LIGHT CAR CLUB OF AUSTRALIA CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
A luncheon to celebrate the centenary of the historic Victorian Light Car Club, which became the Australian Light Car Club will be held on July 19 in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
After its first official meeting on November 5, 1924, it went on to be chief organiser of the Alpine Rally, and held the first Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island in 1928.
In the years since the club has grown, establishing the Rob Roy and Lakeland hill climbs, and also initiated enduro touring car racing by organising the Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island – later becoming the Bathurst 1000 classic.
The club also brought racing to Melbourne by running early meetings at Albert Park from 1953 to 1958.
Bill Thompson’s Bugatti rounding Heaven Corner in the 1932 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Image: Bob King Collection/Supplied
Then the stars racing at the current home of the Australian Grand Prix included Stirling Moss.
Another famous racing venue in Melbourne, Sandown was taken over by the Victorian Light Car Club in 1966.
Over this time it staged the Fangio Sandown meeting in 1978, where iconic five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio came to town.
Four years later more of the greatest to go racing in F1 came to town for the Tribute to Champions meeting, which was also facilitated by journalist/entrepreneur Paul Higgins.
This brought the likes of Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Phil Hill, Denny Hulme Alan Jones, Dan Gurney and Chris Amon to the “Home of Horsepower.”
In 1984 the club ran the first ever World Championship meeting in Australia with a round of the World Sports Car Championship being held at Sandown in 1984 just before the F1 came to Adelaide.
Stefan Bellof sealed his title with victory alongside Derek Bell in a Porsche 956 in the Sandown 1000, while Aussie Neil Crang was runner-up.
The event proved to be very expensive and a number of successful Sandown race meetings helped to balance the books, but a Second World Sports car race in 1988 lost money again and forced the club into bankruptcy.
Over the journey a number of famous motorsport identities from Arthur Terdich, Lex Davison, Bib Stillwell, Bill Patterson, Stan Jones and Harry Firth were members.
The luncheon celebrates the Victorian Light Car Club’s centenary and attendees will be presented with a special illustrated memorial booklet.
Tickets are available from David Hardy at $75 per head. Call 0418319602, or email [email protected].
The event will be staged at Aegean Restaurant 19 Brunswick Street Fitzroy.
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