The race began in 1960 as the Armstrong 500 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Organised by the Light Car Club of Australia, it was intended to determine which production saloon cars had the best combination of performance and reliability. Entry was limited to unmodified production saloons built or assembled in Australia, and the first cars to complete the distance were a Vauxhall Cresta driven by Frank Coad and John Roxburgh. Bob Jane and Harry Firth won in 1961 driving a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, and again in 1962 with a Ford Falcon. The Phillip Island track surface deteriorated during these races, becoming unsafe.
In 1963, the race moved to the 6.2-kilometre (3.9 mi) Mount Panorama Circuit. Bob Jane and Harry Firth again triumphed, this time in a Cortina GT. The following year, Jane won with George Reynolds, while Barry Seton and Herb Taylor were second, and Harry Firth and John Reaburn third. The 1965 race saw Bo Seton and Midge Bosworth win in a Cortina GT 500, while the Geoghegan brothers, Ian and Leo, famously wore business suits during the race.
The 1966 race was sponsored by Irish tobacco company Gallaher, and was won by Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden in a Mini Cooper S. The 1967 race mandated a minimum number of pit stops, favouring larger-engined cars. Harry Firth and Fred Gibson won in a Ford Falcon GT, signalling the end of small cars as outright contenders. The 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 saw Holden win for the first time, with the Monaro GTS 327 driven to victory.
The 1970s saw fierce competition between Ford and Holden. Allan Moffat won in 1970 and 1971 driving a Ford Falcon GT-HO. In 1972, Peter Brock won in a Torana GTR XU-1, marking Brock’s first Bathurst victory. The race distance was extended to 1000 kilometres in 1973. Allan Moffat won again that year, while the 1973 race was the last for Chrysler. Holden’s Toranas dominated the mid-1970s, winning in 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979.
The 1980s saw Holden and Ford continue their rivalry under Group C regulations. Peter Brock achieved hat-tricks in 1978–1980, and again in 1982–1984. Dick Johnson won in 1981, after a public fundraising campaign to rebuild his car following a 1980 incident. From 1985 to 1992, the race was run to international Group A regulations. The 1987 race was a round of the World Touring Car Championship, and was marred by controversy when the Eggenberger Motorsport Sierras were disqualified for bodywork irregularities, awarding the win to Peter Brock.
From 1993, the race continued under uniquely Australian regulations. In 1995, the race became a one-class event for V8-powered Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores. Nissan returned to competition in 2013 with the introduction of new regulations.
The 1986 race saw the first fatality in the event's history, with Mike Burgmann dying after an accident at Conrod Straight. This led to the construction of "The Chase" in 1987, a chicane designed to reduce speeds. In 1992, 1967 Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme died of a heart attack at the wheel on Conrod Straight.
The race winners are presented with the Peter Brock Trophy. The trophy weighs 2.5 kg (6 lb) and stands 50 cm (20 in) tall, and is inscribed with the words "King of the Mountain". Craig Lowndes has won the Peter Brock Trophy six times since its inception in 2006, and has won the Bathurst 1000 a total of seven times (1996, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2018).
Peter Brock is the most successful driver at Bathurst, with nine victories. Bob Jane won four consecutive races from 1961 to 1964. Jim Richards has seven wins, and holds the record for the most starts (35). Craig Lowndes has won the race seven times, and holds the record for most podium finishes with fourteen. Holden has the most overall victories at 34, followed by Ford with 21.
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