Highlights
1963 was dominated by the Ford factory team with Falcons, Cortinas and Anglias. The Victorian Trials Championship for drivers was won jointly by Frank Kilfoyle and Harry Firth while the navigators title was shared by Mike Flanagan and Graham Hoinville. Demonstrating his versatility, Kilfoyle swapped into the left hand seat to navigate Firth to victory in the annual BP Rally. The Ford factory Anglia of Don Opie and Doug Rutherford won the Alpine Trial.
Major Events
The BP Rally of South Eastern Australia was conducted from 1-5 May, effectively starting in Ballarat and finishing at Chadstone Shopping Centre. The winners were Harry Firth and Frank Kilfoyle in a factory Ford Falcon, with Geoff Thomas as the third crew member. Kilfoyle swapped to the navigator’s seat when Firth’s usual navigator, Graham Hoinville, was part of the directing team.
We are fortunate to have some audio records of the BP rallies from the late 50s and early 60s. Listen to interviews conducted at the event finish by Lox McGrath of radio 3AW by selecting the link on the right side of this page. Go to our Audio page for interviews from other years.
The 1963 Alpine Trial was won by Don Opie and Doug Rutherford in a factory Ford Anglia.
