CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 75 YEARS
No. 368 February/March 2021
NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95
9 418979 000012
VETERAN ACTION IN HAWKE’S BAY 1972 ROVER P6 V8 • 1920 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
This photograph features in an album that was donated to the VCC archive. The handwritten caption on the image reads “Duncan Bauchop and mechanic at Muriwai 1926. Photo Mrs Bauchop.” See the Archivist news on page 30 for more information about this album and how to visit this resource. Members are encouraged to contact the archivist if they wish to visit the club archive and view the collection of artefacts. 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 13140, Christchurch 8141. Laserprints/photocopies are not suitable. Photos will be returned as soon as practicable.
NATIONAL OFFICE
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 Email admin@vcc.org.nz
VCCNZ LIFE MEMBERS Andrew Anderson Roger White Norm Dewhurst Rod Brayshaw John Coomber
VCCNZ MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT Diane Quarrie 06 876 4009 president@vcc.org.nz SECRETARY/ TREASURER Christopher Leith 03 358 5378 hon.sec@vcc.org.nz CLUB CAPTAIN NORTHERN REGION Kaaren Smylie 021 664 341 nicc@vcc.org.nz CLUB CAPTAIN SOUTHERN REGION Alon Mayhew 027 202 9491 sicc@vcc.org.nz
REGISTRAR Rod Brayshaw 07 549 4250 registrar@vcc.org.nz SPEED STEWARD Tony Haycock 021 662 441 speedsteward@vcc.org.nz BEADED WHEELS CHAIRMAN Kevin Clarkson 021 0270 6525 kevin@vcc.org.nz Tony Bartlett 06 867 9850
mgmt1@vcc.org.nz
George Kear 03 347 0315
mgmt2@vcc.org.nz
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING comms@vcc.org.nz ARCHIVIST Don Muller 03 385 6850
archivist@vcc.org.nz
Murray Trounson mgmt3@vcc.org.nz
Please note this information changes annually - these details are valid until October 2021
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 PO Box 12-138, Penrose, Auckland 1642 auckland@vcc.org.nz BANKS PENINSULA 27 Showgate Ave, Riccarton Park, Christchurch 8042 bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 660, Tauranga 3140 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/- 73 Porangahau Road, Waipukurau 4200 centralhawkesbay@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo Whakatane 3159 easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz
2 Beaded Wheels
FAR NORTH C/– 50 Davis Strongman Place, RD3, Kerikeri 0293 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/- 53 Huia Street, Taumarunui 3920 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 PO Box 3531, Richmond 7050 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/- 21 Mornington Road, Balaclava, Dunedin 9011 otago@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 rotorua@vcc.org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY PO Box 623, 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/- PO Box 39029, Egmont Village 4361 taranaki@vcc.org.nz TAUPO PO Box 907, Taupo 3351 taupo@vcc.org.nz WAIKATO PO Box 924, Hamilton 3240 waikato@vcc.org.nz WAIMATE 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 waimate@vcc.org.nz WAIRARAPA PO Box 7, Masterton 5810 wairarapa@vcc.org.nz WAITEMATA C/- 9 Marlborough Ave, Glenfield, Auckland 0629 waitemata@vcc.org.nz WANGANUI PO Box 726, Whanganui 4540 wanganui@vcc.org.nz WELLINGTON PO Box 38-418, Petone, Wellington 5045 wellington@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz WEST COAST C/- 1999 Kumara Junction Highway, RD 2, Hokitika 7882 westcoast@vcc.org.nz
CONTENTS
Beaded Wheels Publisher
The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 Vol LXXII No. 368
Issue 368 February/March 2021
Editorial Committee
Kevin Clarkson (Chairman), Judith Bain, Bevars Binnie, Rosalie Brown, John Coomber, Mark Dawber.
Material for Publication
Reports of restorations, events, road tests, historical and technical articles should be submitted to beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz. Email of text and photos is preferred, digital photographs should be high resolution eg 300dpi. Alternatively mail your contribution to PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141, typed or neatly printed, double space on one side of paper only. No payment is made to contributors. The opinions or statements expressed in letters or articles in Beaded Wheels are the author’s own views and do not necessarily express the policy or views of The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc).
Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Advertising Enquiries
Classified and Display Advertising to: PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Phone 64 3 332 3531 Rate schedule available on request.
Back Issues Available on request to
FEATURES 14 1920 Harley-Davidson
Paul Ainsworth V Twin Board Tracker
16 20 24 26 29 31
PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141.
Correspondence & Editorial Contributions
Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 366 0273 PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz
Subscriptions
Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Phone 03 366 4461, Fax 03 366 0273 Annual subscription (6 issues) $45* inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$76* Other countries (6 issues) NZ$136*. *Payment by credit card incurs additional bank fee processing charge of 3%
Silent but Deadly Kevin and Shona Clarkson’s 1972 Rover P6 V8 Rare French vehicle restoration uncovered in Otago 1929/30 Morris Minor OHC John Loudon’s memories of his first car AX201 New Zealand visit of famous Silver Ghost VCC Presidential Award Rally Snippets 31 Tararua Trundle – Horowhenua Branch 32 Touring Central – Central Otago Branch 32 Maunga Moana Rally – Taranaki Branch 33 Rubber Duckie Motorcycle Rally – Taranaki Branch 33 Three Day Tour - South Canterbury Branch 34 Gumboot 21 - Wanganui Branch 35 40th Motorcycle Rally - Auckland Branch 36 Veteran Run - Central Hawke’s Bay 38 Josephville Hillclimb - Gore Branch
President’s Message
Design: RGB Design & Print Ltd, Christchurch Print: PMP Ltd, Christchurch.
4
As We See It
Closing Date for April/May:
5
VCC Events
6
National Office
Editorial Copy Advertisements
24 February 2021 10 March 2021
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) National Office Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 Email admin@vcc.org.nz
Postal Address: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
Address: 12 Aberdeen St, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Website: www.vcc.org.nz 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 (Inc)” as the source. Beaded Wheels reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes.
Like us on facebook Beaded Wheels
16
1972 Rover
COLUMNS 4
Production
14
Harley-Davidson
7 Mailbag 10 Soapbox 10 Timelines 12
The Way We Were
22
Book Reviews
30
Archivist News
42
Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring Update
Tararua Trundle
31
43 Marketplace 47
Swap Meets & Rallies
51
Trade Directory
53
Idle Torque
66
Passing Lane Marketplace
43
41 Awards
COVER Ian and Fay Chamberlain driving their 1906 Reo enjoying the Central Hawke’s Bay Veteran Run. Photo Bruce Hutton QSM FPSNZ
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 (Inc) is a founding member of FIVA. VCCNZ Registrar Rod Brayshaw is the New Zealand delegate to FIVA and also a member of the FIVA Technical Commission.
Beaded Wheels 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Covid-19 changed our world last year and its effects will continue to impact us in 2021. There remains a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the pandemic and we don’t know what will be ahead of us, however the club and branches are optimistically continuing to plan and organise events for this year. Indeed, we are so fortunate in New Zealand that we are in a position to be able to do so. I am proud of the way our members responded to the crisis during 2020, and hard choices such as cancelling or postponing events and meetings were in the main met with understanding, acceptance and support. I vehemently hope that we will not be faced with having to make similar decisions this year. Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey regarding their intention (or otherwise) of participating in the Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring in 2022. Members had the choice of responding online, via our website or contacting National Office. Out of the 1328 responses, 639 have indicated that they plan to attend. The
largest class entered is Vintage, followed by P60 and Post Vintage. Your response has allowed us to be confident that we will have enough entries to provide a fantastic event along the lines of that which is already planned. The Festival organising team will now be in a position to finalise the entry fee, as I know from your comments that that is what everyone is waiting for. I would like to point out that it has been difficult for the Festival team to finalise costs when it has been hard to gauge how many entries are likely to be received. Providers and suppliers are still reluctant to make commitments because of the pandemic. The major cost for most entrants will not be the entry fee, it will be accommodation and petrol that will be the main cost factor. Speaking of accommodation, out of those who indicated their intent to enter the Festival, approximately 60% said that they have not booked accommodation. I would strongly recommend that if you are going to be a part of this memorable event then get your accommodation booked.
whether any overseas entrants will be able to attend. Big news in terms of National Office is that our Administration Manager, Julie Cairns-Gee, is retiring. Julie moved to Clyde in February 2020 to look after her mum and work remotely from her home office. Julie has now decided that she wants to spend more time with her family. After 25 years with the VCC she has decided to retire and will be leaving us at the end of January. We’ve been very fortunate to have had Julie in the role for such a long time and her years of service to the Club are much appreciated. She will be missed by those Management Committee members and branch officers who, over the last 25 years, have formed relationships or had dealings with her. I know our members will join with the Management Committee in wishing Julie all the very best for the future. Maybe now’s the time to convince her and Steve to buy a vehicle and join the Club.
On the subject of our National Office, I remind everyone that while our office staff do indeed provide a service to our club and its members, they are to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect at all times by members during any interactions in person, by phone or email. The Club’s Executive will meet in March in Wellington. We have a lot to catch up on and I am looking forward to finally being able to progress some of our initiatives which were put into hibernation last year. Let’s have a great 2021!
Interviews will be taking place shortly for a replacement for the position.
Diane Quarrie VCCNZ National President
a bit of emphasis. There are other, better, ways to do that but that will require some original thought. Frequently young people will say they “swapped out” a component of something for a new part. For example they might say “I swapped out the air filter for a new one.” I hear this all the time and it grates. They mean they swapped the old for the new or they changed the air filter – what is it with the “swap out” phrase?
prefer “throughout” rather than “across”, but I think that ship has already sailed, to use a cliché!
At this stage we don’t know
AS WE SEE IT Funny things, words. Magazines are full of them and when put together in a certain order they can actually make sense so that the reader can gain an insight about the subject matter – hopefully. The trouble is language, word usage, is changing all the time, and what was current 100 years ago may now seem rather old-fashioned or out of date. Apart from anything else there is far more use of clichés these days, probably popular because it saves the user from having to make an attempt to come up with an original thought! Clichés are generally banned from Beaded Wheels and if you
4 Beaded Wheels
see any it will be because they are so subtle they escaped our eagle, cliché warning alert, eyes. There is other word usage that annoys me. Some examples are; use of the term “skill set” – think about it. No need to use skill set just use skills, same meaning and no trite skill set rubbish. One popular radio morning show host frequently uses two phrases that annoy me. He uses the phrase “in and of itself”. What a load of tosh. He also uses “in any way, shape or form”. Even more tosh. Maybe he needs to listen to himself say this rubbish. Neither phrase stands much examination. They are just ways to fill in the conversation with
I dislike the use of “across” when “throughout” would be far better. For example the weather forecaster would say that “the weather across New Zealand is going to be fine.” I would
As Sir Winston Churchill is famously credited with saying, (and in doing so breaking the rule which says that a sentence should not end in a preposition) - “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.”
Kevin Clarkson Chairman Beaded Wheels
VINTAGE CAR CLUB BRANCH EVENTS
Members of the Manawatu Branch enjoy a New Year’s day Picnic at Lees Reserve. Photo Bryan Abraham
FEBRUARY
5-7 Banks Peninsula Skope Race Meeting 6 Marlborough Waitangi Day - Heritage Day at Brayshaw Park 6 North Otago Wee Wheelie Wander 6 Southland Southland Rally 6-8 Sth Canterbury Weekend Away 7 Southland Combined Rally 7 Taupo Open Day 7 E. Bay of Plenty East Coast Rally 7 Manawatu Veteran Rally 7 Northland Motorcycle Run 12-14 Banks Peninsula Southern Classic, Levels 12-14 Gisborne Three Rivers Rally 13 Auckland Annual Veteran Rally 13 Waimate Wallaby Rally 13-14 North Shore Summer Saunter 14 Northland Discovery of the Kaipara Harbour Run 14 Rotorua Barbecue Run 14 Wanganui Blue Smoke and Pedals & Posh Picnic 16-18 Otago Otago Rally 17-21 Hawke’s Bay Art Deco Festival 17 Northland Mid Week Run 20 Canterbury Annual Motorcycle Rally & Commercial Rally 20 Far North Run 20 Nelson Swap Meet 21 Ashburton Club Captain’s Run & Barbecue 21 Otago Vintage/PV/Ladies Run 21 Sth Canterbury Chairman’s Run 21 Taupo Club Run
21 24 27 27
Waikato Rotorua Gore North Otago
Club Run Midweekers Run Festival Rally 60th Anniversary Rally incorporating All British Day 27 Sth Canterbury Open Day 27 Wellsford/Wkwth Swap Meet 28 Horowhenua Heritage Trust Historical Society Parade
MARCH
6 Manawatu 6 Southland 7 Gore
Ruahine Ramble Southland Veteran Rally Frank Robson & Clearwater Capers 7 Sth Canterbury Motor Bike Rally 7 Waikato Club Run 12-14 Taupo Annual Rally 13-14 Otago Overnight Run to Gore 13-14 Rotorua Lake Taupo Rally 14 Auckland Annual Vintage Muster 14 Gore Swap Meet & Boot Fair 14 Sth Canterbury Mid Island Rally 15-18 Wairarapa After National Motorcycle Rally Tour 17-19 Nelson Blazing Saddles Tour 20 West Coast Scenicland Timber Trail Rally 20-22 Otago Overnight Run 21 North Shore Posh Picnic 21 Taupo Club Day 21 Waikato Ladies Rally 21 Wanganui Sunday Run 27 Sth Canterbury Swap Meet
APRIL
2-4 Sth Canterbury 5 Ashburton 8 Sth Canterbury 10 Waikato 10 Wanganui 11 Wanganui 11 Whangarei 15 Sth Canterbury 15-18 Rotorua 17 Far North 17 Wanganui 18 Northland 18 Taupo 24 North Shore
Vintage Only Rally Easter Run Midweek Run Mooloo Meander Rex Porter Memorial Rally Park-Up at City College Swap Meet Mid week Run Not a Spring Tour Brian Parker Rally Motorcycle Trial Swap Meet Club Run Northern Raid Rally
NATIONAL EVENTS March 2021 12-14 National Motorcycle Rally Wairarapa Branch
This list does not contain all branch events (eg midweek or small club runs) Check branch newsletters for up-to-date details of smaller events. This column is compiled from the VCCNZ National Calendar of Events, and events as listed in each branch newsletter. Any deletions, additions, alterations need to be notified to Beaded Wheels by the Branch Secretary before 10th of the month prior to magazine publication.
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.
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.
Beaded Wheels 5
Contact National Office for all queries regarding VICs, logbooks, historic race licences, registration of vehicles, lighting endorsement, address changes, subscriptions, membership cards, speed events.
identical photos of the vehicle as it now looks. Please return your renewal advice as early as possible. The earlier you send it in, the sooner you will receive the updated one.
the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.). NZ FEDERATION OF MOTORING CLUBS (NZFOMC)
National President Diane Quarrie with retiring Administration Manager Julie Cairns-Gee pictured at the 2020 AGM.
NATIONAL OFFICE CHANGES As has been mentioned by National President Diane Quarrie, Julie Cairns-Gee, our Administration manager for the last 25 years, has decided to retire at the end of January. National Office will continue to be open Mon - Fri 9-5pm. The phone will be manned by Jo. Diane also reminded us that while our office staff do indeed provide a service to our club and its members, they are to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect at all times by members during any interaction in person, by phone or email. VCC VERO INSURANCE SCHEME
Please remember that to be insured under the VCC Vero Insurance Scheme you must be a fully paid financial member of
Did you know that the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) is a founding member of the NZFOMC? Management Committee member Tony Bartlett sits on the executive of the Federation and is their current Vice President. VCC OF NZ AND BEADED WHEELS FACEBOOK PAGE
If your branch has events that it would like promoted through our club facebook page please email the details to comms@vcc.org.nz 10 YEARLY RENEWAL OF VEHICLE IDENTITY CARDS (VIC)
National Office will send out a personalised renewal advice three months prior to expiry. When you receive this please check the details are correct and if the vehicle’s appearance has not changed from the original VIC, forward your expired card and the signed renewal notice to your branch for completion. Please remember these must go to your branch for signing off. If you do not enclose the expired VIC, or if the vehicle’s appearance has changed, you must send two
BOUGHT A VEHICLE THAT HAS A VINTAGE CAR CLUB VEHICLE IDENTITY CARD (VIC)?
Upon a change of ownership, the VIC is no longer valid. It is easy to transfer this into your name. Complete the VCC Change of Ownership Form available from the club website, through your branch or direct with National Office.
6 Beaded Wheels
functional elegance of vehicles from a bygone era, that this magazine is dedicated
Beaded Wheels – Our long established title may have readers wondering about its origin. By way of explanation beaded edge wheels use beaded edge tyres that are kept in place by reinforced rubber beads, which fit into the rolled edges of
To transfer between branches, complete a transfer form. This can be obtained through your branch secretary. BEADED WHEELS COMMITTEE DEPARTURE
Marilyn McKinlay recently announced her retirement from the editorial committee. She has been a member for 18 years, and has devoted countless hours to editorial work. We wish Marilyn a very happy retirement.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS/PHONE NUMBERS/EMAIL/VEHICLE OWNERSHIP
Please advise the National Office if you have changed address, phone number, email address or vehicle ownership.
Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) National Office, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140
VCCNZ Secretary/Treasurer Chris Leith presented Marilyn with a certificate to mark her 18 years service on the Beaded Wheels committee.
Telephone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 email admin@vcc.org.nz www.vcc.org.nz Office Hours Mon – Fri 9-5pm
ERRATA Beaded Wheels issue 368 featured a Veteran Rally Report from Bill Sheddan. Unfortunately Bill’s name was mispelt. Bill tells us the photos were taken by by Brian Bonisch
Beaded Wheels Beaded Wheels is the voice of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) and its 36 branches covering the length and breadth of the country. The efforts of our members continue to foster and ever widen the interest in this segment of our country’s history. It is to these people, who appreciate the fascination of age, the individuality and the
BRANCH TRANSFER
CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR OVER 70 YEARS
the wheel rim. This style of wheel was a distinctive feature of early motoring, being used on early bicycles, many pre-1924 cars and most motorcycles until 1927. In March 1955 The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand adopted the title Beaded Wheels for their club magazine which was the successor to the monthly Guff Sheet.
No. 358 June/July 2019
NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95
MEGA MOTORING
Rally Action From Around New Zealand
9 418979 000012
NATIONAL OFFICE
1966 NISSAN PRINCE SKYLINE, MAGNETOS AND MORE… MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
MAILBAG The editorial committee reserve the right to publish, edit or refuse publication of any item submitted 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 (Inc.) or the publishers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
MODEL T PHOTO, HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
Ann Jeffries is looking for more information about the Model T shown on the inside front cover of the December/January edition of Beaded Wheels. Essentially, it is a Model T Ford runabout. In 1917, the Australian government legislated to protect the dying body building industry - all motor importers were now obliged to import mostly (90 percent) as chassis only. A locally made body would have to be provided. That is exactly what this car is. “Chassis” was defined as the frame, mechanicals including suspension, front and rear guards, lights, scuttle and engine hood. Those parts easily identify this car as a Ford. This is all described in my book Ford in New Zealand - Putting the Car Before the Horse, with a period image shown on page 104. But the principle is the same, be it New Zealand or Australia or elsewhere - it is how they were exported to us by Ford. However, designs for the rest of the body varied by body builder and state-by-state (to the degree that it became quite a problem for Ford). Quite possibly an Australian Ford historian would be able to identify where this body was
made. If Ann wishes to explore that further, I recommend that she adds a post to the forum hosted by the Model T Ford Club of America, which attracts Model T experts from all over the world. Australian contributors may be able to pin it down for her. John Stokes Wellington
WOF EVERY SIX MONTHS
I can not for the life of me understand why the Vintage Car Club and other motoring groups in New Zealand have allowed the need for a warrant of fitness every six months go on for so long. Years and years of useless chatter. I know its my fault for having five classic and vintage cars but putting a warrant on every six months is completely absurd when some have only done 100 miles between inspections. Surely, with the many cars that fit into the classic and vintage car category, the voices should be louder for a change, as in the UK. It is partly why we pay a subscription to Beaded Wheels for a voice but the voice has become a whimper. G Walker Hamilton Ed Note: The vintage car Club does make representation to various government departments on be-
half of its members. This includes discussion about the ongoing need for six monthly warrants of fitness. Change may come but the wheels of government (everywhere) seem to grind exceedingly slowly! We live in hope. By being a member of the Vintage Car Club you lend the weight of your membership to our cause. We value our subscribers but it is member numbers that lend weight to our submissions.
UPDATE JOINING PROCEDURE
I heartily agree with Don Ammons sentiments in BW 367 page 7. I recently had dealings with a relative of a former prominent Auckland branch member who is now dead. The relative owns a vintage vehicle and as far as I’m aware is a member of a marque club. When I mentioned joining VCCNZ, the prospect seemed keen, until I mentioned the need for a proposer and seconder. The prospect actually used the words “stuffy nonsense”, or similar and immediatley decided they wouldn’t join. John Stokes. Mauku Ed Note: The procedure for joining the VCC is currently under review. All branches have received a copy of the Notice of Motion for feedback.
1955 DENNIS FIRE ENGINE
Further to the article on the 1955 Dennis Fire Engine in Beaded Wheels issue 366. A client of mine owned a Mark 6 Bentley which had a tired motor. I saw this Dennis Fire Engine with “B” series Rolls-Royce engine for sale in Springston and bought it. After driving it
home to Invercargill I removed the Rolls engine and then fitted it into the Bentley. An engine out of a Toyota Land Cruiser was bought and fitted into the Dennis. At this point it was put up for sale and a firefighter in Wellington bought it for his forthcoming wedding. It was driven back to Picton and on to Wellington. I am surprised to see it back in the South Island with the Ashburton Branch. Above is a photo on the day we bought the Dennis. Rob Keach Dunedin
SILVER GHOST 47 YG
Many thanks for John Stewart’s article published about the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 47 YG in Beaded Wheels 367. Many years ago I worked at Gulf Motor Bodies where this car was rebuilt over 30 years ago. The article certainly brought back a lot of memories of the detailed work that went into this vehicle. As we can appreciate a lot of work gets hidden but we reached a very high aesthetic standard and an impeccable result, which must speak for itself, given that the car is still on the road today. At Gulf Motor Bodies we put a lot of personal pride and passion into our projects, restorations and rebuilds in the workshop and the team often spoke about cars as affectionately “ours”. When a vehicle left the workshop after
Beaded Wheels 7
HIN BE
D THE WHE
EL
SILENT BUT DEADLY KEVIN AND SHONA CLARKSON’S 1972 ROVER P6 V8 WORDS GREG PRICE
16 Beaded Wheels
PHOTOS KEVIN CLARKSON
“Silent but deadly”, “A wolf in sheep’s clothing”, “Not all as it would seem on the surface”, and you could probably dream up a few more expressions to better describe this classic British daily driver. Certainly for me, I’ve often dismissed all such similar-looking Rovers, (and Triumphs) as ‘Nice cars, but I wouldn’t want to own one!’ That was until Editor Kevin and I motored out to Rolleston to do the recent BTW write up on Gary and Barbara Johnstone’s ‘56 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe a while back, in Kevin’s Rover V8. I’d recalled it was actually a V8 having read the badges on it which said as much, each time I was allowed to poke around in Kevin’s garages. So on this occasion I had about 30-40 minutes each way to do a mental write up from the safety of the passenger seat. When compared to Gary’s grunty Chevrolet, you could be forgiven for dismissing the Rover as not really being a V8, but I can assure you that it is. I was quite impressed. So much so, that on the return trip I suggested that a future BTW article on the Rover was a must-do and, once the Covid restrictions were gone, we rendezvoused at McLeans Island – the venue of choice for most of these articles. The weather was fine and warm, and the Canterbury Branch grounds crew had specially cut the grass for us. (Well, they had freshly cut the grass, but then Mike Foster and his team keep these ground almost perfect all the time – these guys are a real asset to the Canterbury Branch.) But before we get too far into this story, I need to tell you a bit more about these Rover cars in general, and particularly what brought about the development of this particular model.
A BIT OF HISTORY James Taylor, (NOT the singer) author of The Classic Rovers, 1934-1977 also wrote another book, this one being Rover P6 19631977, 2000, 2200 & 3500, which has proven to be invaluable as a source of information on the marque. According to James, in the early 1980s the Rover P6 was not considered as a classic of any real interest, and no publisher was prepared to consider a book about them. However the formation of the P6 Owners Club in 1984 fuelled interest in these cars, and there was also much interest
in having a reference work of sorts for the owners, restorers and enthusiasts. Kevin being one such an enthusiast – he has the book. Some of you will be familiar with the earlier P3, P4 and P5 models – all rather large and cumbersome (in my humble opinion). The P6 was a radical departure from what had gone before, and may well have generated some fresh interest in Rovers when the 2000 was launched in 1963, and was advertised as ‘Rover Engineering takes motoring years ahead’. A few weeks later Triumph launched its 2000 which was very similar to the Rover 2000. The Rover was also launched in the USA as, despite the efforts of one Ralf Nader, that safety campaigner who almost caused the demise of the convertible (but that’s another story for another day) it already met the stringent new regulations in terms of the ability of the car’s structure to withstand various types of collisions (read: Frontal Impact requirements). Eventually the emission standards were another story however and the 1970 models were affected negatively as the required modifications robbed some of the performance. Rover then came up with the 3500 V8 hoping to maintain its position in the market. Sadly (for the USA) sales of the V8 and 4-cyl models became so poor that Rover pulled out of the North American market altogether. Kevin and Shona’s car was rolled out in 1972 and was unofficially known as a Series 2, although Rover never actually called them that. But if you want to know even more than the scant details I’ve included here, I’d suggest reading James Taylor’s excellent book.
THE CAR This low-mileage car, had it been a station wagon, could realistically have been called a ‘deceased estate’, because the first two owners have since passed on to that great highway in the sky. The original owner bought it new in 1972 and remained the owner until he died in 2010. The second owner bought it from the estate in 2012 and owned it until he too passed away in 2017. Well-known classic car dealer, Waimak Classics purchased it from that estate, and the third owner bought it in 2018, but soon after reluctantly put it up for sale again when another car (not a Rover) he lusted after came up for sale. Kevin, always with an eye for a bargain, made an offer that couldn’t be refused, and he and Shona became the proud owners in 2019. There was quite a lot of paperwork with the car, but someone from the Nelson Branch of the VCC hinted at there being a comprehensive log of all the trips and maintenance that had been carried out on it. Enquiries with the families of the previous owners drew a blank, but when Kevin visited the widow of the second owner, at her invite, she produced a box of papers and books, and would you believe it? In the bottom of the box was the missing log book which she happily gave to Kevin. This Beaded Wheels 17
THE TRUE STORY OF
AX201 NEW ZEALAND VISIT WORDS AND PHOTOS JOHN STEWART
My first contact with that famous Silver Ghost was in the Gold Coast showrooms of the Queensland Rolls-Royce agent, where I was permitted to sit behind the wheel, having first removed my shoes. The car was nearing the end of a worldwide publicity tour and had recently been the subject of a total restoration. To say the result was magnificent is barely doing the vehicle justice. The car was to continue its tour in New Zealand in a few weeks. I returned home to New Zealand after that visit and soon received a call from Trevor Hudson, Managing Director of British Vehicle Importers Ltd, inviting me to become involved in the de-boxing of the car on its arrival for the New Zealand leg of its tour, and to participate in my own Ghost on a run through Auckland City and Newmarket that had been arranged for publicity purposes. The container in which the car had travelled from Brisbane was to be unloaded outside Coutts’s premises in New North Road and it was here the trouble started.
26 Beaded Wheels
The shipping company, the press, TV, and others were lined up with more camera gear than I had ever seen before awaiting the extraction of this magnificent beast from the container. As I had experience with Ghosts, Hudson asked me to drive the car out of the container and into the showroom. He provided a mechanic to do the cranking (no starter on this veteran) and he cranked and cranked and cranked. If you’ve ever tried to crank a 7½ litre Ghost engine you will know how tough this can be. We finally had a feeble response from the engine with clouds of foul-smelling smoke, but
it would not keep running. There was nothing for it but to push the car across the footpath and into the showroom; so much for the publicity shots. A quick sniff of the fuel tank clearly identified the problem. The odour was similar to turpentine which is typical of very stale gasoline. I suggested the tank be drained and refilled but was told this was not on, as the car was now on public display and it would not be proper to be seen working on it. Furthermore the potential fire danger to their nice new showroom was something they were not prepared to risk. The next day I turned up with my Ghost to participate in the city parade and, seeing AX201 out in the yard, assumed the fuel problem had been dealt with. In fact, as I learned later, all that had been done was to add some fresh fuel to the tank and hope for the best. As it turned out the best was not good enough. As we were about to move off, I made to get in my car but Hudson held me back, saying he had secured clearance from Rolls-Royce UK for me to drive AX201, and that he in turn would be driving my Ghost. As can be imagined, Rolls-Royce is pretty fussy about who drives this famous vehicle, and I am privileged to be on the short list of those so blessed. We set out along Karangahape Road, and the car was not running at all well. However we made it to the top of Queen Street and then had an uninterrupted downhill run to the Victoria Street and Queen Street intersection, probably one of the busiest in New Zealand. The light was just turning red and we came to a halt, first car in line. I had the hand throttle set for a pretty fast idle which didn’t sound good so after a quick discussion with my riding mechanic, a really nice guy, we decided on a slower idle as the engine was now warmed up. Big mistake. She promptly sputtered
to a stop and there was only one thing to do, hand-crank up in front of a considerable audience, including some press photographers. The accompanying picture, which appeared in the Dominion, with a most unflattering caption, tells the story. We continued without incident down the rest of Queen Street. to Parnell Rise which she climbed with absolutely no effort whatsoever. It is one of the fascinations of these cars that most hills are climbed with only a slight increase in carburetor hiss and little else to indicate a change in effort. In Parnell we swapped cars and Hudson continued in AX201 down to Newmarket and, as had been prearranged, proceeded down the center of the main street. Two thirds of the way through the township, an anti-Royalist charged towards the car armed with a galvanized bucket full of fresh horse manure. He hurled the contents towards the car and made a fair old mess of the hood and windscreen and poor Trevor Hudson who copped a good dose all over. Apparently annoyed that he had failed to distribute the entire contents of the bucket as intended, the fellow threw the bucket at the car, severely damaging the sidelight and part of the windscreen frame. He then lost his balance and crashed into the back guard of the still moving car and made a complete mess of that. The police arrived promptly and arrested the guy who had been restrained by members of the public. I had a camera on the seat of my car and as I was only a couple of car lengths behind I was able, from my grandstand position, to get excellent photos of the whole incident. At the subsequent court case where the perp was charged with willful damage, disorderly behaviour and common assault. I was called as a witness and was able to produce my pictures, which left the outcome in no doubt.
Beaded Wheels 27