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From Wanneroo to Daytona
When you step into the Motor Museum of Western Australia, one of the standout cars on display inside the Ricciardo Hall is a striking Mazda RX-7 carrying the racing number 96. But the story of this car stretches far beyond its current livery — it is a machine steeped in history, with roots planted firmly in the golden era of Australian touring car racing.
Underdog Triumph in Wanneroo
On April 24, 1983, the RX-7 — then painted in its famous Peter Stuyvesant livery and running as car #43 — lined up for Round 4 of the Australian Touring Car Championship at Wanneroo Raceway. Allan Moffat qualified third on the grid, going up against the thundering V8 power of Peter Brock’s Holden Commodore and Dick Johnson’s Ford Falcon.
What followed was one of the great David-versus-Goliath moments in motorsport. Against all odds, Moffat’s rotary-powered RX-7 surged to victory, proving that Mazda’s lightweight, balanced machine could topple the biggest names in touring car racing. That win would help carry Moffat to the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship title — a remarkable feat still proudly remembered by fans today.
Going Global as #96
In 1984, the RX-7 returned to Bathurst, competing in the last-ever Group C James Hardie 1000 at Mount Panorama. But Moffat and Mazda had bigger ambitions.
In a bold move, Mazda Australia supported Moffat’s plan to take the car international. The RX-7 was renumbered as #96 and shipped to the United States in early 1985 to compete in the Daytona 24 Hours, part of the IMSA series.
With Allan Moffat joined by fellow Australians Greg Hansford, Kevin Bartlett, and Peter McLeod, the RX-7 became the first Australian-built Group C touring car to race on an international stage. The gruelling endurance race pushed the car to its limits, and though it faced huge challenges against factory-prepared machines, it proudly flew the Australian flag at Daytona.
Preserved in History
Today, this car — still dressed in its Daytona racing battle scars — sits on display at the Motor Museum of Western Australia. More than just a race car, it represents innovation, ambition, and the fighting spirit of Australian motorsport in the 1980s.
Fans who visit the museum can stand beside the machine that once humbled V8 giants at Wanneroo and dared to take on the world stage at Daytona. It’s not just a Mazda RX-7 — it’s a living piece of Australian racing history.
