7 Australia Charlie Whatmore Jaguar Special / Jaguar 3.4L C. Whatmore 68
13 27 Australia Bob Burnett Read MG K3 / MG 1.1L E.R. Burnett Read 67
14 29 Australia Steve Tillet MG TC / MG 1.4L S.D. Tillett 66
15 21 Australia C.F. Norris[5] AC Ace / AC 2.0L C.F. Norris 64
Ret 8 Australia Tom Hawkes Cooper T23 / Bristol 2.0L T.V. Hawkes 76[6] Fuel supply
Ret 18 Australia Clem Smith Austin-Healey 100 / Austin-Healey 2.7L C. Smith 65[6] Suspension
Ret 4 Australia Stan Jones Maybach Mk. 3[7] / Maybach 3.8L S.J. Jones 43[6] Clutch
Ret 9 Australia Stan Coffey Cooper T20 / Bristol 2.0L Mrs J. Coffey 38[6] Accident
Ret 26 Australia Bruce Walton Walton / JAP 0.5L B.A. Walton 31[6]
Ret 25 Australia Murray Rainey Cooper Mk.IX / Norton 0.5L M. Rainey 14[6] Universal joint
Ret 23 Australia Bill Patterson Cooper Mk.V / JAP 0.5L G.W. Patterson 14[6] Engine
DNQ[4] 35 Australia John Cummins Bugatti Type 37 / Holden 2.2L J. Cummins -

Notes
  • Pole position: Reg Hunt[8]
  • Fastest lap: Jack Brabham/Reg Hunt - 1'03
  • Number of starters: 22[4]

References
  1. 1955 Australian Grand Prix, Australian Motor Sports, September 1955, page 324
  2. Grand Prix in October, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848–1957), Wednesday 3 August 1955, page 10, trove.nla.gov.au Retrieved 27 June 2015
  3. The Australian 1955 Grand Prix brochure
  4. Howard, Graham (1986). "1955". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 206–217. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  5. Official Souvenir Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Port Wakefield - South Australia, 8th - 10th October 1955
  6. Sporting Car Club of South Australia (Inc) - Lap Score Sheet - Australian Grand Prix 10-10-55
  7. John B Blanden, Maybach Mk. 3, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, pages 230 to 231
  8. 30,000 see thrilling Grand Prix, The Advertiser , Tuesday, 11 October 1955, page 3
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