1978 Bathurst 1000 Opening Lap 

Real cars, real racing👍

I’m really a Holden guy but those Falcon Hard Tops, one of the best looking cars in history, oh my… 🤤🤤

As a former driver- it reminds me that while the track is the same (apart from the Chase) how much the walls and runoffs have changed. And looking back, how good the XCs and A9Xs looked...

Back in the day ... As good as it gets . Thank you for the blast from the past ...

Devastating knowing that we'll never see the classic Holden vs (Aussie) Ford battles again. I'm a Holden man, so my love for the A9X doesn't need to be said....but man, the XC Falc, how awesome were they? Absolute ball tearers. Love all the classic Aussie muscle.... Yes, including the Valiants. Mustangs and Camaro's are ok...but give me Commodores and Falcons any day.

Racing starts at 6:30

Best 10 year window of racing in Australia EVER!!!!!!!

The dream from this old boy in the southern united states is to come over there and see a AFL Grand Final (Go Pies) and then take in a Bathurst 1000

Those XC Cobra's look so TUFF

That was excellent. Left me wanting to see the next few laps.

Just repeating all that is said here; this is as good as you would ever get! 1978 I was 14 & just starting to like motor racing. Even the commentary in this (Evan Green & Mike Raymond) is familiar. Absolutely loved this & yes, thank you so much for sharing. I will watch this many times over. Probably the quintessential lap of Bathurst, ever!

I lived at Strathpine in QLD in those days, not far from Lakeside. I can still remember hanging around Dick Johnson's 'pit' when there were rounds held there. It was a marquee with a tarp on the ground and a workshop trailer/van. I fell in love with the Ford 2-doors back then and still love them today. If I win Lotto I might buy one.

Love all these old cars. Those XC's look so good, real muscle cars but the Aussie Torana's had the goods 👍😊

The golden age of motor racing is over. Those machines, and that place is one of the most beautiful sites in nature.

This was my earliest recollection of watching Bathurst and the race that got me hooked for life. Thank you for posting this. It was also the race that changed me from being a St George fan to a Canterbury fan and have remained blue ever since much to the chagrin of my father. I was 6.

The '78 Bathurst 1000 Start was THE BEST-EVER, IMHO....They went FLAT-OUT with a Full Tank of Gas and it was as if they ALL had to BE in-front after the 1st Lap...Bobby Morris pushed his car to the limited to beat the Ford Falcon Cobras....ALL 3 Cars Failed, as Ford had Stopped The Factory Backing at the End of 1977, as well, when Ford went 1-2 in an AWESOME RACE that year. The Toranas cudn't match them in 1977, but spent a fortune off-season to improve the cars and Brocky Won Easily for The Holden Dealer Team, which had Massive Factory Backing from GM. Bobby Morris didn't have that Backing, but still went flat-out from the start....Cheers from Damo.😊🙌

That was incredible and so raw. It's entirely different to seeing quick clips in a news report or documentary.

Runs rings around the cars today. Loved the XCs and XU1s.

Great analysis. It really is incredible this has all been lost, we now have NO local car industry, back in 1978 we had THREE car manufacturers (we had FOUR up until 1974) and Australia-only models. It's incredible what has happened since.

Always loved Bathurst from the first time I saw it on the BBC Grandstand program on Saterday afternoons . Think 1983 was my first on only hilights though. I marveled one at the track and two at the incar cameras with two way radio with live interviews during the racing. I managed to get my hands on many full races from the classic period from a guy on the Internet about 12 years ago now . Mixed broadcast quality but still a blast to see again though you need a long day to get through one race. Thanks for the upload . I loved the the old chase section of the track I miss those classic incar blast down the old straight V8's on the limits .

brilliant , was on holiday pre-covid , went here for a GT car race , having watched the B1000 on tv in the UK.

I drew a flag point on the start of Con Rod that year And my mate Lenny Durkin was on Forrest Elbow My First time to Bathurst the sound of those cars on the first lap at full tilt I'll remember forever Great old days ❤️

Everytime I watch this, it brings back memories of me , 6 years old and sitting in my grandmothers lounge room wearing my pyjama's watching this live on Channel 7

How good do the old cars look and sound! It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Wow..those were the days of balls all in racing. The guys we grew up with..many passed on now. I occasionally see and chat with Alan Moffat when I'm lunching.

Everything about it is awesome ! Morris came from nowhere ! Gold !

Bob Morris had some mumbo in the Peter Molloy built 308 V8 taking it to the Moffat Team Ford Cobra's, incidentally Peter Molloy built the Moffat351 V8's that won the race the previous year. The race was delayed for a hour because of the fog on the mountain. Great race, great drivers & great cars!

Amazing. Large parts of the track lined by safety……. trees

Thanks for sharing. My earliest memory of watching is around 1985, certainly has changed a lot. I really enjoyed the diversity in cars in the 80's

Very cool. Real men, real cars, real racing.

The noise is incredible, and that balls out overtake on lap one 👍

Wow, brings back great memories, thanks for sharing 👍 love Evan Green commentating, what a great voice

I lived in Perth from 1968 to 1979 when me and Mum and Dad returned back home to England, as Dad was then retired, and I remember watching the Bathhurst race on TV, as you said it was essentially Australian GM Holden XR1 Torana i.e. the giant killer driven by Peter Brock vs Ford Falcon GT 351 driven by Canadian Allan Moffat. Peter is no longer with us, and Allan has dementia and is 83 and is in a care home.

I was 10 when this race was on. Our parents would wake us up for the start of the race and we would spend the day in front of the TV. It was these Ford Cobras that stole my heart. My Father was a Holden man. But I have had a blue oval heart and bluue blood in my veins since 1977. Proud to say I've managed to pass that addiction on to one of my sons. DJ will always be my Hero.

Awesome stuff. This is why I have a passion for classic racing

Those were the days. Bathurst at its finest.., and I was 20..

Loved that race excitement right from the drop of the flag.

Awesome! Thanks for this footage!

I remeber watching this through a snowy television reception back in the day. Very cool era of the sport.

Lol...that was mad! I'm just watching the '23 Bathurst 12 Hours and seeing this is great!

What can I say, just awesome! Please put more of this on RU-vid, fantastic race 🏁👍

Turn it up to 11! Love it!

Wow yeah this is awesome. Cheers for this, dude

I want to watch the whole race now, thanks for sharing 👌🏾✌🏾🤙🏾

The music from a 351 Cleveland is hard beat, especially when they're at the top end of the rev range...

Unreal ! I was 14 & Holden all the way !! What an opening lap ! Good tough driving all round

That was awesome! My most favorite cars from both manufacturers.

Best opening laps of a race ever.

1977 was the first Bathurst I saw, I was six years old, and I haven't missed one since, it's one of Australia's greatest sporting events. I didn't enjoy 1978 as much because Brock won. 😀 The fluid spraying out of the back of Bond's Falcon was interesting, I think I read (about 25 years ago) that it was fuel because they overfilled the tank so Bond could do a longer stint. The other thing I found interesting was the Moffat, Bond and Morris cars were getting a little airborne when flying over the second rise down conrod, which became a bigger issue in the following decade.

Thank you for posting this

He'll yea! All auto races from the 70s rock! Loved it !

Thanks for sharing this and giving some good context to it.

Bunch of guys trying to win the race on the first lap! Great footage.

amazing!!!! thanks for sharing

Awesome mate, thanks for that.

Bathurst is the oldest inland city in Australia. Mount Panorama was also the home of the Australian F1 Motorcycle GP. it was called the Arai 500. The event was moved to Phillip Island in the 90s.

Yes to everyone's comments! What a gem this is. Thanks so much. So many trees and other obstacles close to the track it's almost unrecognizable other than the course itself. I was not familiar with his layout so the straightaway at the top must have been replaced? I think one comment called it The Chase? Thanks for the upload.

Great to see the first lap. I watched the full race at home in 78 and loved it. If you thought Colin Bond was upset by not being allowed to win the 77 race then spare a thought for GMH who suffered the humiliation of the 77 defeat. But as Holden said at the time - that will never happen again and they built a car that simply destroyed the Ford Falcons with Moffat and Bond DNF. 1979 would be even more humiliating for Ford. Again Moffat and Bond were DNF with the first 8 places going to the mighty A9X Torana with Peter Brock again the winner and only one Falcon Hardtop finishing the race. The devastation was so great that Ford pulled out of racing leaving Holden to ponder whether it was worth continuing as there was nothing able to beat the Toranas and Moffat without a factory team.. Great days of Australian Motor Racing ... long gone and it has never been repeated.

Watching those cars live at all the Sydney race tracks is something I'll never forget.

Bob Morris outbrake the Fords at the end of Conrod then slow the Fords down....kind of dirty.....Imagine Jack Brabham being in the race, an amazing thing....nothing really compares today. Thanks for the video.

Had the pleasure of meeting Allan Moffat about 7 years ago U were such a gentleman as we talked about rx7s 👍

Awesome 😎 so authentic and genuine, great stuff 👍

Great video. Didn't realize Dick Johnson finished 5th that year...

Love it. No traction control, early suspension technology, great stuff

Sensational stuff Sandy....driving..

Fanfare for the Common Man. Couldn't have chosen a more fitting piece of music.

2 of the most iconic Aussie muscle there is. Xc coupe, and A9X Torana💕💕. That carb fed growl is 🥵🔥

Mount Panorama has changed a lot since then.

Wow, just wow. I can't remember how old I was when I first started watching the Great Race. But i was too young in 1978. Those Falcons look awesome. When I win the lottery, I'm gonna buy one.

Glorious!

Magnificent! Fanfare for the common man, cigarette advertising un pixelated..... Magic times! Thanks mate

Cool mate, the very descriptive commentary was coming from Mike Raymond for sure. One of my all time favourites.

You’ve got Brock’s Daytona book. Very rare!

We all remember the Toranas looking back, and remembering a time when SLR 5000's were seemingly everywhere (real or reimagined). But geez I loved the look of those Cobra XC Falcons. Not as popular as their GT parents, but got my blood pumping as a young man and continue to do so today.

I was at Bathurst that year real heroes in real cars

This is REAL Aussie touring car racing, yes the old days were better, so much better than the artificial cars and racing of today. I'm an old fart, been watching Bathurst since Bill Brown's roll-over, so I know these things...

So cool to see something before my time as if it were live.

i drove around that track in 1962 -it was a different track those days.

Those were the days. When getting sideways out of the corner was the norm.

The Bathurst race was iconic in the 1970s & 1980s however since the demise of V8 Holden's and Fords built in Australia I have very little to no interest in it anymore.

That is so cool.

Look at all that Aussie Muscle from 6:12 - 6:32….you’ll never see a more intimidating picture from a large group of cars like that ever again IMO…the music fits in real well…1978…the best RACE ever…Those XC COBRA’S…my dream car right there 👍🏻👌🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💙💙🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

From 69 to the end of group c was hands down the best motor racing era ,even the drags . think it must be the shed build is more relatable

I bought the same tapes i had each year until around 2012.

So, as a long time fan of the track, but have never been yet, which is the 1 race you’d recommend I go to? The 12hr or the 1000 km ? I leaning toward the 12hr as I’m more of a sports car fan, but I’d want which one is the best spectacle, best weekend. Love to hear some thoughts on it. Thanks.

You can get the full races from 1977 onwards on DVD these days. 😀

I was 12 years old in 1978 so I would have watched that race with my grandfather as he and I did every year in Perth WA

This was real racing, all categories and skill in all classes.

Hell yes ...this was racing in its truest form ...Win on Sunday sell shit tons on Monday ...Back when you could buy the car that just won Bathust ....

I love those 2 , angry blue and white v8 xc ford falcon coups , sounds sweet .

back in the day where there were 1000 cars on the track!!

Nice one bro✋

the Bathurst 1000 is on my bucket list

So cool

Bob Morris spoilt the Ford's little party there. I'm sure they were planning on a nice one/two across the finish line first lap to dovetail into the finish of the previous year.

Apparently Brocky's '78 A9X and his '79 A9X are two different racers..

I was 8 years old in hospital with arthritis, and used to draw that Marlboro Torana for fun. Very 2D and put a booga out of Brock's nose. And I thought the HDT said HOT. But that 05 was so iconic, and that Torana, probably the best looking touring racing car ever.

This brings back three memories for me: 1) How good racing was in those days; 2) How good Bathurst was before they put the Caltex Chase in and 3) How appalling Mike Raymond was!

BAck when Bathurst was bloody marvelous.

brilliant.....always loved the falcon thanks to mad max.....took me years to figure out the make and model......wish i could watch this whole race......discovered v8 supercars in 2010 on motors tv.