Austin Lancers go racing!

The appearance at the recent Goodwood Racing week in the UK of an Australian Austin Lancer Series II prompted a few of us to find out what the story is.

Back in 1960, BMC Australia entered six Series II Austin Lancers and Morris Majors in the inaugural Armstrong 500. It was held at Phillip Island in Victoria, running for three years until relocated at Bathurst, still being held every October. The race ran for 500 miles, taking 167 laps of the course. The event was open to strictly stock standard cars – the sort you could buy from a showroom. BMC spent some time in preparation as most of these photos show.

A few well-known drivers were in the cars; Peter Manton in a Major and Brian Foley in a Lancer. All the photos I have are in b&w taken from BMC’s in house magazines, but they were in British Racing Green as was the replica car at Goodwood. The field of 45 entrants were broken into five classes based on engine capacity. Class B was from 750 to 1300 cc, so there were five Arondes competing against VWs and Renault Dauphines. Class C was from 1300 to 2000cc, and this was where BMC’s six entries were placed, up against three Peugeot 403s, Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelles.

A Lancer driven by Clyde Miller blew a tyre at 70 mph and rolled end over end putting him in hospital, and generally the BMC team succumbed to the faster Simca Arondes and Peugeot 403s.

After 167 laps, a Vauxhall Cresta won the event, with a Peugeot 403 also on 167 laps, a Simca Aronde just pipped Manton’s Major on 164 laps into 4th place. The next Lancer in completed 161 laps – more than the newly released XK Falcon and a V8 Customline.

For the 1961 event, two Morris Majors and one Morris Mini 850 were privately entered, but none finished. In 1962, two Austin Freeways, a Morris Major Elite and a raft of Minis were in the fray, with the Elite coming second in class, along with the Minis second and third in their class. In 1963, the whole Armstrong 500 moved to Bathurst, and BMC’s entries consisted of the Morris Cooper S filling the first nine places in 1966.