9 – 13 OCTOBER 1968
SYDNEY – MELBOURNE – SYDNEY
John Keran/Peter Meyer and the 1968 Southern Cross International Rally winning Volvo 142S
Summary
John Keran/Peter Meyer, in the Volvo 142S, set an unbeatable pace as the rally once again traversed the route from Sydney to Melbourne and return. Paddy Hopkirk was back for his third try in as many years but a wet clutch after a river crossing near Canberra on the first night ended his challenge.
New features for the event included special stages on circuits at Amaroo Park and Hume Weir (Albury) and loops in the wild country around Tumbarumba and Tumut in the Southern Alps.
This year’s Southern Cross International Rally heralded a new concept in Australian rallying by introducing the ‘special stage’ system. Short, sharp interesting and demanding stages, or sections, linked by easy relaxing transport sections. This set the standard for all future such events.
The event started in Sydney on the Wednesday and breaks were taken during the day at Canberra (Thursday), Melbourne (Friday) and Albury (Saturday).
Final Placings
1 | John Keran | Peter Meyer | Volvo 142 S | 48 pts |
2 | Frank Kilfoyle | Doug Rutherford | Ford Cortina GT | 82 |
3 | Colin Bond | Brian Hope | Mitsubishi Colt | 85 |
4 | Tony Roberts | Mike Osborne | Holden HK | 89 |
5 | Bruce Hodgson | Bob Forsyth | Ford Cortina GT | 93 |
6 | Bob Watson | Jim McAuliffe | Holden HK | 108 |
7 | Greg Garard | Roy Denny | Holden Monaro | 117 |
8 | John Garard | Barry Waldron | Holden Monaro | 126 |
9 | Doug Stewart | Brian Field | Mitsubishi Colt | 128 |
10 | Peter Houghton | Mick Neilsen | Peugeot 404 | 143 |
Read full details of the 1968 Southern Cross Rally in the document below.