CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 80 YEARS
No. 400 June/July 2026 New Zealand’s Foremost Historical Motoring Magazine
9 418979 000012
A TOUCH OF FRANCE IN THIS ISSUE WITH
DELAGE REBUILD IN KIWI HANDS RALLYE DES PRINCESS BEHIND THE WHEEL
1912 WOLSELEY 12/16
$9.95
Supplied by Colin Johnston, Taranaki Branch. The 1,000,000 Morris Minor was produced on 4 January 1961. This marked a significant milestone as it was the first British car to reach the one million unit mark.
PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED: Submissions of suitable prints and information are welcome. Post or email original photographs or high resolution digital files of historical interest with any available information to: beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz or Beaded Wheels, PO Box 76063, Northwood Christchurch 8548. Laserprints/photocopies are not suitable. Photos will be returned as soon as practicable.
Beaded Wheels
The official club magazine of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Incorporated).
To find out more about the club visit www.vcc.org.nz or contact your nearest branch. VCCNZ BRANCHES A full list of branch addresses and contact details can also be found on the VCCNZ website at www.vcc.org.nz ASHBURTON PO Box 382, Ashburton 7740 ashburton@vcc.org.nz AUCKLAND 39 Fairfax Ave, Penrose, Auckland 1061 auckland@vcc.org.nz BANKS PENINSULA C/O, 722 Waterholds Road, RD8 Christchurch 7678 bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz BAY OF PLENTY 11 Ridgemount Terrace, Welcome Bay, Tauranga 3112 bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz CANTERBURY PO Box 11-082, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 canterbury@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL OTAGO C/-114 Shortcut Road, Luggate, RD2, Wanaka 9382 centralotago@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY C/- 376 Kopua Road, RD11 Norsewood 4974 centralHawke’sbay@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo Whakatane 3159 easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz FAR NORTH C/– PO Box 312 Kaitaia 0441 farnorth@vcc.org.nz GISBORNE PO Box 307, Gisborne 4040 gisborne@vcc.org.nz GORE PO Box 329, Gore 9740 gore@vcc.org.nz HAWKE’S BAY PO Box 3406, Napier 4142
Hawke’sbay@vcc.org.nz HOROWHENUA PO Box 458, Levin 5540 horowhenua@vcc.org.nz KING COUNTRY C/- 923 Taringamotu Road, Taumarunui 3994 kingcountry@vcc.org.nz MANAWATU PO Box 385 Palmerston North 4440 manawatu@vcc.org.nz MARLBOROUGH PO Box 422, Blenheim 7240 marlborough@vcc.org.nz NELSON 60 Dodson Valley Road, Atawhai. Nelson 7010. nelson@vcc.org.nz NORTHLAND PO Box 17, Whangarei 0140 northland@vcc.org.nz NORTH OTAGO PO Box 360, Oamaru 9444 northotago@vcc.org.nz NORTH SHORE C/- 7 Godwit Place, Lynfield Auckland 1042 northshore@vcc.org.nz OTAGO C/- 125 Forbury Road, Saint Clair, Dunedin 9012 otago@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 rotorua@vcc.org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY 19 Redruth St, Timaru 7910 southcanterbury@vcc.org.nz SOUTHLAND PO Box 1240, Invercargill 9840 southand@vcc.org.nz SOUTH OTAGO C/- 1931 Breakneck Rd, RD 4,
Balclutha 9274 southotago@vcc.org.nz SOUTH WAIKATO PO Box 403 Tokoroa 3420 southwaikato@vcc.org.nz TARANAKI C/- 7 Leatham Ave, Strandon, New Plymouth 4312 taranaki@vcc.org.nz TAUPO 33 AC Baths Ave, Taupo 5530 taupo@vcc.org.nz FAR NORTH WAIKATO NORTHLAND C/- 7 Pirongia Roaad, WELLSFORD/ NORTH SHORE Te Awamutu 3876 WARKWORTH waikato@vcc.org.nz AUCKLAND WAIMATE WAITEMATA 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 BAY OF PLENTY WAIKATO waimate@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY WAIRARAPA OF PLENTY ROTORUA 24B Nikau Heights,Lansdowne, SOUTH WAIKATO Masterton 5810 TAUPO GISBORNE KING COUNTRY wairarapa@vcc.org.nz TARANAKI HAWKE’S BAY WAITEMATA WANGANUI C/- 8 Jean Place, Stanmore Bay, CENTRAL MANAWATU Whangaparoa 0932 HAWKE’S BAY waitemata@vcc.org.nz HOROWHENUA WANGANUI WAIRARAPA PO Box 726, Whanganui 4541 NELSON wanganui@vcc.org.nz WELLINGTON WELLINGTON MARLBOROUGH PO Box 38418, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045 WEST COAST wellington@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH CANTERBURY BANKS PENINSULA PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 wellsfordwarkworth@vcc. ASHBURTON org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY WAIMATE WEST COAST C/- Shantytown, NORTH OTAGO CENTRAL OTAGO 316 Rutherglen Road, Rutherglen GORE OTAGO Greymouth 7805, SOUTHLAND westcoast@vcc. SOUTH OTAGO org.nz
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CONTENTS Issue 400 June/July 2026
FEATURES
26
2026 Burt Munro Challenge
To France with Flair
20
Marketplace
44
42
Highland Fling – Manawatu Branch
Giving Back in Nelson
11
1965 Mini Convertible
12
French Clockwork, Kiwi Hands
16
Behind The Wheel – 1912 Wolseley 12/16
20
To France with Flair
25 26 30
Driverless Cars 2026 Burt Munro Challenge VCC Daffodil Rally 2026 Driving Forward Together
32
Running on Half A Radiator
34
Motorcycling Queensland Style
36
From Festival Roads to the Acheron Ford
38
Growing up with a Trojan
40
Southern Festival of Speed
42
Rally Snippets 42
Highland Fling–Manawatu
COVER
COLUMNS 53
5
From the Editor
6
VCC Branch Events
7
Mailbag
53 Awards
National Support Office News
9
Timelines
54
Branch News
44
Marketplace
66
Passing Lane
50
Swap Meets & Rallies
51
Trade Directory
52
President’s Message
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated
10
In keeping with this issue’s French flavour – Claus Moller and Adriana Cantu were photographed motoring this 1989 Citroën 2CV6 at the recent Vero Festival of Motoring in Nelson Tasman. Photo: Caroline Foster
National Support Office
Phone 03 366 4461 (9.30am–1.30pm) Email admin@vcc.org.nz
Postal Address PO Box 76063, Northwood, Christchurch 8548, New Zealand.
Address 4 Meadow Street, Papanui, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Website: www.vcc.org.nz
DRIVING OUR HISTORY
4 Beaded Wheels
Find us on facebook Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) is the worldwide organisation dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of historic vehicles and related culture. The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Incorporated) is a founding member of FIVA. VCC Life Member Rod Brayshaw is the New Zealand delegate to FIVA and also a member of the FIVA Technical Commission.
I’m not sure that this edition,
FROM THE
EDITOR the 400th, warrants any special mention but it is an opportunity to indulge and take stock — have a look at where we have come from.
remains about the same size but with very attractive car prices! We even had obituaries back then — just not possible these days. Speed events were popular then, as now. Idle Torque, now renamed Branch News, had no photos and although more space is taken by including photos these days, we believe that the trade-off is worth it. The magazine has grown in size over the years, issue 241 was 56 pages – issue 400 is 68.
Because issue number 241 of December 1999/January 2000 is the first one I was involved with I delved into it to see what changes have occurred during those 159 issues from then to now. Some changes have been large and some subtle, but it certainly was a different time back then. The stories are similar, though many of the members featured are no longer with us. The cover photo is brilliant, and I still remember us, the Beaded Wheels committee, choosing this one unanimously! Well worth going back to have a look at. The President’s message was from Frank Renwick, five presidents ago! We didn’t have colour photos throughout in those days, and the font looks rather outdated compared to current issues. Mail Bag seems larger these days and Marketplace
The forerunner to Beaded Wheels was The Guff Sheet which was produced in 1953 and 1954. The first Beaded Wheels, number one, came out in March 1955 — so 400 issues over 70 years. Quite a record and the way things are with publishing printed magazines these days, a record unlikely to be broken by many magazines. Not only is Beaded Wheels long running, we have members on the BW committee who have a long history with the magazine. Sub Editor Judith Bain has been there since 1996, and Rosalie Brown has been associated with Beaded Wheels for even longer than that. Sub Editor Mark Dawber has been there since 2002 while more recent appointees John
Beaded Wheels
Correspondence & Editorial Contributions
Publisher
The Vintage Car Club of NZ Incorporated The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 (Print) ISSN 3142-0788 (Online) Vol LXXVII No. 400
Typesetting and Design
RGB Design & Print Ltd, Christchurch
Editor: Kevin Clarkson Sub Editors: Judith Bain, Rosalie Brown, Mark Dawber, John McDonald, Graham Pauley, Bruce Rickard, Charles Rushbrook
Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Phone 64 3 332 3531, PO Box 76063, Northwood, Christchurch 8548.
Advertising Enquiries
Classified and Display Advertising to: Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Postal: Attn Beaded Wheels Marketplace PO Box 76063, Northwood, Christchurch 85480. Phone 64 3 332 3531 Rate schedule available on request.
McDonald, Charles Rushbrook, Graham Pauley and Bruce Rickard have rather less years under their belts but are also making their presence felt. I also had a look back at issue number one and found it interesting and here we reproduce part of the editorial from that issue. “The first thing to say is this — Beaded Wheels is the medium for you to air your views, not the medium for us, the Editorial Committee to ram ours down your throats, The success or failure of it depends on your contributions. The second is a word of warning: this vintage car movement of ours, this our all-absorbing pastime, is very much in the news. There are vultures innumerable ready to take advantage of our enthusiasm and they are not always as obvious as some. It is our duty in this Club to see that such people have not the opportunity to join our ranks or to impose upon our members. The objects of the Club are to preserve and maintain vintage and veteran cars and at a time such as this when publicity and seeming prosperity are at a peak let us take particular care that these objects are borne in mind and that
Back Issues
Available for purchase from admin@vcc.org.nz
Subscriptions
Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to: PO Box 76063 Northwood Christchurch 8548. Phone 03 366 4461, Email admin@vcc.org.nz Annual subscription (6 issues) $52* inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$112* Other countries (6 issues) NZ$185* Digital subscription (6 issues) NZ$39 available from issuu.com.
anything to slacken off our ideal be not tolerated. Unity is strength. Please do not let us degenerate into a lot of vociferous groups but go forward as one wholehearted body to the attainment of our ideals, asking favours of none and fearing nothing. This, in its turn, means that everyone of us must bear with the whims and quirks of fellow members in the understanding of which, with your co-operation this our new venture Beaded Wheels must play a vital part. Thirdly, the Editors offer their sincere thanks to all contributors and hope that those whose entire literary output has not been absorbed in this issue will accept our sincere apologies and assurance that next issue will see their work in print.” Perhaps not as much change over 400 issues as one would think, after all!
Kevin Clarkson Editor Beaded Wheels
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Copyright Information
The contents are copyright. Articles may be reproduced complete or in part provided that acknowledgement is made to “Beaded Wheels, the magazine of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated” as the source. Reproduction of articles must be at least 12 months after original Beaded Wheels publication date. Beaded Wheels reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes.
CLOSING DATES FOR JUNE/JULY Editorial Copy 24 June 2026 Advertisements 10 July 2026
Beaded Wheels 5
VINTAGE CAR CLUB BRANCH EVENTS
DRIVING OUR HISTORY
s Wellington: Joanne with the Vauxhall Vagabond she and Wellington Club Captain Neale Ryder own, taken during the Vero Rally stop at Lake Rotoiti, Tasman. Photo Neale Ryder
JUNE
2 Waitemata 3 South Otago 3 Wanganui 4 South Canterbury 6 Waikato 6-7 Canterbury 7 Manawatu 7 Northland 7 Wairarapa 8 Bay of Plenty 9 Gore 10 Bay of Plenty 10 Hawke’s Bay 10 North Shore 13 Nelson 14 Canterbury 14 Central Otago 14 Gore 14 Otago 17 Auckland 17 Northland 20 Manawatu 19-21 Gore 21 Ashburton 21 Canterbury 21 Taupo 21 South Canterbury 21 Waikato 21 Wairarapa 25 Ashburton
AGM Wednesday Run AGM AGM 50/50 Rally Irishman Rally Sunday Jaunt AGM & Motorcycle Run AGM AGM AGM Mid Month Run AGM AGM Ladies Rally Restoration of the Year AGM End of Season Run AGM Midweek Tourer’s Run Dargaville Midweek Run Night Trial 60th Anniversary Celebration Solstice Run OCBC* Brass Monkey End of Season Run AGM Winter Wander AGM
NATIONAL EVENTS 12–14 February 2027 VCC National Motorcycle Rally
28 Auckland 28 Bay of Plenty 28 Taranaki 30 South Otago
Thursday Muster Midweek Run Mix ‘n’ Mingle Club Afternoon Night Trial Molloy Trophy Restoration of the Year/ Pride of Ownership/AGM Club Run End of Month Run End of Rego Run AGM
JULY
4-6 Wellsford/ Walkworth 5 Horowhenua 12 Central Otago 12 Rotorua 15 Auckland 18-19 Hawke’s Bay 18 Otago
19 Banks Peninsula 19 Wairarapa 19 Wanganui 22 Ashburton 25 Auckland 25 Nelson 25 Waimate 25-26 Waitemata
Winter Woollies Wander Nite Owl Rally Sunday Run Swap Meet Midweek Tourer’s Run Winter Art Deco Annual Dinner and Awards Evening Balcairn Sporting Trials Gravel Challenge Sunday Run Night Trial AGM Snow Run Henry Ford Day R’Oil Can
A valid Vehicle ID card (VIC) is required for any vehicle entered in a National VCC event. Visit www. vcc.org.nz for more information on how to obtain a VIC for your vehicle.
*OCBC: “Old Cars, Bikes , and Coffee,” all welcome.
6 Beaded Wheels
25 Central Otago 25 Otago 26 Hawke’s Bay 27 Auckland 27 Banks Peninsula 27 Far North 27 Nelson
26 Auckland 26 Marlborough 30 Ashburton 30 Central Otago 30 Otago 31 Hawke’s Bay
AUGUST
1-2 South Canterbury
9 Banks Peninsula 14-16 Manawatu 22 Wellington 23 National Day All Branches 26 Manawatu 27 Ashburton 27 Central Otago 27 Otago 28 Hawke’s Bay 30 Auckland
SEPTEMBER
3 Wairarapa 5 Waimate 6 Ashburton
12 Banks Peninsula 13 Banks Peninsula
Annual Expert’s Rally Henry Ford Birthday Meet Midweek Run Thursday Muster Midweek Run Mix ’n’ Mingle
Trials and Young Driver Day Awards Luncheon National AGM Daffodil Rally for Cancer Daffodil Rally For Cancer Swap Meet Midweek Run Thursday Muster Midweek Run Mix ‘n’ Mingle Daffodil Display
Rex Porter Memorial Rally Swap Meet Opening Run with South Canty Brooklands Race Meeting Hadstock Field Tests
This column is compiled from the VCCNZ National Calendar of Events, and events as listed in each branch newsletter. It does not contain all branch activities. While Beaded Wheels makes every attempt to check the accuracy of the dates published in this column we advise readers to confirm all dates with the individual branch concerned.
MAILBAG Beaded Wheels reserves the right to publish, edit or refuse publication of any item s ubmitted as comment. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the policy or views of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Incorporated) or the publishers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
PHOTOGRAPH DETAILS
Beaded Wheels 398 inside front cover photo is Bob Blackburn in the ex-Kennedy Austin 7 special after winning the C W F Hamilton Trophy, a handicap race at Mairehau 1951. His handicap was 27.5 min from the Les Moore P3 Alfa. The race was 160 km. Bob was responsible for producing the popular Mistral GRP bodies in New Zealand at his Weltex plastics factory in Christchurch. He raced his original Ford powered Mistral with success. Kelvin Brown
PHOTO IDENTIFIED
Regarding the image on the inside front cover of No 398. The car is Bob Blackburn’s Austin 7 special just after winning the handicap section …an add on to the 1951 NZ Champion Road Race at Mairehau. (Local journalists seemed to think the ‘add-on’ was the other way round.) Scott Thomson
Invercargill. I’m hoping someone in your club might be able to tell me if it’s the same David McIvor? Any help would be much appreciated. Richard Bain
DIGITAL ISSUE COMMENT
I read your editorial in Beaded Wheels 399 and feel compelled to respond to your concern about the digital copy numbers uptaken by members.
Beaded Wheels as a high quality printed version is appreciated by the paying VCC membership because it can be opened and read at convenient times, put down and picked up at will plus shared with others with like interests. The digital version has to be read off a screen, can only really be read at leisure by printing off a paper issue that varies depending on paper plus the quality of the ink jet or laser printer output. This is nowhere near the hard printed copy quality you produce. Perhaps the digital copies can be filed on the NZVCC website if members so wish to access specific topics covered in past issues.
MYSTERY PHOTO
I have recently scanned my father’s photographs and among them are quite a few of a David McIvor dating back to the 1950s. I am hoping to establish if this is the same David McIvor who was a member of the Southland branch of the VCC. This David McIvor, as was my father, was originally from Wyndham before moving to
Do not be discouraged, keep up the good work. We enjoy the variety of contributions that allow us all to look forward to each issue. Robert Heath Manawatu Branch
CHOPPING A CHEV—BW399
I have corresponded with Corran Vincent before, although not through the pages of Beaded Wheels. I have written many times over the years to various individuals, publications and clubs, as to what a Chev
PHOTOGRAPHS FOUND
In 1969 the National Motorcycle Rally was held in Wanganui. Being a young fellow and interested in old bikes I headed along with my camera. I recently found these photographs among my collection. Do any Beaded Wheels readers recognise the bikes or the people? The black and white photographs were taken in 1972 as I was en route to a 24 hour Le Mans style event held just outside Blenheim. The Auckland Charabanc was a notable attendee. Phil Murphy Hokitika
Wentworth was, and what the differences were, so I’m not going into massive explanations again here. Suffice to say briefly that the Wentworth was easily identified by its left side mounted spare tyre in a rectangularly cut wheel well. Only between about two and five percent of all ‘29 Chevs sold here were Wentworths, and all of them were four door sedans. The name caught the public’s imagination and is still bandied about today, out of all proportion to what their actual production was. By far the majority, about 95%, sold here that year were ordinary AC series Internationals (AB Nationals were 1928s and AD Universals were 1930s.) I suspect that the other club member who poo-pooed the idea that Corran’s brother’s truck was a Wentworth, could well have been myself. If so,
I still stick by my statement and very much doubt it was a Wentworth. It was fashionable for many years to label a ‘29 or ‘30 Chev as a Wentworth, when clearly they were not. From this point in time, 70 odd years, it would be difficult to pinpoint it on that truck, unless there was a photo showing that tell-tale rectangular shaped wheel well and all the other chromed bits and bobs. Now a small correction to the item on the ‘Deuce’ Ford. In the first paragraph reference is made to Ford sales being number two to Chev in 1929 and 1930. Not true. Chev did take number one spot in 1927 — although by default in my opinion, as Ford was shut down for six months that year to design and change over from Model T to Model A. Chev again took number one position in 1928 with a very good car and
Beaded Wheels 7