Provenance is everything

PROVENANCE IS EVERYTHING THIS 1958 WOLSELEY HAS IT IN SPADES

Words and photos Lee Brehaut

Our 1958 Wolseley 1500 (Wilma as it is known), was bought to use on Wolseley Club runs while our 6/90 Wolseley is being fully restored. It came with the original ownership papers which indicated it had been in the same family in Masterton from 1961 to 2000. We bought this car in 2016 and I have developed a strong attachment to it. Having the same car for such a long time indicated to me a similar emotional attachment by the original owner and so began my search several years ago to find the family of Myrtle Lee. I wanted them to know their old car was much loved and still on the road. My research came to a halt when I found a death notice which I felt was Myrtle’s.

As time has gone by my interest in finding any relatives has been rekindled. An approach to the Wairarapa Times Age earlier this year resulted in an article being printed with a photo of the car and my email address. I F=fairly quickly received a response giving me Mrs Lee’s daughter’s name. This clue brought me to the possibility that this lady may be in a retirement home in Levin. I then emailed a number of retirement homes with as much information as I had available, including the newspaper article, asking if they had a person of this name and if so could they show her the article. Blow me down! I got a response within a couple of hours. A staff member at one of the rest homes saw my email and personally knew the Lee family and immediately alerted Mrs Lee’s granddaughter in Christchurch.

Her email read “Good News! My grandmother Myrtle Lee owned your car and I still have a few old photos of it from when we were young children, as well as some stories. I will see if I can find them and send them to you. It is lovely to see the car so well loved - our Granny took such great care of it until it was sold.”

Since receiving this email in March we have now travelled 1350 miles in the Wolseley (spending only $300 on petrol), attending a bi-annual Wolseley rally in the Wairarapa. Our intention was to take a bigger car bought especially for that rally, but with unknown engine issues unable to be resolved in time, and the 6/90 project still a work in progress, it was Wilma’s time to shine. This then gave us an opportunity to meet up with Myrtle’s grandson Peter, in Masterton while on the rally, and granddaughter Julie in Christchurch on our way home to Oamaru.

Between us all we now have all ownership records, a copy of the purchase docket, (bought in 1961 for £845), and early photos. We can now add photos of both grandchildren standing beside it and have heard stories of trips to the beach, picnics and memories of them travelling in their Granny’s car as children and of Grandad’s hats in the back window.

We were told that over a period of time the car was garage stored and only brought out for a wash and a test drive to ensure the battery was still in good order. This being the case, we are now reasonably confident the mileage, having clicked over 100,000 miles on our trip, is original. A subsequent owner had the car reupholstered and painted in its original colour scheme.

Looking into the future, the car will continue to be well loved, cared for and driven regularly for a good few years yet. From supermarket car parks and the like to sitting parked anywhere or just being driven, it draws great comments, thumbs up and waves, and reminds people of (often shared) happy memories of their own experiences with Wolseleys and in particular 1500s.

Mt Taranaki in background.

Lee and Julie Wenham.

You will remember that in June we ran an incentive for entrants to register early. This was so well received with a notable boost in registrations, that we ran a similar incentive in July.

REGISTRATIONS.

While registrations closed at the end of August, we will still accept late entries, so if you are yet to decide on whether to enter or not, there is still time. Don’t miss out on what will be a great event and quite possibly the last of this type of VCC event in the foreseeable future.

At the time of writing, the vintage and post vintage era of vehicles make up the largest groups currently registered.

COVID CANCELLATION POLICY

The recent level 4 Covid lockdown is a reminder to us that Covid restrictions can eventuate at any time.

The Festival Committee has always been aware that the International Festival of Historic Motoring could be affected by a Covid outbreak. Discussions with the VCC Management Committee prior to the current lockdown, have resulted in the decision being made that if the VERO International Festival of Historic Motoring is cancelled due to Covid, a full refund of entry fees will be provided.

CAMPER VANS

A reminder that there is space available at the New Plymouth Racecourse for self-contained campervans only. Please note there are no facilities or amenities available on this site and racehorse trainers do arrive nearby from approximately 5.00am each morning. The cost is very reasonable. For further information please contact the festival secretary. Mark Masters. festivalsecretary@vcc.org.nz

VEHICLE IDENTITY CARDS

Please remember that it is mandatory for entrants to have a current Vehicle Identity Card (VIC)for their vehicle. This must be done before the start of the festival, so it is important to get this sorted now and don’t leave it to the last minute and risk missing out. The forms for applying for an VIC are available on line from the VCC website. If you have any problems down loading or completing these forms, please contact your branch secretary for assistance.

MERCHANDISE, EVENING MEALS AND FESTIVAL DESTINATION LUNCHES

Merchandise and food are available on a pre order basis as a way to keep the costs at a reasonable level. In the next few weeks order forms will be sent to all entrants pertaining to ordering merchandise and booking meals at the Festival HQ

The order form for merchandise will give full details of the products available. The clothing items will have options for size and colour. As the clothing is being supplied by a NZ based corporate clothing distributor, English sizing will be applicable. These items will be available for collection on site during registration at the Festival HQ on Sunday 16th January.

FOOD PRE ORDERING Evening Meals – The order form will show evening menus, including desert, and costs for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, evenings. Dietary requirements will be catered for.

Lunches – Lunches can be pre-ordered for Monday, Wednesday and for those who travel to Whangamomona on Thursday. These will take the form of a packed lunch and will be supplied by local community groups.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is still available, however if you haven’t booked yet we recommend you get in as soon as possible. Remember our sponsors, Plymouth Hotel and Auto Lodge, and don’t forget to tell them you are attending the VERO International Festival of Motoring.

ENTERTAINMENT

In my last report I announced the entertainment programme and the outlined the themes for each night. Now would be a good time to start preparing your costume for each of these nights. Remember also, for the Inglewood Street Party we request that you dress in the era of your vehicle to add to the ambience of the event for entrants and the public alike.