1954 Australian Grand Prix

The 1954 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the streets of Southport in Queensland on 7 November 1954. The race had 28 starters. The race was held over 27 laps of the large nine kilometre circuit.

It was the nineteenth Australian Grand Prix and the second to be held in Queensland. With no suitable permanent circuit available, a circuit was mapped out on the streets of the relatively new gold coast suburb of Southport, just to the north of later circuits, Surfers Paradise Raceway and the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit.

The race was won by Lex Davison, later to become the most successful driver in the history of the Australian Grand Prix. It was Davison's first win in the Grand Prix having finished in the top three as far back as 1947. Davison drove a Formula 2 HWM re-engined with a 3.4 litre Jaguar engine. Davison finished a lap clear of Curley Brydon's MG TC special and two laps ahead of third placed Ken Richardson in a Ford based special. The gaps were caused by attrition amongst the fastest drivers. Jack Brabham was out on the second lap with a broken engine in his Cooper; Rex Taylor was black flagged for receiving outside assistance after spinning his Lago-Talbot; Dick Cobden retired his Ferrari after a spin and Stan Jones crashed heavily while leading after his chassis failed. It would be the last race for the Mk.II Maybach special, Charlie Dean's enthusiastic team rebuilding it as the Maybach III.

Classification

Results as follows.^[1]

Notes

• Fastest lap: Dick Cobden - 3'52

References