Porsche is an unlikely brand to challenge for the Australian Touring Car Championship due to mainly being a premium, sports car marque, but it in fact did.
Now a brand heavily involved in motorsport through its two-tier, one-make categories, Porsche was a key contender when the ATCC turned from a sole-event to a series.
When the Group C – Improved Production era kicked off in 1965, frontrunners turned to America as Norm Beechey imported a Chevy Nova, Bob Jane and Ian Geoghegan went the Mustang route, but it opened up an opportunity for Porsche.
Long-time Australian Porsche distributor Alan Hamilton entered the 1968 ATCC at Warwick Farm in a 911 to finish third.
It proved the last ATCC to run to a single event format as reliability proved key for the Porsche as the touring cars toured the country.
Hamilton may not have achieved a win, but for the first five events he failed to miss the podium.
Drivers were required to drop their last round and this ensured Hamilton lost the title. Although he had scored the most points, Hamilton lost the points score for his third at Calder Park. Main rival Ian Geoghegan in turn was disqualified from the final round at Symmons Plains leading his score to be unaltered and win by just a solitary point.
Hamilton’s performances had caught the eye of Jim McKeown and Brian Foley, who both continued the success. McKeown in particular scored two ATCC round wins to finish runner up in the title.
The final season for Porsche in 1971 included two podiums for McKeown capping off a rather successful period and one since not replicated.
Below is a re-cap of the 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship focused on Norm Beechey, but also featuring the Porsche highlights.