Allan Moffat
A ferocious competitor who imported American grit to Australian touring car racing, becoming a four-time champion and a Bathurst immortal.
1939–2025 (age 86)·Canadian and Australian racing driver·Birthday: November 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Allan Moffat didn't just race cars; he waged war in them. The Canadian-born driver arrived in Australia in the 1960s and immediately changed the tone of local motorsport. With a relentless, uncompromising style and a famous mustache that framed a determined scowl, Moffat was the ultimate hard charger. He forged his legend behind the wheel of Ford's muscle cars, most iconically the Falcon GTHO. His battles, particularly with rival Holden driver Peter Brock, defined an era and divided a nation's sporting loyalties. Moffat's mastery of Mount Panorama at Bathurst was unparalleled; his four victories included a legendary solo drive in 1970 and a crushing 1-2 finish with teammate Colin Bond in 1977. He was a strategist as much as a wheelman, bringing a professional, almost scientific approach to preparation that raised the standard for the entire category. Though he later found success with Mazda and even a turbocharged Ford Sierra, his identity was forever tied to the thunderous V8s, his name synonymous with a brand of victory earned through sheer force of will.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Allan was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Allan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Allan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2025Died at 86
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Won the Bathurst 500/1000 race four times (1970, 1971, 1975, 1977), cementing his status as a mountain maestro.
- Captured the Australian Touring Car Championship driver's title four times (1973, 1976, 1977, 1983).
- Secured a historic 1-2 finish for his team at the 1977 Bathurst 1000, driving the winning car himself.
- Won the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in 1975, driving a BMW 3.0 CSL.
- Was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1999.
Did You Know?
He famously drove the entire 1970 Bathurst 500 race solo, as his co-driver was injured in a practice crash.
Moffat was a passionate advocate for Ford and had a famous falling out with the company when they withdrew factory support.
He became an Australian citizen in 2004, having lived and raced in the country for over four decades.
His son, James Moffat, also became a professional racing driver in the V8 Supercars championship.
Moffat's 1977 Bathurst-winning Ford Falcon XC Cobra is one of the most valuable and recognized classic Australian race cars.
“Second place is just the first loser.”
