As part of the 2026 program, the Noosa Concours d’Elegance proudly introduces the Anniversary Collection - a new feature that will celebrate landmark moments in motoring history. From 2026 onwards, this collection will form a signature annual element of the event, with each year dedicated to a defining anniversary, individual, or achievement that has shaped the automotive world.
The first Anniversary Collection will honour Sir Jack Brabham AO, OBE, Australia’s three-time Formula One World Champion and one of the most influential figures in international motorsport.
Sir Jack’s impact extended far beyond race results. As a driver, engineer, and constructor, he redefined what was possible in Formula One. His career elevated Australia onto the global racing stage and left a lasting legacy of ingenuity, determination, and technical excellence.
Sir Jack Brabham’s achievements remain unmatched in the sport. Across his career he secured three Formula One World Championships, fourteen Grand Prix victories, and multiple Constructors’ Championships as a team owner. His partnership with Australian engine manufacturer Repco demonstrated that intelligent design, reliability, and engineering discipline could defeat larger and better-resourced competitors. Knighted in 1979 for services to motor racing, Sir Jack is widely regarded as one of the most complete figures in Formula One history, combining elite driving skill with technical and entrepreneurial leadership.
The 2026 Noosa Concours will celebrate a remarkable milestone - 60 years since Sir Jack Brabham made history by winning the Formula 1 World Championship in a car of his name and own construction. This extraordinary achievement will be celebrated through a curated anniversary display presented by Repco that reflects the spirit of innovation and craftsmanship that defined Brabham’s career.
The 1967 Brabham BT23, chassis BT23-1, was driven by Sir Jack Brabham during the 1967 Formula Two season as part of the three-car works team. The BT23 was an important Brabham single-seater of the period, developed by Motor Racing Developments during an era when Brabham and Ron Tauranac were competing successfully across Formula One, Formula Two and other major categories of international motorsport.
Following an accident at Mondello Park in 1970, the original frame was damaged beyond repair. A replacement chassis was ordered from Tauranac, who supplied the improved BT23C specification frame that had superseded the original BT23 design. While this frame carries the number RF/5/46, the original BT23-1 identity plate was retained, with most of the car rebuilt using components from the original works car.
During restoration, original parts that were replaced were carefully retained, including wishbones, uprights and the fuel tank. The car also retains a seat marked ‘J Brabham’ on its underside, believed to be original. Sir Jack Brabham was reunited with the car on the Sunshine Coast on 18 May 2014, nearly 50 years after he last raced it, with the car started and run for him on the day.
The 1964 Brabham BT11A, chassis IC-3-64, carries a strong Australian competition history through its association with the Alec Mildren Racing Team. Built for the 2.5-litre Tasman formula, it was fitted with a short-stroke Coventry Climax FPF engine and Hewland HD5 gearbox, giving it the strength and performance required for one of the most competitive single-seater series outside Formula One.
Campaigned by Frank Gardner in the 1965 Tasman Series, the car achieved second place on debut at the New Zealand Grand Prix. Further second-place finishes followed at Levin International and Lakeside, along with eighth place at the Australian Grand Prix.
From 1966 through to 1968, the car was driven extensively by Kevin Bartlett across Tasman and Gold Star competition. In Bartlett’s hands, it became the first car to break the 100 mph lap at Bathurst during the Easter 1967 meeting. The car was later driven by Alan Grice in the Singapore and Malaysian Grands Prix, extending its competition life beyond Australia and New Zealand.
The 1964 Brabham BT11A was constructed specifically for the fiercely competitive Tasman Series. Chassis IC-5-64 was fitted with a 2.5-litre Coventry Climax engine, making it well suited to both Tasman racing and European hillclimbs. Closely related to the Formula One BT11, the BT11A differed through its larger engine and stronger Hewland HD5 gearbox.
With only five examples produced, this particular chassis carries exceptional provenance, having been built for Sir Jack Brabham himself. It formed part of Brabham’s 1965 Tasman campaign and demonstrated the strength of the Brabham–Tauranac design approach during a highly competitive period of international single-seater racing.
Brabham drove this chassis to victory at the Sandown Park Cup in February 1965. He also achieved second place at the Warwick Farm 100 in February 1965 and second place at the Australian Grand Prix at Longford in March 1965. Together, these results reflect the car’s significance within Brabham’s own racing career and its place in the broader story of Tasman Series competition.
The 1968 Brabham BT23E was a one-off car built specifically for Sir Jack Brabham’s 1968 Tasman Series campaign. Powered by Repco’s 830 V8 engine, it was one of just three Repco Brabham cars raced by Brabham on home soil between 1967 and 1969.
Brabham drove the BT23E at Warwick Farm and Sandown, where he secured pole position at the 1968 Australian Grand Prix. Following Brabham’s use, the car was sold to the Bob Jane organisation and successfully campaigned by John Harvey and Allan Moffat. It was later owned and raced by Dr Bill Marshall, including an appearance at the 1989 Adelaide Grand Prix.
After an extended period in the private collection of a Californian enthusiast, the car was acquired by its current owner, restored in the United Kingdom by Tony Ditheridge’s Hawker Racing, and repatriated to Australia in 2017. A mechanical restoration followed soon after by Superior Automotive.
Understood to be the first car in Australia to receive a CAMS historic logbook, the BT23E returned to Australian tracks at Albert Park in 2024, marking its first run since the 1989 Adelaide Grand Prix.
The 1958 Cooper Climax Type 45 represents a pivotal chapter in the rise of rear-engined Formula One racing and in the career of Sir Jack Brabham. Originally entered by the Cooper Car Company as a works car, chassis F2/22/58 was later acquired by Brabham, who together with his trusted mechanic Tim Wall, progressively developed and refined the car for international competition.
Throughout its racing life, the car competed with a variety of Coventry Climax engines, including one of the earliest 2.2-litre examples that would ultimately lead to the development of the marque’s legendary 2.5-litre Grand Prix engine. These engineering advancements proved transformative, laying the foundations for Cooper and Brabham to secure the 1959 and 1960 Formula One World Championships.
Brabham achieved significant success in this chassis, including victories at Brands Hatch in 1958 and Goodwood in 1959. The car also recorded strong international results, including fourth place at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, second at the 1959 New Zealand Grand Prix, and seventh at the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix. Today, it stands as an important example of the innovation and determination that helped redefine modern Grand Prix racing.
The 1965 Brabham BT16, chassis F2-8-65, was purchased new from Motor Racing Developments in Byfleet by John Coombes Racing and campaigned by the team in Formula Two competition across the UK and Europe. Powered by a 1-litre Formula Two BRM engine, the car was primarily driven by Graham Hill and was a regular front-running contender through the 1965 and 1966 seasons.
Its most prominent victory came at the 1966 Barcelona Grand Prix. The car also recorded notable podium results, including second place to Jim Clark at both the 1965 BRM race and the London Trophy. At the 1965 BARC 200, Hill brought the car home ahead of several major names, including Bruce McLaren, Frank Gardner, Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.
In 1966, the car was purchased by Alec Mildren Racing and brought to Australia for Frank Gardner to contest the 1967 Tasman Series. Gardner achieved further success in the car, including third place at the Australian Grand Prix, third at Sandown, and victory in the Hordern Trophy while racing alongside Sir Jackie Stewart.
The car has recently been totally restored and is now located on the Sunshine Coast.
The 1963 Brabham BT7A is a landmark Australian single-seater with exceptional competition history. Finished in the iconic green and gold, chassis IC-2-63 was one of only two BT7A examples built in England and represented the seventh design to emerge from the Brabham–Tauranac collaboration.
Built new for Sir Jack Brabham for the 1964 Tasman Series, the car was powered by a 2.5-litre engine and proved successful from the outset. Brabham drove this chassis to victory at the Australian Grand Prix and at Sandown in February 1964, before adding further wins that season at Warwick Farm and Lakeside.
Following Brabham’s return to England, the car continued to compete across the Tasman and New Zealand Gold Star scene. Driven by Jim Palmer, Andy Buchanan and later Rorstan, it remained a front-line competitor through to the 1967 Tasman Series. Its history captures both Brabham’s own success and the broader influence of Australian-built and Australian-driven racing cars during one of the most important periods in Southern Hemisphere motor racing.
