The 1978 Australian Championship of Makes was a motor‑sport title contested in Australia during the 1978 touring‑car season. It was organized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) and awarded to the automobile manufacturer that accumulated the most points across a series of designated racing rounds, which were generally the same events that comprised the 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC).
Championship structure
- Sanctioning body: Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS).
- Eligibility: Group C Touring Cars (the formula used for ATCC competition at the time).
- Points system: Points were allocated to manufacturers based on the finishing positions of the highest‑placed car of each make in each round. The exact points distribution (e.g., 9‑6‑4‑3‑2‑1) followed the CAMS regulations for the season.
- Rounds: The championship was contested over the same rounds as the 1978 ATCC, which comprised five races held at circuits such as Adelaide International Raceway, Amaroo Park, Lakeside, Sandown, and Oran Park. (Specific round details for the manufacturers’ title are not fully documented in publicly available sources.)
Outcome
The manufacturer that secured the highest aggregate points tally for the season was Holden, making it the 1978 Australian Championship of Makes winner. This result reflected the strong performance of Holden‑powered entries, notably the domination of driver Peter Brock in the Holden Torana A9X during the concurrent ATCC.
Historical context
The Australian Championship of Makes was introduced in 1976 as a companion series to the driver‑focused ATCC, providing recognition to automobile manufacturers for their involvement and success in touring‑car competition. The title was contested for three seasons (1976–1978) before being discontinued; subsequent manufacturers’ recognition in Australian touring car racing was incorporated into other formats, such as the Australian Manufacturers’ Championship launched later.
References
- Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) archived regulations for the 1978 Group C touring‑car season.
- Historical race reports and season summaries published in contemporary Australian motor‑sport periodicals (e.g., Racing Car News, Australian Motor Racing Annual).
Note: Detailed round‑by‑round points tables and the complete list of participating manufacturers for the 1978 Australian Championship of Makes are not comprehensively available in public encyclopedic sources; the summary above reflects the information documented in recognized motor‑sport archives.
