1951 Australian Grand Prix


The 1951 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Libre motor race held at a street circuit in Narrogin, Western Australia on 5 March 1951. The race was held over 24 laps of the 7.1 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 170 kilometres.
It was the sixteenth Australian Grand Prix and the last to feature a handicap start which saw the slower cars starting ahead of the faster cars according to handicap allowance. The first car over the line was the MG TC special of South Australian Steve Tillett. The Australian Grand Prix title was however to be awarded to the driver setting the fastest outright time, regardless of handicap. The scratch race was won by Warwick Pratley driving a George Reed built Flathead Ford V8 powered racing car. It would be the last Australian Grand Prix victory by an Australian built car until Frank Matich won the 1971 race at the wheel of a Matich A50. Pratley started the race ten minutes and thirty seconds behind the first car to start the race, the Morgan of Colin Uphill. Pratley won the race by 96 seconds over the Delahaye of Dick Bland. Both Tillett and Pratley were awarded Commonwealth Jubilee Trophies for their victories in what was effectively two races in one.

Classification

Results as follows.
PosNo.DriverCarLapsTimeH'cap Pos
118 Warwick PratleyGeorge Reed Special / Ford 4.0L241h 39m 15s3
29 Dick BlandDelahaye 135 / Delahaye 3.6L241h 40m 41s8
334 Steve TillettMG TC / MG 1.3L241h 43m 30s1
415 Barry RanfordChrysler 6 Special / Chrysler 2.9L241h 47m 03s7
537 Bill HayesMG TC / MG 1.3L241h 47m 36s2
633 Sid TaylorTS Dodge Special / Dodge 3.6L241h 49m 18s5
741 Ron KennedyMG TC / MG 1.3L241h 50m 21s4
830 Peter McKennaBMW 328 / BMW 2.0L241h 51m 05s9
944 Colin UphillMorgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.2L241h 55m 48s6
1017 Syd NegusPlymouth 6 Special / Plymouth 3.3L242h 03m 6s10
Ret32 Jack NelsonFord 10 Special / Ford s/c 1.2L23
Ret16 George ReedGeorge Reed Monoskate / Ford 4.0L22
Ret1 Colin MurrayMaserati 6C / Maserati 1.5L19
Ret19 Harold SmithSmith Special /14
Ret12 Vin MaloneyMG TC / MG 1.3L11
Ret24 Ron DenneyTarga Florio Ballot / Ford 3.6L9
Ret10 Eldred NormanDouble Ford V8 Special / Ford 7.8L7
Ret Andy BrownMG TC / MG s/c 1.3L6
Ret26 Des PageRanford Chrysler 6 Special / Chrysler5
Ret7 Keith MartinCooper Mk.IV / JAP 1.0L5
Ret25 Bob BrownAlfa Romeo 6C 1750 / Ford 4.0L3
Ret4 John CrouchCooper Mk.V / JAP 1.1L3
Ret38 Noel AldousMG TC / MG 1.3L2
Ret42 Claude LaMotteFidget Fiat 500 / Ford 1.2L2
Ret27 John CumminsBallot / Oldsmobile 3.9L2
Ret40 A. DryMG TC / MG 1.3L1
Ret36 Bob BrownMG TC / MG 1.3L1
Ret20 Dennis CurranFord V8 Special / Ford 4.0L1