A Jack Brabham-designed race car that had its first outing 50 years ago is on display at the National Museum of Australia.
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The 1967 Repco-Brabham Tasman BT23A-1 prototype was raced by Australian racing legend Sir Jack during the 1967 Tasman Series in New Zealand and Australia.
Sir Jack didn't win, but set the fastest lap in Wigram, Christchurch.
The prototype car led to the development of the Formula One BT24, which won the 1967 F1 Championship, driven by Brabham team driver Denny Hulm.
Sir Jack, who learned the basics of car mechanics when he drove a delivery truck around his dad's yard in Sydney's southern suburbs as a boy, became a three-time Formula One world champion. He died in 2014.
The national museum's large technology conservator, Nathan Pharaoh, said Sir Jack's Australian design and globally acclaimed innovation made the car significant to the museum.
"The importance of this vehicle is that it's an Australian designed, Australian built race car, developed by Jack Brabham," he said.
"There's a lot of interest because it captures the imagination of the nation, because of the significance of Jack Brabham and his racing career."
While the car has been used, crashed and raced by plenty of others, it retains many of its original components from Sir Jack and Ron Tauranac, including its dark green colour.
Ron Tauranac was an Australian engineer who founded Motor Racing Development in Surrey with Sir Jack in 1961.
Sir Jack was as passionate about manufacturing and engineering his own cars as he was about driving them.
"Jack Brabham was the only Formula One racer to win not only the Formula One championship, but also the manufacturer's cut in a car of his own design and build. That is significant," Mr Pharaoh said.
Head of Australian society and history for the museum Suzanne Bravery said it was the right time for families to race to see the BT23A-1 car.
"We have the Christmas holiday; we have Summernats [and] school holidays. It's a really great time for all Australians to see it," she said.
The 1967 Repco-Brabham Tasman BT23A-1 is on display until April 2018.
