Brabham Automotive was introduced to the world on 2 May 2018, with the launch of the Brabham BT62 at Australia House, London.
As the company marked its second birthday last week, in the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, it can reflect on having established a landmark production facility in South Australia, launched multiple variants of the BT62 globally, and regained a presence in motorsport. Brabham Automotive is currently Australia’s only OEM and while the world pauses to deal with the pandemic, its plans for the future are bright. Brabham Automotive’s recently completed production facility is an all-new workspace encompassing the engineering, design, manufacture and assembly of both parts and vehicles. It occupies 2,500m2 of a much larger facility housing Precision Buses, a division of Fusion Capital’s mobility hub, and part of the largest Australian owned bus-manufacturing group in Australia.
David Brabham, Sporting Director of Brabham Motorsport (who is also the Event Patron of my own AXA Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance) said, “The progress Brabham Automotive has made over the last two years is a source of great satisfaction. From launch to production and now delivering to customers, we can be very proud of where we are to today as a business. My father won the British Grand Prix in a Brabham at Brands Hatch in 1966, so for me to win in our own Competition Spec Brabham BT62 on its racing debut was something very special. We made history. Competing and then winning the Le Mans 24hrs with a Brabham is our Motorsport goal. The challenge awaits. Time to “just get on with it”, as my father would have said.”
The next step on the journey will be the launch of the BT62R in June this year, a fully road-compliant version of the BT62. This third variant in the BT62 family will share the same chassis and powertrain as its track-focused siblings, with revised suspension (including front and rear axle lift kit) and aerodynamics, and increased levels of luxury and comfort for those who prefer to drive their car to the track on public roads.
Brabham BT 62 appeared at the AXA Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance in 2020 (see previous story) and in 2019 (pictured above).
