“Dripfeed” NEWSLETTER OF THE BANKS PENINSULA BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF New Zealand (INC) VOLUME 42, No 9 october, 2019 Editor: Michael Williams 10 Selwyn Parade Lyttelton Ph 328 8043, email mimiandmichael@yahoo.co.nz
Chairman: Secretary:
Club Officers: Craig Keenan 322 1006 Ron Hasell 942 1105
Branch Address: 27 Showgate Ave, ChCh 8042 E-mail: bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz Noggin & Natter: 2nd Thursday of the Month • •
Noggin 7.30 pm at the Papanui RSA. Upham Room – enter either from 55 Bellvue Ave or the first entrance on the left on Harewood Road (Papanui / Main North Road) Thursday 10th of October. We look forward to seeing you there. Supper is provided.
From the Editor: That brave band of motoring masochists otherwise known as Austin 7 owners might feel that I have been ignoring them lately, so the following article should make them feel loved and wanted again. George Calder found it in the VSCC bulletin, so it’s reassuring to know that other equally prestigious publications share my views.
Long time member Tom King, who recently and inexplicably fled to Auckland, does a bit of reading when he’s not producing the impressive Rolls Royce and Bentley Club mag, and was so impressed with a recent read that he felt the need to share his delight. The book is “Driven”, by John Aston, a motoring enthusiast, born in 1950, and his involvement with motoring and motorsport at various levels. Tom thinks it’s the best motoring book he’s read for ages, so find out for yourself. Mike Crehan’s report of the AGM is finally included in this issue, so read, learn and inwardly digest. Welcome to the following new members. Alise and Craig Inger, with a 1977 MG B, and Ewan Mitchell, with a1938 Fiat Balila, a 1966 Fiat 1500, a 1963/64 Lancia Flavia and a 1970 Fiat Dino. I wonder which half of the Lancia is 1963 ? We look forward to seeing you on our future events.
Coming Events The Peninsula Run, Sunday, 20th of October Assemble at the Tai Tapu store at 9.30am, ready for a 10.00am start. Digby Gemmel and Brian Smith have promised to find us some new roads to explore this year, so come along for what is always an interesting day’s motoring.
Waimate 50, 60th anniversary, 26th & 27th of October This classic road circuit hasn’t been run for some years now, so this weekend will be a rare treat. With limited passing opportunities, this is a great spectator circuit, and all accommodation in Waimate is already booked out. We really should have a club charabanc to take us all down. Perhaps a few Rolls Royce Phantom owners could spring gracefully into action, and we could perambulate down in style. Should be a great weekend, with a number of BP members competing at this demanding circuit. Some amazing cars have raced there in the past. In 1981, at a reunion meeting, Gavin Bain in his Ferrari 375MM and Leon Witte in his Aston Martin DB3 S had a great tussle, and back in 1960, Leo Leonard raced a Citroen ID 19, which is no doubt where he learnt how to handle a lot of power. In the same year Vic Blackburn raced a Goggomobil, the 392cc sports model, and beat a Morris, a Renault, a Fiat, a Singer and a VW. The book about the Waimate 50 makes fascinating reading, and this typical passage is part of a report of the 1959 main race: “Jenson, giving a great display of wet weather driving, lost the lead to McLaren on the 34th lap when he struck clutch trouble and spun, ending up on the footpath”. See you there.
Hawkswood Sprint, 10th of November. Ramon’s Run, 15th – 17th of November. The indefatigable Ramon Farmer has organised another run, with an emphasis on things geological and historical. See the following for details:
BANKS PENINSULA BRANCH, VCC. Karamea Touring Weekend, November 15-17 November, 2019. For some time a touring weekend has been mooted and, having drawn the short straw, I can now put my best foot forward to reveal that the Tour will be a simple one, starting on the Friday at 0900 hrs at a suitable coffee stop out of town. Route instructions, with suggested lunch stops and tea breaks, will be available for this adventure to the North West Coast. Friday 15th November; Christchurch to Karamea via Lewis Pass, Buller Gorge, Westport; O/N Karamea Saturday 16th; local trips, visit His Serene Highness' most isolated restoration workshop; O/N Karamea Sunday 17th; Karamea to Christchurch via Charleston, Greymouth, Moana and Arthur's Pass. Book your accomodation now. There is a great choice of accomodation in and near Karamea; the following are suggested, the first two being recommended as they are largish and centralish in the metropolis. Karamea Village Hotel; 141 Waverley Street, corner Wharf Road, (03) 782 6800, karameahotel@xtra.co.nz
Family rooms, Suites, single rooms. Last Resort; 71 Waverley Street, (03)782 6617, 0800 505 042, enquiries@lastresortkaramea.co.nz Cottages, Studios, Lodges (up to 4, Twin, Double), Backpackers. Karamea River Motels; 31 Bridge Street, (03) 782 6955, 0800 527 263, stay@karameamotels.co.nz Karamea Farm Baches; 17 Wharf Road, (03) 782 6838, bach-style rooms with kitchen/laundry sleep 2 to 5. Rongo Dinner Bed & Breakfast; 130 Waverley Street, (03) 782 6667, basic, as above. Karamea Holiday Park; Maori Point Road, (03) 782 6758, info@karamea.com About a mile before Karamea. Motels, Cabins, Tent sites. Turn left off Karamea Highway, before reaching bridge/township; adjacent to estuary/lagoons on south side of Karamea River mouth. If you prefer to stay 12 miles south of the metropolis, the Little Wanganui Hotel has splendid accomodation of all types, ranging from luxury suites for Delage saloon owners to pup-tent sites for the odd hairy-chested A7 owner who may actually (nearly) reach Karamea. Lunch/meals/snacks available from Karamea Hotel (famous for whitebait), Last Resort Cafe, and Vinnies Cafe. Vinnies is at 101 Bridge Street, Market Cross, but note, it closes at 3:00 pm. Karamea Radio is said to broadcast live here. Saturday trips should include the Oparara Arches and the Nikau Walk at Kohaihai River. Need to know something? Contact the Karamea Information/Resource Centre; 106 Bridge Street, Market Cross; (03) 782 6652. Expect to drive along the Hope-Kaikoura Fault, and to cross the Alpine Fault (at least three times), the White Creek Fault (1929 Murchison Earthquake), the Taramakau Fault, the Kelly's Creek Fault, and the Porter's Pass Fault, together with a number of other great photo opportunities, should any of them decide to move as we pass by. For a variety of reasons, wet weather gear is considered obligatory; topless cars are optional; even French cars will be permitted. If you want any further information at this stage call Ramon Farmer 339 6048.
Wigram Revival, 22nd -24th of November, at Ruapuna. See Ron for entry details.
Veteran Run 18th January 2020
Back Country Excursion 18th January 2020
This excursion which is intended for veteran vehicles only will travel from Hawarden to Whitnow Station and return to Hawarden. The total distance travelled will be 62 Kms, which includes 46 kms of good unsealed road. There are no fords on the road. The unsealed portion of the
road carries very little traffic as it is only used for access to various stations and is mildly challenging as it includes hills. A backup vehicle and trailer will be provided. Entrants will require a packed lunch. Road speeds on the unsealed portion of the road are envisaged to be low in order to prevent stone chips to paintwork, and to allow an enjoyable veteran motoring experience. Meet at Hawarden at the Resene paint shop car park, Hawarden Waikari Rd, at 10.00 am. If the weather is unsuitable the event will be postponed.Space is available for parking trailers at the venue. If you wish to attend or for information please contact David and Marion Oakley, Ph 021370956 or 03 3087323, email d.oakley@xtra.co.nz Art Deco Weekend, Napier, February 2020. ART DECO WEEKEND 2020 A SPECIAL INVITATION FROM HBVCC Come to Napier and join the HBVCC for Art Deco Weekend 2020 from February 20th -23rd. Kindly sponsored again this year by Euro City Ltd In 2020 the Featured Group will be an A-Z of Motor Vehicles. We are aiming to have a motor vehicle representing each letter of the alphabet. This may be a make or model. There will be a mixture of cars, commercials and motorcycles. Also we expect a mix of veterans, vintage and PV’s… manufactured in UK, Europe and USA. We currently have several cars coming in 2020 that have not been to ADW before. These include NZ’s second Duesenberg, our first L29 Cord, and a Stutz to name a few. We are still looking for a “Napier” vehicle to represent the letter “N”. I am also trying to find the owner of the Willys Knight roadster circa 1929-31 era that has the unusual paint design on the doors. We would also like to get leads on vehicles or vehicle models starting with letters Q, U, X, Y, Z. Please email any leads or ideas to stevetrott@xtra.co.nz asap. For 2020the annual rally is again on Friday and we plan to have a touring run plus a picnic lunch at a great lunch venue.On Saturday we will have the morning tea and car show and popular choice at the HBVCC clubrooms, followed by the grand parade. Sunday events include a breakfast surprise at the HBVCC clubrooms and the Gatsby picnic in the afternoon. There are many other ADT events to choose from on Friday and Saturday nights. Come and join the other 180 plus club eligible vehicles we expect to enter the 2020Event. Go to the HBVCC website for an Entry Form. (www.hbvcc.org.nz). Entry forms for 2020 are available now. Accommodation in Napier is already filling up for Art Deco Weekend so book now to avoid disappointment. We suggest you plan to arrive in Napier on Thursday 20th so you can attend the Dinner at the Clubrooms that evening. We have prizes for the best dressed couples again this year. Contacts: STEVE TROTT stevetrott@xtra.co.nz STEVE DONOVAN stevedon@xtra.co.nz
Austin Rally, October 2020. The Austin Flying A Register, an oxymoron if ever there was one, has pleaded with me to advertise their national rally in Rotorua, 23rd – 26th of October 2020. A year is possibly enough time for dedicated Austin owners to start attempting to make their cars mobile again, organise emergency breakdown trucks between here and Rotorua, and buy themselves some nice new oil proof anoraks. Eventscoordinator@austinflyinga.co.nz 027 4810000.
Past Events. The Opening Run. A typically diverse range of club vehicles turned up at Little Poms in Kilmore Street for our first motoring event of the season. Proper vintage cars were represented by the majestic Vauxhall 23/60 of George and Karen Calder, the Pidgeon Fiat 501, and the Lightfoot Standard. There were a trio of MGs, including a modified MGA recently here from Australia, an Austin Healey 3000, a Citroen D, and for the first time in some years the Pidgeon family 1966 Prince B200, driven by Meg and Kate, bravely representing the next generation. Michael bought the Prince in the 1980s, before he had acquired taste and discernment, and after it broke down, very sensibly put it in the back of his cavernous garage, where one might have reasonably assumed it would rust to death. However, this Prince was made of sterner stuff, or better metal than other Japanese cars of the era, and over the years, through a process of attrition and pressure from female Pidgeons, fought its way out into the daylight and onto the road, much to the delight of Meg and Kate. The route took us past Deans Bush and over the Kahu Road bridge by the back of Boys High, where, in the far off 1960s, so I am told, it was possible to make a car airborne if approached fast enough, and several irresponsible pupils, all pillars of society these days, did just that in the family car that their trusting parents had let them take to school. My father’s Singer Vogue was never the same. The route continued out to the south west of the city and then headed west via Clintons Rd, Ridgens Road and Coaltrack Road to Hororata where Kate and Richard Foster joined us in their 1923 Sunbeam. It was also noted that the Calder Vauxhall had avoided the shingle road section and gone straight to morning tea. While we were all in the Hororata Domain, a Model A tourer came puttering past, and after a quick chat and suitable introductions from Richard Foster, decided to join us on the rest of the run. The owner, Glen Kimber, has recently purchased the A, and much persuading was done to try and get him to join the branch. The rest of the run was a straightforward drive through the Rakaia Gorge and onto Methven and our destination, the collection of our host Bruce Williams. Bruce McIlroy was already there, having set off at dawn in the Silver Ghost from Ashburton, and he chugged bravely into the paddock just before us, having managed the long climb from Ashburton. Bruce Williams, (no relation) has a very interesting collection of Citroens, and I had long felt that the sight of massed Citroens, all bristling with technical innovation, would bring joy and wonder to the owners of British cars. And I was partially correct, as some of them wondered why anyone would bother! Pride of place is a 1929 Citroen Kegresse, a half track vehicle based on the Citroen B series of the 1920s. Kegresses were the first vehicle across the Sahara, Central Africa, the Russian Steppes, and many other supposedly inaccessible places, as Andre Citroen sought to publicise the Citroen marque in the 1920s. Very few survive today and Bruce’s example is one of two in the Southern hemisphere. Another interesting vehicle was a 1937 Citroen Diesel truck, one of the earliest diesel vehicles in production, and one of three survivors. According to Bruce, it’s slow, noisy and smoky, which tragically means that a Citroen model and Austin 7s have something in common. There was a 1924 A series Cloverleaf model which was bought from Dutch museum, a 2CV, a Light 15, a D Safari, a CX Turbo 2, and a CX Turbo Diesel that holds the speed record for a diesel car travelling from John O’Groats to Lands End. There was a Porsche GT3 and GT4, and a 2018 Citroen C1 diesel that Bruce imported which does 80mpg. All in all, a fascinating and diverse collection of vehicles, and even the diehard Eurosceptics were impressed. Many thanks to Bruce for his hospitality, and to Louise Russell and Michael Pidgeon for organising an interesting route.
Report from Executive Meeting and National AGM: Westport 16 & 17 August 2019 Remits: In accordance with my instructions I voted in favour of the remit proposed by Rod Brayshaw, seconded Tony Bartlett amending the Club’s By-laws for dealing with proposed notices of motion. This appeared contentious during the discussion with many feeling it was a curb on democratic process. On a counted show of hands, it was carried by a substantial majority. In discussion on the second remit, altering the process for the presentation of 50 and 60 year badges, there was strong feeling that the status of the award meant it should be within the President’s discretion whether to present the award in person or, if the President so chose, to appoint a nominee to carry out the duty. The proposed amendment placed more emphasis on the use of nominees but did not significantly alter the status quo and was therefore withdrawn and not put to the meeting. Other Matters: I made copious notes of the proceedings and if any member wishes to discuss any item, they should feel free to contact me. The following are key matters that seem relevant to us and/or that the branch should be aware of: Model Constitution A model constitution has now been developed and will be sent to all branches. If a branch wishes to alter its constitution it requires the approval of the Executive. There is no requirement for branches to make changes but if they do or if they have an out of date constitution (some branches have never updated their original constitution) the idea is that the model constitution will provide them with a framework that will be both familiar to the Executive when it is sent for approval and which, if it is in the model form, is likely to be approved without issue. National Vintage Rally It is proposed that there be a National Vintage Rally (i.e. pre 1931 Vehicles) organised by the Central Hawkes Bay and Hawkes Bay branches; to be run from Taihape to Napier in September 2020. Numbers may be limited due to restricted local accommodation and catering (probably no more than 75 vehicles). Proposal approved. National Motorcycle Rally to be hosted by Wairarapa in 2021. The Executive Meeting and National AGM will be hosted by Canterbury Branch, August 2021. National AGM 2022 will be hosted by Auckland Branch. There has been no bid as yet to host the National Veteran Rally in 2022. Murray Trounson and George Kear having been working on online membership applications and demonstrated some beta models, approval for development to continue. Agreement has been reached with MNZ for Formula Vee cars with single carbs and drum brakes to race at our events even if they are post 1960. Discussions are progressing with a view to extending our race car classes to include all vehicles up to 1965. Our National driving day will continue to support the Cancer Society Daffodil Appeal for the next 3 years and then be reviewed. The President proposed rebranding our colours, logos etc. Some ideas were displayed and met with general approval. Approved that more work be done on this with ideas and samples brought back to the next meeting. One idea is that logos be done in such a way that various straplines can be added below the logo to emphasise different aspects of the branch, event or publication using the logo without reverting to designers or graphics people. If this work results in new branding being agreed and finalised it will be phased in after the 2021 International Rally. Bay of Plenty Branch sought approval to include the word Classic in their name. Rejected. The Bay of Plenty / Alastair Jones proposed North Island Irishman style rally was approved by the Executive for Anzac Weekend 2020 and included in the Calendar of events for consideration at the AGM. Subsequently approved at the AGM. To be known as the Highland Fling. Taihape – Central North Island Highlands, eligibility as for Irishman Creek. The Highland Fling is shortly after the National North Island Easter Rally hosted by the Horowhenua Branch 10-13 April 2020 so members may wish to make an extended visit to the Northern colonies over this period. Jumbo Goddard Trophy to Murray Toms, Bay of Plenty. Next Executive Meeting: 28 March 2020 Wellington.
Figure 1Pidgeon princesses perched in Prince
Figure 2Line up at Hororata
Figure 3Front end of Kegresse
Figure 4 1924Type C boat tail...more dinghy speed
Figure 6 As the label says, a diesel Citroen
Figure 5 The a-track tive end of the Kegresse