1940 Patriotic Grand PrixPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 1940 Patriotic Grand Prix and also the 20th anniversary of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Western Australia.
The Patriotic Grand Prix was held on November 11, 1940, to raise money for various wartime charities. It was the only round-the-house race for cars ever held in the Perth metropolitan area. Run anticlockwise over 25 laps of a 4.0 kilometre circuit of roads in Applecross, with Kintail Road as the main straight, it was, as usual for the period, a handicap race.
More than 50,000 spectators cheered winner Harley Hammond.
Location
| Address: | Ardross Street, Applecross Village near gazebo, Applecross, 6153 |
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| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -32.010527 Long: 115.834855 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Sport |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 11-November-1940 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 11-November-1940 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 11th November, 2007 |
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1940 Patriotic Grand Prix
The “Patriotic Grand Prix” was the only road race for motorcars ever conducted on the streets of Perth and was held on Armistice Day, 11th November 1940
Harley Hammond (1929 Marquette Special), deserving winner of the main race was cheered by 50,000 spectators
Clem Dwyer (1938 Plymouth Special) came second on handicap, with fastest time for the event and Jack Nelson (1940 Ford 10 Special) who drove consistently, finished in third place.
Duncan Ord (Type 57 T Bugatti) recorded the fastest lap at 2 minutes 50.5 seconds, an average speed of 53 mph (85.33 kph)
On 12th November 2006, the Vintage Sports Car Club of WA (Inc) commemorated the race with a procession of cars ‘Around the Houses”, that event was entitled “The Applecross Grand Prix Lives On!”
With generous assistance from the City of Melville this memorial was commissioned by the VSCC in celebration of its 20th Anniversary to record the historical significance of the 1940 event and recognise it’s contribution to raising funds for the care of war service personnel.
The plaque was unveiled by Russell Aubrey Mayor City of Melville
11th November 2007
‘Lest We Forget’ their war time losses and hardships enabled our freedom – give thanks, enjoy life!
