| Type: | CUST |
| Description: | Formula Libre handicap race |
| Grand Prix: | Australian |
| Country: | Australia |
| Location: | Point Cook, Victoria |
| Date: | 26 January |
| Year: | 1948 |
| Course: | Airfield circuit |
| Course Mi: | 2.4 |
| Course Km: | 3.85 |
| Distance Laps: | 42 |
| Distance Mi: | 162.19 |
| Distance Km: | 100.8 |
| Weather: | Sunny |
| Fast Driver: | Alf Barrett |
| Fast Team: | Alfa Romeo |
| Fast Time: | 1'48 |
| Fast Country: | AUS |
| First Driver: | Frank Pratt |
| First Country: | NZL |
| First Team: | BMW |
| Second Driver: | Alf Najar |
| Second Country: | AUS |
| Second Team: | MG |
| Third Driver: | Dick Bland |
| Third Country: | AUS |
| Third Team: | Reed-Ford |
The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Point Cook Aerodrome,[1] a Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook, just outside Melbourne in Victoria, Australia on Australia Day, 26 January 1948. It was staged over 42 laps of a 3.85 kilometre circuit utilizing the runways and service roads of the base.[2] The total race distance was 162 kilometres. The race was organised by the Light Car Club of Australia and was sanctioned by the Australian Automobile Association.[3]
The race was the thirteenth Australian Grand Prix and the first not to be held on a public road circuit. It was staged as a handicap event with the first car starting 18 minutes before the last. Conditions were oppressive, with the temperature topping 100°F by mid-morning, along with hot winds buffeting the exposed pits on the start/finish straight.[4] The overpowering heat, plus the bumpy concrete-slab surface of the runways, took a heavy toll on the competing cars. As well as mechanical retirements, several drivers had to retire due to heat exhaustion.
Prominent motorcycle racer Frank Pratt won the race driving a BMW 328. Alf Najar finished second driving an MG TB Special with Dick Bland placed third in a George Reed constructed Ford V8 special. Bland was also awarded the prize for setting the fastest time.[5]
Results as follows.[6]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Car / Engine | Entrant | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 |  Frank Pratt | BMW 328 / BMW 2.0L | LF Pratt | 42 | 1h 33m 52s |
| 2 | 31 |  Alf Najar | MG TB Special / MG 1.3L | A Najar | 42 | 1h 34m 35s |
| 3 | 11 | Dick Bland | G Reed Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L | R Bland | 42 | 1h 35m 19s |
| 4 | 12 | Granton Harrison | Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L | G Harrison | 42 | 1h 35m 58s |
| 5 | 26 | Dennis Curran | Willys Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9L | D Curran | 42 | 1h 36m 05s |
| 6 | 30 | John Barraclough | MG NE / MG 1.3L | J Barraclough | 42 | 1h 37m 02s |
| 7 | 27 | Bill Ford | Hudson Special / Hudson 3.5L | WD Ford | 42 | 1h 38m 00s |
| 8 | 3 | John Crouch | Delahaye 135 / Delahaye 3.6L | J Crouch | 42 | 1h 39m 00s |
| 9 | 10 | Alec Mildren | Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L | AG Mildren | 42 | 1h 40m 22s |
| 10 | 22 | Ron Head | Riley Imp / Riley 1.1L | R Head | 42 | 1h 42m 13s |
| NC | 35 | Bill Patterson | MG TC / MG 1.3L | GW Patterson | ? | |
| NC | 23 | Jim Skinner | Ballot 8 / Ford 3.6L | J Skinner | ? | |
| NC | 41 | Cec Warren | Morgan / Matchless 0.4L | CR Warren | ? | |
| NC[7] | 19 | Arthur Chick | Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti 2.3L | A Chick | ? | |
| Ret | 4 | Doug Whiteford | Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2L | D Whiteford | 34 | |
| Ret | 5 | Hope Bartlett | Dixon Riley / Riley 1.8L | H Bartlett | 32 | |
| Ret | 2 | Alf Barrett | Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2.4L | H Bartlett | 22 | |
| Ret | 6 | Lex Davison | Mercedes-Benz 38/250 / Mercedes-Benz 7.4L | AN Davison | 17 | |
| Ret | 38 | Tom Sulman | Singer Special / Singer 1.0L | T Sulman | 16 | |
| Ret | 20 | Jim Gullan | Ballot / Oldsmobile 3.9L | J Gullan | 15 | |
| Ret | 16 | Rug Nutt | Cadillac Special / Cadillac | AC Cooper | 14 | |
| Ret | 14 | Charlie Dean | Maybach I / Maybach 4.3L | HC Dean | 12 | |
| Ret | 21 | John Nind | MG TB Special / MG 1.3L | J Nind | 10 | |
| Ret | 18 | Tom Luxton | Nuttbug Bugatti Type 40 / Ford 3.6L | J McEwan | 7 | |
| Ret | 1 | Tony Gaze | Alta / Alta 2.0L | FAO Gaze | 5 | |
| Ret | 7 | Norm Andrews | Stewand / Lea-Francis 3.5L | N Andrews | 0 | |