The 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the ninth running of the Bathurst 500 production car race. It was held on 6 October 1968 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. Cars competed in five classes based on purchase price (Australian dollars) of the vehicle.
For the first time factory supported teams of Ford and Holden V8s raced against each other, setting a pattern that continues to this day in Australian touring car racing, currently known as V8 Supercar. It was not one of the factory cars that won however. The Wyong Motors entry of a Holden Monaro driven by Bruce McPhee (apart from one lap mid-race driven by Barry Mulholland) who upset the big teams with a tactical tyre strategy of running a buffed hard wearing street tyre rather than a racing tyre. Initially Des West and Ron Marks were classified second but were later disqualified for illegal engine modifications. Second became the factory supported Holden Dealer Racing Team Monaro of Jim Palmer (to that point the best finish by a New Zealander) and Phil West. Another dealer entered Monaro driven by Tony Roberts and Bob Watson finished third.
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