“Dripfeed” NEWSLETTER OF THE BANKS PENINSULA BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF New Zealand (INC) VOLUME 42, No 3 april 2019 Editor: Michael Williams 10 Selwyn Parade Lyttelton Ph 328 8043, email mimiandmichael@yahoo.co.nz
Chairman: Secretary:
Club Officers: Craig Keenan 322 1006 Ron Hasell 942 1105
Branch Address: 27 Showgate Ave, ChCh 8042 E-mail: bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz Noggin & Natter: 2nd Thursday of the Month • •
Noggin 7.30 pm at the Papanui RSA. Upham Room – enter either from 55 Bellvue Ave or the first entrance on the left on Harewood Road (Papanui / Main North Road) Thursday 11th of April We looked forward to seeing you there. Supper was provided. Hope you all enjoyed it!
From the Editor: My apologies for this very late and very short edition as I’ve been in the North Island for two weeks. The main purpose of the trip was to attend the National Citroen Rally in Cambridge, which celebrated the centennial of the Citroen marque. There were 140 cars covering a wide range of models. Highlights for me were the 1926 B series Kegresse half track model, a 1956 Belgian assembled 2CV that had been in Southwards for many years, two pre war Traction Avant Roadsters, a pre war Traction Avant Coupe ( the same as the car that lived on the corner of Fendalton and Straven roads), and a very rare Traction Avant 6H. This 1954 car is similar to a Big 6, the 6 cylinder version of the Big 15, and has hydropneumatic suspension on the rear. Citroen successfully tried out their revolutionary system on these models to see if it would work. There were only a few made in RHD, and this particular car came to NZ in 1970 and has been owned by two generations of the same family. Unrestored and original, it’s a remarkable car. Other marques have also been going for 100 years, and Bruce McIlroy was quick to tell me that Bentley is also celebrating its centennial. Quite an achievement for the fast lorries from Cricklewood, but Foden were produced well before 1919. Better than Bedford though which didn’t start until 1931. The great man W.O. Bentley bought a Citroen almost as soon as the Traction Avant models came out. Must have been such a relief for him to drive a car with independent suspension, proper brakes and a decent gear change. Apart from Citroen, there can’t be many other marques in New Zealand
that have consistently had an active dealer network for 100 years. Ford has, perhaps there are others? Most marques had gaps, usually before or after WW2. Correspondence will be entered into. Welcome to new member Donald White, with two Model A’s, we hope to see you at future events. The McLaughlan Trophy for veteran vehicles is up for grabs again. It’s based on an age/mileage calculation, so if you think you are eligible, get in touch with Canterbury Branch club captain Dave Inwood. When we have our Mid Winter dinner, at a date in July yet to be decided, there will a number of awards handed out to the senior statesmen of the club. Gavin Bain, Clive Dodd and Allan Meredith will be presented with their 60 year awards, and Garry Moore, Len Rickard and Derek Upton will receive their 50 year awards. Gregarious garrulous Garry has had some sort of epiphany recently and become a convert, always a dangerous step for an aging male. He’s bought an electric bike, and constantly regales anyone who will listen, and a good few who won’t, about the merits and joys of biking. I suppose after an Austin 7 the bike will be faster, even when propelled by Garry’s flabby thighs, and if anyone sees him on his Raleigh 20, red flag flying bravely from the handlebars, toot loudly, and he might fall off.
Coming Events. Ashburton Rotary Club Run, 5th of May. This is the 27th time that the Ashburton Rotary Club has organised this popular event, with the $20 entry fee going to a local charity. It starts at the Ashburton racecourse at 10.15am and finishes at Mt Somers. No shingle roads, so ideal for frail British sports cars. Contact Owen Moore at owen@moorepark.net.nz for more details.
Veteran and Vintage Rally, May 6th – 13th. Details to be finalised, going through the Haast. Contact Diane Ross at randross@kinect.co.nz or 03 3082356 for more details.
Annual General Meeting 9th of May, 7.30 Papanui RSA. Please come along and tell the committee what a fabulous job they are doing. We are looking for new committee members, so any volunteers will be welcome. You can be appointed in your absence, so don’t think that staying away lets you off the hook. We hope to find someone under the age of 50. Morris Wright or the Dawber boys seem ideal candidates
Hadstock, 26th of May (note the new date) Starts at 9.30am Our annual gymkhana is always huge fun , and another key event in the calendar. Maybe this is the year that an A7 won’t win. We try to make it easy, so everyone gets two attempts at each course. To get there, turn into the Leeston Road from Springston, then right into bethels Road just before the Selwyn bridge. Proceed in the heart of Chamberlain country and after 2 ks turn left into the paddock by the VCC sign.
Irishman Creek Rally, Queens Birthday Weekend, 1st, 2nd, 3rd of June. Starting in Fairlie, so book now.
Night Trial, Saturday 15th of June. To be set by the not usually devious Michael Pidgeon. It’s been suggested that we use the same trial as last year, as there was such thick fog that none of us had a clue where we were or where we had been, so to do it again on a clear night would save Michael a lot of trouble. Let’s hope that Vaughan Morrison and Morris Wright have all their lights working this year.
Past Events: The Pomeroy Trophy. Report by a visiting North Island journalist, superb photos by John MacDonald. French car driven by serial Francophile does not win Pom! Yes, it is true. This year the Pomeroy Trophy was not won by a Parisian taxi. Not that our erstwhile editor was beaten on the track. Zutalors non, rather, while M.Williams was out of town (the rumour that he was seen heading north clutching a well-thumbed copy of “How to Cremate a Cathedral” is yet to be confirmed) and with fellow Equipe Escargot pilote M. Haycock driving a product of the dreaded Boche from the other side of the Maginot Line the glory of La Belle France was left ripe to be ravaged. As only fitting for an event conceived by an Englishman, the conditions at Ruapuna were suitably British – that being cold, wet and generally miserable all round – and that was just the drivers. All that was missing to complete the scene was a dodgy caravan flogging off soggy chips and mushy peas. A walk along the pit lane confirmed the thought that the Rosbifs seemed to think they might have a shot at winning. In typical fashion they had most based covered cars with four wheels, cars with three wheels and a car that wasn’t a car, but possibly the one best suited to the conditions, that being a LandRover. What was particularly pleasing was to see was branch stalwarts Geoff Owen and Gavin Bain in attendance, Gavin in the ex-Lupp MG and Geoff taking the keys of the familial C-type replica after a recent spell of ill-health. The usual father and son Yates team was there in force, Dallis having helped himself to mum’s VW Karmann-Ghia while it was Russell giving the Series One Land-
Rover it’s place in history as the first time anyone has been daft enough to bring one to a race track with the intent to compete in it. Kear pere et fils had a fraught start to the event, George had entered the Kato but sensibly, the car took one look at the weather and decided it wasn’t going out in that sort of muck and went all Lucas on him, refusing to fire. Owners of Britishpowered vehicles always carry a good range of spares and in this case, George was forced to dip into the toolbox, and pulled out a spare Mini. Son Fraser, making the first of hopefully many appearances at a Branch event was mounted in VW Golf with a particularly appropriate accessory firmly attached to the roof rack. A surf-board was of more use than the ability to carry Mr Pomeroy’s regulation suitcases.
If anyone was going to beat the Poms in the race for the Pom it would seem to be the Germans, and the Crequer siblings John and Maria came suitably prepared for a fast drive to Poland in a pair of Porsche 944s, John’s turbo seemingly a far more competitive mount than Maria’s more mundane offering breathing uncompressed air. Both were, of course more concerned with what parts of Herr R. Bosch’s electrical systems would still be working at the end of the day. Maria had the extra “bonus” of sharing her new car, on her first VCC event with Tony Haycock, so the blue Porker, having driven down from the other island the day before, was in for a work-out.
As is normal, the on-track activity started with the standing and flying 1/4mil sprints. From a standing start and despite muck spinning of cold Dunlops, Geoff Owen was fastest through the standing, with the turbo Porsche close behind. In the flying, the Crequer 944 was top of the timesheet, with the Haycock 944 and Corbett TR3A posting identical times for second-fastest. The wiggle-woggle, run on a still wet and slippery track was more of a challenge to the faster cars to put power down. Rod Corbett’s TR made the best of the conditions and the Kear ring-in Mini close behind. Finally came the brake test, always interesting on a dry day, but far more tricky on a wet surface. John Crequer stopped faster than anyone else, with Fraser Kear very close in the Golf. So, with the 20 minute reliability trial to
come the scores were mushy peas and flat beer 2, sauerkraut and sausages 2. The random American and Italian entrants seemingly a little outnumbered. Of course, this may not mean anything once Mr Pomeroy’s devious formula was applied to the times. Some extra rain helped to spice things up and it was obvious that no-one was going to come close to their allocated lap score, although Dallis Yates came close in the Karmann Ghia borrowed from mum, managing to complete 22 of the 24 required. It would not be unfair to say the everyone present was quite happy for the on- track action to come to an end and take on the road section to a warm pub, where hot food and medicinal ale were on hand to provide a pleasant end to what had been a very enjoyable morning of automobiling despite the best efforts of the weather. And so, what is the ultimate touring car? It would seem it is the Porsche 944,with John Crequer taking home the Pomeroy Trophy,with Tony Haycock close behind in the other 944. Class B for cars not considered “proper” by Mr Pomeroy was Dallis Yates in the VW Karmann Ghia, also the outright best performer. The most important award, the Sharp Family trophy for the spirit of the event was very rightfully awarded to Simon Gill, the only pre-war entrant in the car least likely to be the ultimate touring car, the Morgan three wheeler. Thanks to Ron, Craig and the rest of the committee for a great morning of sport. Be prepared, the French will be back for 2020! Le Charlatan