1947 Australian Grand Prix

1947 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Race details
Date 6 October 1947
Location Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, New South Wales
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 6.12 km (3.84 miles)
Distance 38 laps, 241.35 km (150 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Australia Alf Barrett[1] Alfa Romeo Monza[1]
Time 3 min 6 sec[1]
Podium
First
MG
Second
Mercury Special
Third
Mercedes-Benz
Race winner Bill Murray (MG TC) contesting the 1947 Australian Grand Prix
Lex Davison (Mercedes-Benz 38-250) placed third on handicap, set fastest race time and won the Over 1500cc Championship

The 1947 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Libre motor race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit, near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 6 October 1947. The race, which had 22 starters, was held over 38 laps of the six kilometre circuit, for a total race distance of 241 kilometres.

It was the twelfth Australian Grand Prix and the first to have been held after the conclusion of World War II. Racing in Australia resumed in 1946, but it took until 1947 for a group, in this case the Australian Sporting Car Club, to take on the running of the Grand Prix. Police opposition to racing at Mount Panorama led to the postponement of the race from Easter to October.[2]

The race, a handicap event as was the tradition in the immediate post-war period, was won by Bill Murray racing his MG TC. Murray took the lead on the last lap of the race after a tyre failure on Ray Mitchell's Jeep/Ford Special caused the race leader to slow dramatically. Mitchell limped home for fourth position. Future Grand Prix stars also passed Mitchell, second was taken by Dick Bland in his Mercury Special. Bland would claim two more podiums over the four years but a win would be elusive. Third was taken by Lex Davison driving a 7.6 litre Mercedes-Benz SSK 38/250.[3] Davison would go on to become the Grand Prix's most prolific winner, even though his career would be cut short by his death at Sandown in 1965, Davison would win the race four times. Davison also completed the race in the shortest time, a prelude to the future of the race over the next decade and a half.

Alf Barrett (Alfa Romeo Monza) started the race from scratch, 37 minutes after the first starter, Les Burrows (MG J2).[2] Barrett retired on lap 29 with valve trouble, having earlier set the fastest lap of the race at 3 minutes 6 seconds.[1] He also achieved the fastest speed of 123.5 mph through the flying quarter-mile.[4]

The Under 1500cc Championship was awarded to Alf Najar and the Over 1500cc Championship to Lex Davison, both titles being decided on net race time,[4] disregarding handicaps.

The race was watched by 20,000 spectators.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d John B Blanden, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 18
  2. ^ a b Medley, John (1986). "1947". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  3. ^ Stefan Bartholomaeus, Mercedes-Benz in Australian motorsport Retrieved from www.speedcafe.com on 20 September 2012
  4. ^ a b Australian Grand Prix, Australian Motor Sports, 15 October 1947, pages 26-28
  5. ^ Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842–1954), Tuesday 7 October 1947, page 8 As retrieved from nla.gov.au on 15 May 2016