1951 Australian Grand Prix
The 1951 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Libre race held on March 5, 1951, on a temporary street circuit in Narrogin, Western Australia. The track was 7.08 km long, and the race covered 24 laps, about 170 km in total. It was a sunny day.
This was the 16th Australian Grand Prix and the last to use a handicap start, where slower cars began ahead of faster ones. The first car to cross the line was Steve Tillett in an MG TC Special, but the official Grand Prix title went to the driver with the fastest outright time, regardless of handicap. That winner was Warwick Pratley, driving a Reed-built Ford V8 powered car with a flathead engine.
Pratley started 10 minutes 30 seconds behind the first starter and won by 96 seconds over Dick Bland in a Delahaye. This win was the last time an Australian-built car won the Australian Grand Prix until Frank Matich took the 1971 race with a Matich A50.
Tillett and Pratley were awarded Commonwealth Jubilee Trophies for their performances, since the event effectively ran as two races in one: the handicap race and the fastest-time race.
Fastest lap went to John Crouch in a Cooper-JAP, with a time of 3 minutes 51 seconds.
Podium:
- First: Warwick Pratley (Reed-Ford)
- Second: Dick Bland (Delahaye)
- Third: Steve Tillett (MG)
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:10 (CET).