1981 James Hardie 1000

Bob Morris and British endurance racer John Fitzpatrick, also driving a Falcon finished second.

A lap down in third was Allan Moffat and British endurance racing great Derek Bell driving a Mazda RX-7, the best ever result to that point for a Japanese built car.

The class for six-cylinder and rotary-engined cars was contested mostly by Ford Capris, with a single factory supported BMW 635CSi and those Mazda RX7s entered, powered by rotary engines.

The class for cars with four-cylinder engines included Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Alfa Romeo Alfetta, Ford Escort, Isuzu Gemini, Mitsubishi Colt, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Bluebird Turbo, Toyota Celica, Toyota Corolla, Triumph Dolomite, and Volkswagen Golf.

[1]* For the 2nd year running, Kevin Bartlett was fastest qualifier and won Hardies Heroes in his Channel 9 sponsored Chevrolet Camaro.

It was also the second year in a row that Dick Johnson would equal Bartlett's time in qualifying, but would be slower in the shootout.

Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit (1938-1986)
Dick Johnson and John French won the race driving a Ford XD Falcon
(image from 1991)
Alan Browne and Tony Edmondson placed fifth in a Holden VC Commodore
(image from 2015)
Colin Bond and Don Smith placed eighth in a Ford Capri
(image from 2005)
Kevin Bartlett and Bob Forbes placed 13th in a Chevrolet Camaro
(image from 2010)
Bob Muir and Ian Geoghegan placed 28th driving a Ford XD Falcon
(image from 2009)
Terry Finnigan and Ross Wittig failed to finish in an Isuzu Gemini
(image from 2005)