It was twenty years ago this month that Peter Brock was killed in Western Australia, and a new exhibition at the National Motor Racing Museum at the foot of Mount Panorama is celebrating his distinguished career.
Brock’s achievements made him a household name throughout the country, and even now in 2026, he is still one of the best-known drivers in Australian motorsport history.
Indelibly linked to the Bathurst 1000, and still considered the King of the Mountain, Peter Brock is the most successful driver to ever tackle the Great Race, with nine outright victories, including a remarkable run from 1975 to 1984, where he won seven times from ten starts. This period saw similar success at the Sandown enduro, with seven straight victories between 1975 and 1981, from a total of nine wins in the traditional lead up to the Bathurst 1000.
Brock would tackle a wide variety of motorsport disciplines during his career, racing sportscars, open wheelers, sports sedans, rallycross, tarmac, endurance and offroad rallies in addition to his three Australian Touring Car Championships and numerous endurance race victories, including the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, a race that’s become seen as Peter’s elusive tenth victory on Mount Panorama.
But in addition to his incredible record on track, Peter Brock’s influence transcended motor sport. Through his role as a spokesman for his many sponsors, his charitable work through the Peter Brock Foundation, and his dedication to his fans, Brock became a national icon, and the outpouring of grief after his tragic passing was a testament to his place in Australian society.
Featured vehicles in the exhibition include the Holden Monaro 427 that won the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour endurance race, completing a remarkable 527 laps, or 3274 km, after starting from 2nd position on the grid; and the Holden VB Commodore which took out the 1979 Repco Reliability Trial where competitors completed a 19,000km trek around Australia. This vehicle has been preserved in the same condition that it finished the race – dents, dust and all!
This exhibition celebrates Peter Brock’s career and incredible influence on the history of Australian motor sport, particularly at Mount Panorama, the location of so many of his most notable achievements. The exhibition remembers a legend of the sport, and a hero to so many race fans across the country.
Peter Brock: King of the Mountain is currently on display at the National Motor Racing Museum, 400 Panorama Avenue Mount Panorama. Open 9am-4.30pm, 6 days a week, closed Tuesday.
