1971 Australian Rally Championship


The 1971 Australian Rally Championship was a series of five rallying events held across Australia. It was the fourth season in the history of the competition.
Colin Bond and navigator George Shepheard in the Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1 were the winners of the 1971 Championship.

Season review

The fourth Australian Rally Championship was decided over five events, staged across the Eastern States of Australia with two events in New South Wales and one each in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. The series was the start of the domination of the Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1 of Colin Bond and George Shepheard. The Renault R8 Gordinis which had won the previous year were the only team to present any real challenge to the Toranas.

The Rallies

The five events of the 1971 season were as follows.
RoundRallyDate
1Classic Rally 20 March 1971
2Bunbury-Curran Rally 17 April 1971
3Snowy Mountains Rally 12 June 1971
4Uniroyal Southern Rally 31 July 1971
5Warana Rally 18 September 1971

Round Three – Snowy Mountains Rally">Bega Valley Rally">Snowy Mountains Rally

Round Five – Warana Rally

PositionDriverNavigatorCarPoints
1Colin BondGeorge ShepheardTorana GTR XU-139
2Frank KilfoyleMike OsborneTorana GTR XU-147
3Bob WatsonAndy ChapmanRenault R8 Gordini57
4Brian MichelmoreGreg SkedAlfa Romeo 1750 GTV59
5Charlie LundMurray CooteMazda RX-269
6Greg SmithRod BrowningTorana GTR XU-193
7Peter JansonMike MitchellHolden Monaro GTS 35094
8Mal McPhersonJeff BeaumontRenault R8 Gordini95
9Roger BonhommeG ThomasRenault R8 Gordini96
10=John ConnellGerry BrameldHolden Monaro GTS 186110
10=John McLeanLurie GarthFiat 124110

1971 Drivers and Navigators Championships

Final pointscore for 1971 is as follows.

[Colin Bond] – Champion Driver 1971

George Shepheard – Champion Navigator 1971