December 2019
CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY BRANCH of the VINTAGE CAR CLUB of NZ (Inc) Lamb Country Branch Email: centralhawkesbay@vcc.org.nz
Contributions to the BLEAT should be emailed to the Editor no later than (25th of each month) joycecalder@gmail.com
Club Nights
7.30pm 3rd Wednesday of every Month
Postal Address C/-73 Porangahau Road Waipukurau, 4200 NOMINATED POSITIONS CHAIRMAN Lynn Cross secross@xtra.co.nz 06 858 9814 SECRETARY Ken Lyons Ken.lyons@xtra.co.nz 06 858 8093 TREASURER Kaye Carswell wpkmotors@gmail.com 021 124 3620
A Colourful History of Racing Hues British Racing Green is one of the most iconic colours of the automotive world. It’s provenance goes back 110 years and has decorated countless racing icons At the turn of the 20th century, Grand Prix racing was very different. Races were more a contest between nations than they were between drivers or factories. Wealthy American newspaper man James Gordon Bennett, Jr. organized an annual race pitting various countries against each another in a bid for automobile manufacturing supremacy. The Gordon Bennett Cup races were city-to-city contests, with entries required to consist entirely of components manufactured in their home country. Each country was limited to three entries each, and each car was required to carry both a driver and a riding mechanic at all times. To make National Identification of the participants easier, each country was required to adopt a national racing colour. They were: blue for France, yellow for Belgium, white for Germany and red for Italy. France walked away with the inaugural victory in 1900, and thus was given the honour of hosting the races for the 1901 race. British manufacturer David Napier opted to contest this second race, and entered with his own 50hp car. 1907 Napier 60hp T21
CLUB CAPTAIN Rod McKenzie rod.mckenzie.wpk@xtra.co.nz 06 858 9562 COMMITTEE Bruce Poole brucepoole1930@gmail.com 06 858 9940 Gary Weaver janetmweaver@gmail.com 06 858 9908 Iain and Eva Gollan nga-oki@xtra.co.nz 06 858 9105 Ruth Parker brparkrz@xtra.co.nz 06 858 5411 John Foot V.I.C. (I.D. Card) Coordinator jsfoot@xtra.co.nz 06 858 8301 PUBLICITY/WELFARE OFFICER Sandra Cross secross@xtra.co.nz 06 858 9814