1986 Australian Rally Championship
The 1986 Australian Rally Championship was a series of six rallying events held across Australia. It was the 19th season in the history of the competition.
Barry Lowe in the Subaru RX Turbo won the 1986 Driver's Championship. Kate Officer took out the Navigator's championship. Lowe's navigator Mark Stacey placed second as he didn't compete in the opening round.
Season review
The 19th Australian Rally Championship was held over six events across Australia, the season consisting of one event each for New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and West Australia. The 1986 season saw Barry Lowe silence his critics by winning the ARC title for the second year in a row. It was the last season for the Group G contenders, as the 1987 championship would only be open to Group A cars. Group A cars dominated the season accounting for wins in four of the six events. Lowe only had one outright win for the season, but his consistent high placings saw him victorious at season's end.The Rallies
The six events of the 1986 season were as follows.| Round | Rally | Date |
| 1 | The Advocate – Fairfield Stages Rally | 5–6 April 1986 |
| 2 | The Forest Rally | 10–11 May 1986 |
| 3 | Bega Rally of the Valley (NSW) | 7–8 June 1986 |
| 4 | The Keema Classic Rally | 18–19 July 1986 |
| 5 | The Tile Supplies Rally | 18–19 October 1986 |
| 6 | BP Visco Bright Alpine Rally | 22–23 November 1986 |