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Book Reviews
BOOK REVIEWS by Ronald Mayes, assistant (apprentice) librarian From Reg. Munro’s estate we have been generously donated more books for our library, including scrapbooks with cuttings of all sorts of local and international news from days gone by - treasures for future browsers! Amongst the donated books I have been perusing the following: 1. Lucky all my Life - the Biography of Harry Weslake, by Jeff Clew (1979). You may have wondered about that Weslake Patents sticker on the rocker cover of your 1950s BMC car. All is revealed in the book, and much more besides! Harry Weslake was a cylinder head design specialist who breathed life into many car engines, from 1920s Bentleys to post-war Austins, and had a serious interest in motorcycle racing. A great read. 2. Encyclopedia of Classic Cars - Saloon Cars 1945 - 1975, by Rob de la Rive Box, translated (not particularly well) from the Dutch original, 1999. A rather strange mix, European cars predominate, some English makes and models receive little attention and American car cover is rather limited. Rather large coverage is given to the microcars of the 1950s, most of which died out with the advent of the Mini. ( Have you ever heard of a Kleinschnittger?) Whenever I look at such an encyclopedia I always first check out the makes and models I know well. In this case I found considerable numbers of errors so I do not recommend this book as accurate reference material. One redeeming feature, though, are the photographs of early car makers - now we can put faces to famous (and some infamous) names! 3. The Rover Story, a Century of Success, by Graham Robson, 1977. Anything written by this author we know will be accurate! From its beginnings as the Coventry Sewing Machine Company in 1861 until the mergers and manoeuvres resulting in the formation of British Leyland, the vehicles and fortunes of Rover are covered here. The experiences of gas turbine engine development is particularly interesting (it all came to nought, of course, as a motor vehicle power source.) It is perhaps fitting that the book ends just at the time of the introduction of BL’s Specialist Division car Number One, the Rover SD1 3500, for which high hopes were held. Unfortunately that car suffered, not alone, from the quality issues which hit the British car building industry in the 1970s and 1980s.
CLUB NIGHT - March 10th
Neil Hunt Park - 7.30pm Car In The Room: Studebaker Golden Hawk
Followed by tea, coffee and biscuits.
Chairman’s Run
Sunday, March 21st - 10.30am
Please note the run will be starting and finishing at Creative Stone, 14 Hall Rd, Ngongotaha, due to an athletics event operating at the clubrooms area.
The run will be relatively short, first car away at 10.40am, finishing with a complimentary luncheon back at the Chairman’s workshop. Fruit juice, tea and coffee will also be provided.
Midweek News by Bob Mackay As the “Tour” is arranged to start on the 14th March, there is no midweek run arranged this month unless some one wishes to step forward and arrange a run.
Since the last club night two more cars (4 people) have made bookings to join the “Tour”. It appears that there is still accommodation available, please ring me if you require details.
