This is the time of the year to enjoy fellowship with family and renew contact with friends and other acquaintances. It is the time to swap stories and create new ones, put all our past worries behind us and look forward to a new year filled with fun and enjoyment and happy motoring.
On behalf of the club I wish to pass on our sincere sympathy to those members who have lost loved ones. Their absence at this time of the year is when they will be missed the most. It is a time to focus on all the wonderful memories and keep them close to your heart. A recent loss to the club was the passing of Gaye Pointon. Gaye’s involvement with the Wairarapa Vintage Car Club started in 1980 when she joined the club. Her forty-threeyear journey with the club has involved many special moments. She was a dedicated member and involved herself one hundred percent. Gaye was France’s right-hand person, helping with the many rallies and club outings they ran. Her passion was vintage garments and their restoration. Francis had his cars to restore and display, Gaye put her energy into collecting garments and producing the very professional display many of you have seen at their museum. With the club celebrating fifty years in 2018 she wanted people to be fully engaged with not only their cars but also their attire. At the September club night in 2018 she put on a fashion display to give people an insight into the costumes people wore from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. Gaye and Francis took on the task of providing the rally routes for the fiftieth celebrations. This involved a lot of time with planning and gathering a large team of volunteers to make it all run smoothly. Gaye was the glue in their relationship, the enthusiasm and passion behind the museum, the general hand with garage repairs, the gardener, and lifetime partner. Gaye will be sadly missed but fondly remembered by all.
Our annual Gold Medal Motorcycle Rally was very well supported again this year. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the day an enjoyable success. To Kevin
Sullivan the convenor, another very well organised event. May thanks for your personal time and commitment. Congratulations go to Willie James for being the overall winner and also congratulations to all the other award winners.
Thank you to those who attended the Vintage Car Day at Mangatainoka. As promised the sun came out to play and everyone had a very enjoyable day. Congratulations to our local winners Paul and Deborah Hodder in their Rover and Neal Ryder in his 1954 Vauxhall.
The annual Groves Rally in memory of Peter and Janice Groves to the Mauriceville Fair was again well attended. The short route from the Club rooms to the Fair via the Whangaehu Valley was a very pleasant drive. The departure time was delayed a little to accommodate a cycle race from Dreyers Road back to the Te Ore Ore turn off. Thank you to those who participated for your patience and to Chris Giles for planning the route.
The December Club night guest car was Mike Blundell’s 1925 Cadillac. Members were entertained with family stories about the cars history and how it finally ended up in Mike’s ownership. The evening finished off with some Christmas cheer and plenty of good conversation.
Myrna and Tony Lane were guests at our annual Christmas Luncheon which was held at the Wairarapa Services and Citizens Club. A very tasty three course meal was enjoyed by all. There was a small presentation to Myrna and Tony to say thank you from the club for their many years of involvement in the club as officer holders and for the many outings that they enthusiastically facilitated for members and their cars. Thanks go to Val Ball for facilitating the meal.
The first three months of the new year are looking very busy, starting with the Coastal Run, on the 8th of January followed by the Remembrance Run on the 12th of February In between is the Wheels at Wairarapa, and on March 4th is the Gymkhana followed by our premier event, the Rex Porter Memorial Rally, over the weekend 11/12th of March. Something for everyone!
Wheels at Wairarapa is being held at the Clareville Showgrounds over the 4th, 5th, & 6th of February ( Waitangi Weekend ) This is a wonderful event for us to showcase what our club is all about. I have put an overview and program together explaining what we want to achieve and what support we need from you as members (see below). Please read it and contact me to say you will be involved. This event will replace the February club night.
The March 6th club night will be the first official one of the 2023 year. The format of the evening will be a presentation of motorcycles by their owners which will take approximately thirty to forty minutes. This will then be followed by a guest speaker upstairs in the club rooms.
Enjoy the festive season with fun and laughter. Create those new memories, be safe and take care.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Graham Hodder From the Club CaptainWell here we are almost to the end of another year. I wish all members a Merry Chnistmas and a happy New Year
It has been a strange year with Covid around still, but has been a busy year for the club with rallies and meetings.We also have had some sadness with the loss of members, the club offers condolences to the familles.
For the last three meetings we have had a "The Car is the Star" theme, starting with Gina and Sean's M. G Midget,. followed by Graham Hodder's 1914 Saxton, and most recently Mike Blundell's Cadillac These have been very successful with a good turnout of members, and I look forward to more meetings like this. If you have a special or interesting vehicle, truck, or motorbike you would be prepared to show off please let one of the committee know.
The recent Wheels & Deals swap meet and car show in Featherston run by Wai Wheels was very successful and we were please to help with our parts shed team attending. Congratulations to Jim Laird who won the best vintage award. The club will also try and support Wheels at Wairarapa coming up on Waitangi weekend, it will also be an opportunity to showcase our club (more details on this below)
The Christmas Lunch was a huge success, a lovely setting, very good food and great company
It's good to see quite a number of new members joining and we look forward to seeing them come along to meetings and introduce themselves.
I have had my knee replacement and am starting to walk more freely, so I'm looking forward to getting out and about. I've organised what hopefully will be an interesting Coastal Run for January and I am working out some of the history of where we are going and will talk about that on the day
To finish, a question: What does SU stand for with carburettors and fuel pumps? (answer at the end of the newsletter)
I hope you all have a great festive season and look forward to seeing you all next year
Hugh Hunter
RECENT EVENTS
Gold Medal Motorcycle Trial
Willie James, of Masterton, riding a Norton Commando, was the lone winner of a Gold Medal in Saturday’s Gold Medal trial run by the Wairarapa branch of the Vintage Car Club on Saturday.
The rally organised by Kevin Sullivan, took 35 entrants from Clareville to the Martinborough rugby clubrooms for a lunch break, then back to Clareville. It all went well, he said, the weather, though windy, stayed fine and nobody fell off. As well as being the overall winner, Willie James, on a 1975 Norton Commando, took out the Post-60s division. The Post-War class went to William Wood, on a 1954 AJS 189, the Vintage class was won by Vernon Heath (Scott TT Replica), and the Classics went to Rob
Coulson (1987 Honda GB 500).
Other medal winners were Silver: William Wood and Vernon Heath. Bronze: Dennis Young and Bruce Davidson.
Every bike and every rider has a story. Some I caught up with were husband and wife Tony and Marie Johnston on a pair of big-twin Suzukis (Marie’s is 750cc, Tony’s is 1400cc). They are both former Auckland motorcycle police officers.
Norm Hill, a previous gold medallist on his BMW R75/5, missed out this year. Local Howard Sims who had to give up riding singles after losing a leg, turned up on a 1972 Harley-Davidson trike he’s rather taken with: “It doesn’t fall over,” he grinned. He believes the bikes were built for the Fiji police.
Ken Woller, who won a Gold Medal at this event two years ago, hauled his 1956 600cc Norton Dominator from New Plymouth to have another go, but was an also-ran this year. The competition was one aspect of the trial. But just as important is the love of wind-inthe-hair motoring, of meeting old friends, and of keeping famous old, and sometimes temperamental machinery on the go.
- Kevin BallClass Winners
Overall Winner Willie James Post 60s Willie James Post War William Wood Vintage Vernon Heath Classic Rob Coulson
Gold Medal Willie James Silver Medals William Wood, Vernon Heath Bronze Medals Dennis Young, Bruce Davidson
Full results are on our website Click Here
Above: Howard Sims and his Harley trike "at least Lining up for the start at the Clareville Clubroomsit doesn't fall over"
Mangatainoka Vintage Car Day
The annual Vintage Car Day at the Mangatainoka Tui Brewery was blessed with excellent early summer weather, such that some attending suffered a bit of sunburn through failure to bring appropriate headwear.
More than 40 cars attended from around the region, ranging from early vintage through the. early 90s. Judges Carol Colguhoun and Robert Notley had a major task in sorting out the winners.
Star of the Show was Andrew Judd's 1967 Austin Westminster, Local Stars were Neale Ryder's 1954 Vauxhall Velox and Paul & Debbie Hodder's Rover. Travelled the Furthest was a 1951 Lotus from Hawkes Bay
Left: Overall Trial winner Willie James receives the trophy from Kevin Sullivan
Oldest bike in the trial - Peter Bull on his 1929 Norton Model 18
First time out for Keith Jepsen and his newly restored 1972 Honda CB750 K2. Good result for a newby - 8th overall.
Groves Memorial Rally/ Mauriceville Fair
Around 15 cars turned out for the much-loved Mauriceville Fair in December The weather was perfect for the run and conditions were ideal for the several entrants in sports cars. The Groves Memorial Trophy was won by Tina and Earl Goodin in their Chrysler ute. Ian Stewart won a prize for his unusual hat, something he picked up in South America.
As usual the Mauriceville community turned on a fabulous day, with a focus on families and children. Sadly, the planned tug of war competition between local children and the Vintage Car Club did not go ahead due to a breakdown in communication, so the brand new trophy will go back into the cabinet until next year
- Kevin Ball
LtoR: Neale Ryder, Wellington Branch Club Captain, Graham Hodder Wairarapa Chairman and Mike Blundell
Judges Carol Colquhoun and Robert Notley at work
Star of the Show
Above and left: Ready for the off at the clubrooms, comparing cars and hats.
Below: Parked up at the fair
The kids' little train did a busy trade during the day
December Club Night
This month's "The Car is the Star" featured Mike Blundell's 1925 Cadillac V-63. Mike's interesting talk was followed by a noggin and natter in the clubrooms.
Ian Stewart's remarkable hat - or is it a mask?
The Cadillac is a seven-seat open tourer, and the remarkable thing about this car is that it has been in Mike’s family for all its 84 years. It was bought new from the factory, shipped to England and toured the Continent before shipping it home to NZ. It features the first cross-plane crank V8 engine, which ensures smooth power delivery throughout the rev range and a potential top speed of 75mph. The car checks in at just under two tons, the steering is heavy and the petrol consumption around 10 miles to the gallon. Luxury touches include a cigar lighter that extends to the rear-seat passengers and a built-in air compressor for roadside emergencies
The 37 members attending the 2022 Christmas Lunch, enjoyed an excellent meal and good company at the Masterton Services Club. Myrna and Tony Lane attended as guests of the Club, acknowledging their long association and contribution to the VCC. As an added bonus. Myrna won the Xmas raffle, which coincidentally was drawn by Tony - all
Club Christmas Lunch
above board of course!
Thanks to Val Ball for another excellent event
