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CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 80 YEARS

No. 402 October/November 2026 New Zealand’s Foremost Historical Motoring Magazine

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Edited with AI.

Gore Branch member Paul Katon supplied this photo of his grandfather, Allan Katon, with his first motorcycle in New Zealand, an 8hp Blackburn twin. The back of the photograph is dated 1924, although Paul suspects it may have been taken earlier. Paul recalls Allan saying of the Blackburn, “It seemed like it moved a yard every time it fired.”

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, 9 Saddle Vale Rise, Halswell, Christchurch 8025. 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 Hawkesbay@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 684 Kelvin Grove Road, RD 10 Palmerston North 4470 manawatu@vcc.org.nz MARLBOROUGH PO Box 422, Blenheim 7240 marlborough@vcc.org.nz NELSON 146 Queen Victoria Street, Motueka, 7120. 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 Taupō 33 AC Baths Ave, Taupō 5530 Taupō@vcc.org.nz WAIKATO C/- 7 Pirongia Road, FAR NORTH Te Awamutu 3876 NORTHLAND waikato@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORDNORTH SHORE WAIMATE WARKWORTH 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 waimate@vcc.org.nz AUCKLAND WAITEMATA WAIRARAPA BAY OF PLENTY WAIKATO 24B Nikau Heights, Lansdowne, EASTERN BAY Masterton 5810 OF PLENTY wairarapa@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA SOUTH WAIKATO WAITEMATA TAUPŌ GISBORNE KING COUNTRY C/- 8 Jean Place, Stanmore Bay, TARANAKI Whangapāroa 0932 HAWKE’S BAY waitemata@vcc.org.nz WANGANUI CENTRAL MANAWATU WANGANUI HAWKE’S BAY PO Box 726, Whanganui 4541 HOROWHENUA wanganui@vcc.org.nz WAIRARAPA WELLINGTON NELSON PO Box 38418, Wellington Mail Centre, WELLINGTON Lower Hutt 5045 MARLBOROUGH wellington@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORD-WARKWORTH WEST COAST PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz CANTERBURY BANKS PENINSULA WEST COAST C/- Shantytown, ASHBURTON 316 Rutherglen Road, SOUTH CANTERBURY WAIMATE Rutherglen Greymouth 7805, NORTH OTAGO westcoast@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL OTAGO SOUTHLAND

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CONTENTS Issue 402 October/November 2026

FEATURES

The Tale of Judith-May

Marketplace

Behind the Wheel

The Tale of Judith-May

A Story of Three Morris Cars

Chevrolet Wentworth

Behind The Wheel – 1934 Morris Ten-Four

Old Vehicles, Good People and a Great Result

On The Hunt For a Very Particular 1918 Buick

28 30

Branch Reports– Northland

Rally Snippets 30

Young Drivers Day — South Canterbury

Rosewill Trial — South Canterbury

Balcairn Trial – Banks Peninsula

Inspiring R’Oilcan — Waitemata

A Weekend to Remember 2026 AGM Report 48

Life Member Honoured

Presidential Award

Meet Your New National Committee

COVER

COLUMNS 5

From the Editor

Awards

VCC Branch Events

President’s Message

Mailbag

Branch News

Timelines

Passing Lane

Marketplace

Swap Meets & Rallies

Trade Directory

National Support Office News

The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated

The Robbie Bentley

Young driver, Laurie Elder, on his way to completing the Banks Peninsula Branch Balcairn Trial 28 points clear of his father Neale, in their shared OHC Morris Minor. Photo: John McDonald

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.

FROM THE

Following on from the new constitution, which took effect from the Annual General Meeting in Palmerston North in August, we have quite a lot of extra information in this issue. For a start we have a biography and photos of each of the members of this first National Committee (formerly the Management Committee). It is important that members know who is representing them on the National Committee. In future years we will probably only need to have bios of any newly elected or appointed members following Annual General Meetings so, much less space will be taken for this. In addition to that we need to advise members of the goings on at the AGM and how everything panned out. There is also space taken to celebrate the awards that National President George Kear presented. Not the least being the Presidential Award to Kaaren Smylie, she of Daffodil fame, while I was very honoured to receive Life Membership of the Club in recognition of my club contribution including as editor of Beaded Wheels. We are also covering the recent very successful VCC Daffodil Day Rally. As well as all that we have the usual page allotted to National Office so that Linda, our Office Administrator, and Karen, our Committee Liaison Officer, can pass on any information that members should know about relating to National Office workings. We also have the President’s Message, which, although it always arrives, is usually well after our close off

Beaded Wheels 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. 402

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

date, and sometimes with a few reminders along the way! This must be President’s Privilege as the exact same situation has been the case with all of our previous Presidents! The end result of all of the extra pages used for this very important dissemination of Club affairs means that we will have slightly less space available for the content you may be really interested in! When we ran the Standard Vanguard Behind The Wheel story written by Graham Pauley in the last issue I knew it would resonate with readers. However, as far as I can recall we have never had the amount of Mailbag contributions on one article in one issue as this one generated. Graham is quite chuffed about the interest shown both in person and by the five letters in this issue. Not many of these cars about now but they certainly must have made an impact in their day. Another car that seems to generate interest, and sometimes more heat than light, is the vexed question of the Wentworth Chevrolet saloon. Chev owners and aficionados have been debating the issue of these cars for years. Nobody from the actual era, 1929/30, is alive so hearsay and confidently spoken bovine excrement has been ruling the roost. In Beaded Wheels 398 there was a brief mention of the Wentworth Chev in a letter to Mailbag. In issue 399 there was a further letter expanding on the subject as there was again in issue 400

Correspondence & Editorial Contributions 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 8548. Phone 64 3 332 3531 Rate schedule available on request.

AI GENERATED IMAGE

EDITOR

and also 401. In this issue (402) we have an article by Neville Holland on page 20 expanding even further the benefits of owning a Wentworth Chev. The article also gives us further enlightenment on how they came about. It appears that the Wentworth issue is of interest to many and it also is seemly a very contentious story with many different recollections as to how the Wentworth evolved. Having published all this information, some of it conflicting, I wonder, will we never know the actual truth, given that we are all looking at past history and not having the benefit of being there at the time? As this subject now seems to be developing a head of steam that may become uncontrollable, I, and a few others who knew more about these cars than me, had a discussion and we came to the conclusion that Neville’s article seems to be as close to correct as we will ever know, 96 years after the fact. And there we put the matter to rest, and no more correspondence will be required on the matter for the time being. And finally, on EVs. I love electric vehicles! Many readers think 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. *Payment by credit card incurs additional bank fee processing charge of 2%

I am anti EV when that is not the case at all. Let me explain. I think electric bikes are wonderful – no more hills or head winds. I can see that electric motorcycles would be ideal for the commuter or the working bike such as for the postie and other similar occupations although for sporting or recreational use internal combustion engines will probably be around for quite a while. Electric scooters seem like fun but too dangerous for me. Electric cars, trucks, boats – all are wonderful as well! Why do I like EVs — because having more electric vehicles out there will result in more petrol being available for me and others to burn up in our petrol engined cars and bikes!

Kevin Clarkson Editor Beaded Wheels

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 DECEMBER/JANUARY

Editorial Copy 25 October 2026 Advertisements 10 November 2026

Beaded Wheels 5

VINTAGE CAR CLUB BRANCH EVENTS DRIVING OUR HISTORY

The Les Nye Austin heads the line up at the opening of the Haast Highway in 1965. See page 10 for article

OCTOBER

7 Hawke’s Bay 9-11 Canterbury 10 King Country 10 Manawatu 11 Northland 11 Southland

Midweek Run Swap Meet Scenic Tour Annual Motorcycle Rally Club Run Bathhurst Day at Clubrooms 13 Waimate Senior Citizens Run to Wainono Homestead 13-16 Central Hawke’s Bay Wellington Adventure 16-18 Marlborough Biennial Rally 17 Ashburton Commercial Run 17 Banks Peninsula Gebbies Pass Hillclimb 17 Far North / Northland Dunny Run 17 South Canterbury Continental Rally 17-18 Auckland Hunua Spring Tour 17-18 Canterbury Girder Fork Rally 17-18 Marlborough Biennial Rally Kaikoura 18 Banks Peninsula Little River Hillclimb 18 Canterbury OCBC* 18 Hawke’s Bay Club Run 18 Northland John Denver Run 18 Taupo Hamilton Classic Car Trip 18 Waikato Sunday Run 18 Wanganui Sunday Run 21 Auckland Mid-week Tourers Run 21 Waikato Wednesday Wander 24-25 South Canterbury Veteran Vintage & Commercial Event 25 Bay of Plenty End of Month Run 25 Nelson Club Run 27 Waikato Motorcycle Run 29 Ashburton Midweek Run 29 Otago Midweek Run 30–2 Hawke’s Bay Safari Weekend

NATIONAL EVENTS 12–14 February 2027 VCC National Motorcycle Rally 26–29 March 2027 South Island National Easter Rally

1 Bay of Plenty 1 Canterbury 1 Manawatu 1 North Shore

1 South Otago 4 Hawke’s Bay 4 Wanganui 5 Nelson 6-7 Far North 6 South Canterbury 7 Otago 7 Southland 7 Waikato 7 Wellington 8 Ashburton 8 Banks Peninsula 8 Gore 13-15 Canterbury 13-15 Manawatu 14 Far North 14 Nelson 14 North Otago 14 South Otago 15 Auckland 15 Canterbury 15 Hawke’s Bay 15 North Shore 15 Taupo 15 Waikato 15 Wairarapa 15 Wanganui 15 Wellington

Swap Meet Homestead Run Sunday Jaunt Port Albert Kaipara Club Run Lawrence Heritage Day Midweek Run Night Trial Coast to Coast Far North Tour Safari Weekend Taieri Tour Commercial Rally Veteran and Vintage Rally Annual Rally & Dinner Post 60, 80 Run Hawkswood Hillclimb Cheviot Ladies Run Show Weekend Tour MG Classic Race Meeting, Manfield Gymkhana Club Run Swap Meet Annual Clutha Rally Annual Picnic OCBC* Club Run Open Day & Car Show Club Run Swap Meet Wai Wheels Annual Car Show Sunday Run Featherston Car Show & Swap Meet

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

NOVEMBER

18 Auckland 20-22 Auckland 21 Southland 21 Wairarapa 22 Otago 22 Wairarapa 26 Ashburton 26 Otago 27-29 Banks Peninsula 27 Hawke’s Bay 27-28 South Otago 28 Canterbury 28 Central Otago 28 North Shore 29 Canterbury 29 Gore 29 Horowhenua 29 Wairarapa 29 Wellington

DECEMBER

2 Hawke’s Bay 5 Manawatu 5 North Otago 6 Gore 6 Manawatu 6 Otago 6 Wanganui 12 Far North 12 South Canterbury 12 Wairarapa

Mid-week Tourers Run Annual Motorcycle Rally 60th Arrowtown Motorcycle Rally Gold Medal Motorcycle Trial Commercial & Veteran Rally Veteran Run Midweek Run Midweek Run Wigram Revival Race Meeting, Ruapuna Mix & Mingle Rev, Rock and Hop Lawrence Annual Motorcycle Rally Coronet Peak Hill Climb Christmas Parade, Orewa Annual Veteran Rally Josephville Hill Climb Tararua Trundle Mangatainoka Vintage Car Day Children’s Christmas Party

Midweek Run Veteran Rally Windsor Rally Christmas Run Sunday Jaunt Moped Rally Christmas Parade Christmas Lunch Christmas Run & Lunch Christmas Lunch

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. s Trevor Barnes’ de Joux in happier days.

pumped through the gap and up my trouser leg. So it would be fair to say that it was getting rather seedy. I have found various articles over the years referencing Ferris, and at one point spied a Vanguard powered De Joux with the same body shape for sale on TradeMe. I understand there were only two of these (with a rumoured third) and the Holden engine was Ferris’s own car that would be my one. HAIL AND HEARTY

With reference to the letter from Mark Dawber in the latest Beaded Wheels, I should like to report that the death of Ron Jacob is greatly exaggerated and that he is still alive and well at 95 years of age. As for the Duo cycle car that he once owned, see above for a couple of photographs of the car that I took at the 1964 National Rally at Western Springs, Auckland. Keith Humphreys

DE JOUX

The article ‘De Joux’ in Beaded Wheels 401 certainly captured my attention. First, I congratulate Murray Sutton on writing the article, and I admire his restoration/rebuild capabilities. I have some De Joux history. In the early ‘70s (1971?) I purchased a Holden-powered De Joux with an elegant body but rather primitive interior (e.g. a leather strap to raise the window). I can’t remember its registration year. It had an aluminium sheet floor pan attaching to a tubular crossmember at the bulkhead. One wet night I found that the floor was no longer securely fastened — a puddle was

Unfortunately my car was parked on the roadside on Pembroke Rd, Northland, Wellington one very frosty June morning (‘72 or ‘73). A driver failed to take the bend and stoved in the driver’s side from the A pillar back — end of the De Joux adventure. I have a few photos and other info if Murray is interested in a non-surviving De Joux. Apparently carjam.co.nz has one still registered: CUSTOMBUILT DEJOUX GRAN TURISMO, rego DEJ0UX (note the zero). Trevor Barnes trevor.barnesnz@gmail.com

REMEMBERING MY GUARDSVAN (sic)

Reading the feature about the 1952 Vanguard (BW 401) brought back distant memories of my own Vanguard-owning experiences. In 1974 I shifted to Dunedin and bought a rundown old house in Ravensbourne for the princely sum of $7,000. My father supplied most of the money, but insisted I sell my lovely 1964 Citroën ID19 (ex Ray Archibald), which I did, getting $1,600. I needed a cheap car and in the ODT there was a 1952 Vanguard

for $80, which I duly bought. It had overdrive on 2nd and 3rd, from a TR Triumph, and was a bit rough, but beggars could not be choosers. It was slow and thirsty, and so heavy in the front that it needed new suspension bushes for most warrants, and the exhaust system fell off quite often. But it was remarkably reliable and coped well with my daily commute of about 50 hilly kilometres without overheating or slipping off the road on icy mornings. It coped with frequent trips to Christchurch, and although struggling up the Kilmog was a slow process, on the Canterbury Plains, with the overdrive engaged, it could cruise at 70mph in a wandering sort of way, once I learnt to grip the wheel firmly. Broadway Parking were the Citroën and Standard Triumph agents, and had recently bought the stock from the previous Vanguard agents, T.R. Taylor. After I bought the Vanguard, I called in to show them how the mighty had fallen, and the parts man came rushing out, grabbed me and took me in to a back room where there were boxes and boxes and more boxes of new Vanguard parts, which he offered me for free. I refused as I had nowhere to store them. I suppose they were sent to a scrap metal dealer. After three years of fairly vigorous use, the old Guardsvan, as they were called, blew up one morning as I was storming up Caversham Valley in overdrive 2nd. I had it towed home and bought a Phase 2 for about $150. It wasn’t any better, apart from improved rear visibility, and I duly saved up and was able to buy another Citroën ID19.

They were indeed different times, but the dear old Guardsvans were one of the better old British cars in terms of build quality and longevity. Where have they all gone? Perhaps their weight and heavy steering hastened their demise, but they had their time in the sun. Michael Williams

VINTAGE JEWETT

In the mid-1920s my grandfather in Rotorua purchased a new Jewett open tourer. My mother learned to drive in it. According to the member who responded to a question about a recently sold Jewett on TradeMe, the Rotorua Jewett is now in Auckland. Does anyone know of it? I would love to get some photos of it for the family, whatever its condition. Simon Ganley Ph: 021 987 938 simon@ganleyengineering.co.nz

VANGUARD ARTICLE

I found Graham Pauley’s item on the Standard Vanguard (Beaded Wheels 401) very interesting, especially as the Vanguard played a big part in many Kiwis’ motoring lives. In my case, I learned to drive in my father’s ‘54 Phase 2 Spacemaster. I was also pleased to see that he pointed out the myth about the Vanguard and Ferguson tractor motors being the same. The few of us who knew they were not the same have been vindicated through this article. Unfortunately, another myth is perpetuated here. That is the Vanguard’s styling being inspired by the ‘41–’42 Plymouth. Why specifically the Plymouth? Chrysler, Dodge, and DeSoto all used the same styling at the

Beaded Wheels 7