Victoria 1967

Re-live the action from 1967

Year in review

Highlights

The competition was intense in 1967 between the Fords and Holdens, with the new Renault team in their R8 Gordinis also having success, winning the annual BP Rally in the hands of Mal McPherson and Robin Sharpley.

Reg Lunn won the Victorian Trials Championship for drivers in his X2 Holden. The navigator’s award went to Roger Vaughan, navigating for his brother Ian in a Cortina.

The 1966 champions, Tony Roberts and Peter Haas, won at least one VTC round and also won the annual Alpine Rally in their X2 Holden.

Major Events

The 1967 BP Rally of South Eastern Australia was conducted from 2-7 May, effectively starting in Wangaratta and finishing at Chadstone Shopping Centre. Mal McPherson and Robin Sharpley were popular winners in their R8 Gordini.

The second International Southern Cross Rally was held in October, running from NSW into eastern Victoria with a stopover in Bairnsdale. Barry Ferguson and Dave Johnson were winners in their VW.

The 1967 Alpine Rallye was again won by Tony Roberts and Peter Haas in their X2 Holden.

Ron Phillips and Jim McAuliffe on the 1967 BP Rally

Victorian Trials Championship

VTC events for 1967 were the Derrick, Classic, Akademos, Experts, Two Day, North Eastern and Cooper Memorial.

Outright champion driver: Reg Lunn, Holden X2

Outright champion navigator: Roger Vaughan (with Ian Vaughan in a Cortina).

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1967 VTC page.

Other Open Events

Various clubs ran open events that were not part of the VTC. These included the following.

The Victorian Sporting Car Club ran its annual Blue Ribbon Trial in September. It would become a VTC round the following year. They also ran their long standing Midnight Trial in June.

The Western District Car Club ran its annual Otway Trial in July in addition to its VTC round, the Cooper Memorial.

Similarly, CCRMIT ran its annual residents Trial in addition to the Derrick.

The only open restricted event appears to have been the Huntingdale Auto Club’s Invitation Trial in November.

Closed Events

We have few details on closed events in 1967 but there were almost certainly quite a lot. Here is just a small sample.

The Melbourne University Car Club ran four closed events, starting with the Summer Trial in February, then the Commencement Rally in March, the Mayday Eve Rally at the end of April, and the Winter Trial in July.

The Car Club of RMIT possibly ran three closed events, being the annual Autumn Midnight Trial as well as a Novice Trial and the first edition of their Amateur Trial.

The Junior “branch” of the Light Car Club ran a Junior Experts Trial in September.

The Rally Calendar for this year:

Not yet a complete calendar.

DateEventClubStatus
11 FebSummer TrialMUCCClub
4 MarGeorge Derrick Memorial TrialCCRMITVTC-1
11 MarBegonia RallyBLCCOpen
18 MarCommencement RallyMUCCClub
18 MarTwilight TrialCRBCCClub
2 AprNovice TrialCCRMITClub
8 AprClassic TrialGMHMCVTC-2
23 AprGippsland TrialGCCOpen
30 AprMayday Eve RallyMUCCClub
2-7 MayBP RallyLCCANational
Amateur 100VADCClub
Autumn Midnight TrialCCRMITClub
3 JunAkademosMUCCVTC-3
24 JunMidnight TrialVSCCOpen
1 JulExperts TrialLCCAVTC-4
8 JulMidyear RallyMSCCClub
15 JulWinter TrialMUCCClub
22 JulOtway TrialWDCCOpen
5 AugTwo Day TrialVADCVTC-5
3 SepJunior Experts TrialLCCA(J)Club?
24 SepBlue Ribbon RallyVSCCOpen
4-8 OctSouthern Cross RallyASCCInternational
14 OctCaltex North Eastern TrialNECCVTC-6
21 OctLinacre-BMC 400 TrialM850COpen
11 NovCooper Memorial TrialWDCCVTC-7
12 NovInvitation TrialVADCClub
19 NovInvitation TrialHACOpen restricted
2 DecAlpine RallyeLCCANational
10 DecPolice Courtesy RallyVPMSCOpen