Harry Firth facts for kids

Henry Leslie Firth (born April 18, 1918 – died April 27, 2014) was a famous Australian race car driver and a smart team manager. He was known for being a top driver in races and rallies during the 1950s and 1960s. Harry Firth was also a very important team manager. He led the Ford works team and later the well-known Holden Dealer Team (HDT) in the 1970s. People called him "the fox" because he was very clever with his plans as a team manager.

Firth won the famous Bathurst 500 race four times. This included wins at an earlier track called Phillip Island and then at Bathurst. He also won the Southern Cross Rally and the Australian Rally Championship. In 2007, he was honored by being added to the Supercars Hall of Fame. Many people called him a 'bush engineer'. This meant he was super good at fixing cars, even with very little. He could probably build a winning engine from scratch! Harry Firth passed away peacefully in his sleep at age 96.

Early Life and Racing Beginnings

Harry Firth was born in Orbost, a town in Victoria, Australia. After serving in World War II, he became very interested in motorsport. In 1948, he helped prepare a BMW 328 car that won the Australian Grand Prix. During the 1950s, Firth raced Porsche 356 cars. He won many races and hillclimbs, which are races up a steep hill.

Harry Firth had a great record in the Alpine Rally, winning this event five times. His wins were between 1953 and 1962. In 1961, he teamed up with another famous driver, Bob Jane. They won the 1961 Armstrong 500 race at Phillip Island in a Mercedes-Benz 220SE.

Driving for Ford

A Ford Falcon XL built to look like the car Harry Firth and Bob Jane drove to win the 1962 Armstrong 500.

In 1962, Harry Firth's workshop in Auburn, Melbourne, became the main base for the Ford factory racing team. Firth and Bob Jane won the 1962 Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island in a Ford Falcon XL. They made history by winning the race three times in a row! This included the 1963 Armstrong 500 at Bathurst. The race moved to Bathurst because the Phillip Island track was in bad shape. They won in a Mk.I Ford Cortina GT.

In 1964, Firth and his co-driver Hoinville won the Ampol Round Australia Trial. They drove a Cortina GT in this long rally event. Firth also won the 1964 Lowood 4 Hour race with John Raeburn in a Ford Cortina GT. Firth and Raeburn finished third in the 1964 Armstrong 500.

In 1965, Firth helped develop the special Ford Cortina GT500. This car won the 1965 Armstrong 500 with other drivers. Firth and Raeburn finished 14th overall but won their class in a Mk.I Ford Cortina 220.

Harry Firth also traveled to the United States to race. He co-drove with a young Canadian-born Australian driver named Allan Moffat. They raced a Lotus Cortina in two races. After these races, the American team wanted Firth to stay. But he said no because he had to return to Australia for a rally. Harry Firth then won that rally, the first Southern Cross Rally, in a Ford Cortina GT.

The Ford team did not enter the 1966 Gallaher 500 race at Bathurst. So, Firth teamed up with Ern Abbott in a Morris Cooper S. They finished in sixth place.

In 1967, Harry Firth got his last win as a driver in the Bathurst 500-mile race. He won the 1967 Gallaher 500 with a young driver named Fred Gibson. They drove a Ford XR Falcon GT. This was the first Australian-made Ford Falcon to use a powerful V8 engine. Firth and Gibson were first flagged in second place. But after Harry Firth protested, they were correctly given first place later that night!

Firth won the 1968 Australian Rally Championship in a Ford Cortina Lotus. That same year, he led a team of three Ford Australia cars in the first ever London–Sydney Marathon. This was a very long rally that went through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The Ford team cars, including one driven by Firth, finished third, sixth, and eighth. They also won the Teams Prize for their great effort.

Leading the Holden Dealer Team

In 1969, Ford decided Harry Firth was "too old" to lead their team. So, he moved to General Motors Holden (GMH). He became the manager of the new Holden Dealer Team. Even though it was called the "Dealer" team, it was actually a full factory team. Holden secretly supported it because General Motors had a ban on factory motorsport at the time. Harry Firth's workshop, which used to be Ford's base, now became the home of the Holden Dealer Team!

In 1969, Firth helped start the careers of two future racing stars. These were rally driver Colin Bond and the exciting young driver Peter Brock. Bond and Tony Roberts won the 1969 Bathurst 500 for the HDT in a Holden Monaro GTS350. Des West and Brock finished third in a similar car.

Over the next eight years, the Holden Dealer Team, led by Harry Firth, won many races, rallies, and championships. Some of their big wins included:

• 1970 Southern Cross Rally with Barry Ferguson.
• 1971 South Pacific Touring Series with Colin Bond.
• 1971 Southern Cross Rally with Colin Bond.
• Australian Rally Championship wins by Colin Bond (1971, 1972, 1974) and Peter Lang (1973).
• 1971 Autolite Rallycross series with Peter Brock.
• 1971 Sandown 250 with Colin Bond.
• 1972, 1973, and 1974 Sun-7 Chesterfield Series with Colin Bond.
• 1972 Toby Lee Series with Colin Bond.
• The famous 1972 Bathurst 500 with Peter Brock. This was the first of Brock's record nine wins at Bathurst!
• 1973 and 1974 South Pacific Touring Series with Peter Brock.
• 1973 Sandown 250 with Peter Brock.
• 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship with Peter Brock.
• 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship with Colin Bond.
• The Holden Dealer Team also helped Holden win the Australian Manufacturers' Championship in 1971, 1973, and 1974.

At the end of 1977, Harry Firth retired as the manager of the Holden team. However, he stayed involved in motor racing. He worked as the National Chief Scrutineer from 1978 to 1981. This role meant he checked that all race cars followed the rules.

Career Highlights

Complete Phillip Island/Bathurst 500 Results

The races in 1961-62 were held at Phillip Island. The race moved to Bathurst in 1963.

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1960	Rootes Australia	John Reaburn	Singer Gazelle	C	159	13th	7th
1961	Autoland Pty Ltd	Bob Jane	Mercedes-Benz 220SE	B	167	1st	1st
1962	Ford Motor Company	Bob Jane	Ford Falcon XL	B	167	1st	1st
1963	Ford Australia	Bob Jane	Ford Cortina Mk.I GT	C	130	1st	1st
1964	Ford Motor Co	John Reaburn	Ford Cortina Mk.I GT	C	129	3rd	3rd
1965	Ford Motor Co	John Reaburn	Ford Cortina Mk.I 220	A	119	14th	1st
1966	Dents Motors	Ern Abbott	Morris Cooper S	C	128	6th	6th
1967	Ford Australia	Fred Gibson	Ford XR Falcon GT	D	130	1st	1st