 Harry Firth won the rally in question, the inaugural Southern Cross Rally, with navigator Graham Hoinville, driving a Ford Cortina GT.The Ford works team didn't enter any cars for the 1966 Gallaher 500 at Bathurst and Firth teamed with Ern Abbott in a Morris Cooper S to finish in 6th place.The first nine finishers in the race all drove the famed Cooper S.

1967 saw Firth notch up his last victory as a driver in the annual 500 mile race at Bathurst, winning the 1967 Gallaher 500 with a young Fred Gibson in a Ford XR Falcon GT, the first Australian made Ford Falcon to use a V8 engine.