The 1996 Australian Touring Car season was the 37th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.
Two major touring car categories raced in Australia during 1996, Group 3A Touring Cars and Super Touring. Between them there were 26 touring car race meetings held during 1996; a ten-round series for Group 3A Touring Cars, the 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC); an eight-round series for Super Touring, the 1996 Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC); a two event series in New Zealand, support programme events at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix and 1996 Bartercard Indycar Australia and two stand alone long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros'.