A fabulous era in Australian motor sport commenced at Phillip Island, Victoria, with the 1960 Armstrong 500 for production cars.

This inaugural torture test for showroom makes was taken out by Frank Coad and John Roxburgh in a Vauxhall Cresta.

A year later the combination of Bob Jane and Harry Firth tasted victory in a Mercedes Benz 220SE and in 1982 the same team won the classic in a Ford Falcon.