Jack Brabham's Championship Car Meets Tribute Plane for 60th Anniversary
To mark the 60th anniversary of Sir Jack Brabham's unique 1966 F1 title win in a car he built, his championship-winning Repco-Brabham BT19 has been photographed with a specially liveried Alliance Airlines jet, bringing the historic achievement to a new audience.
A special tribute to Sir Jack Brabham's historic 1966 Formula 1 world championship has brought his legendary Repco-Brabham BT19 car together with a commercial airliner painted in its iconic green and gold livery. The unique photoshoot at Rockhampton Airport marks the 60th anniversary of Brabham's third title, which remains the only time a driver has won the championship in a car of their own manufacture.
Why it matters:
Brabham's 1966 achievement is a singular milestone in motorsport history, representing the pinnacle of driver-constructor success. This high-visibility tribute by a major airline brings that story to a new, mainstream audience, cementing the legacy of Australian innovation and engineering on a global stage far beyond the racetrack.
The details:
- Alliance Airlines has unveiled a special livery on one of its Embraer E190 aircraft, featuring a massive 10.9-meter-long decal of the BT19 alongside the team's classic green and gold colors.
- The livery uses a custom-developed 'F1 Gold' and official Australian green, created specifically for this project.
- The tribute was orchestrated by Repco, the Melbourne-based company that designed and built the championship-winning 3.0-litre V8 engine, which now owns the multi-million dollar BT19 chassis.
- David Brabham, managing director of Brabham Group Limited and Jack's son, praised the tribute as a "wonderful and very meaningful" way to honor his father's legacy and a great moment in Australian sport.
- According to Alliance Airlines MD Stewart Tully, the livery continues the airline's history of honoring innovation and excellence, paying tribute to an "Australian icon whose passion forever changed his field."
What's next:
The celebration of this historic achievement will continue on track. The priceless Repco-Brabham BT19, valued at an estimated $20 million, is scheduled to run at the upcoming Adelaide Motorsport Festival. Driving duties will be shared by David Brabham and his son, Sam, creating a three-generation connection to the iconic car and its unparalleled place in F1 history.