Sixth Veteran Car Rally Will Be Held Next Week

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28133, 23 November 1956, Page 9

Sixth Veteran Car Rally Will Be Held Next Week

Ponds, ditches, rubbish dumps and farm yards may hold little interest for the, ordinary man in the street, but for members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand they are sometimes sites of hidden treasure. Cars which have been r-esurrecicti from such obscure places will be on display on December 1 when the ciub holds its sixth annual veteran cat and cycle rally at Deans Bush. These cars, which were all the rage in the Edwardian period and earlier, have been overhauled, repaired where necessary, and repainted for their most important day of the year, # -- One class of vehicle in the rally consists of motor-bicycles, tricycles and other unusual means of trans?ortation. One of the machines is a 913 Triumph motor-cycle in practically new condition, which will be ridden bv the club’s secretary <M” A A. Anderson). An interesting entry is an Adler machine built in 1913 by the firm which later made Zeppelin engines for the First World War. This machine has been restored by the owner. Mr A. L. Macbeth, after it had been under a hedge for many years. , Cars which have horizontal engines or rear-mounted vertical engines a re catered for in another class. One of the vehicles in this class is a rare example of a 1901 single cylinde Great Northern. This 8 horse-power car has been rebuilt from remains which were buried six feet deep \ or manv years in a paddock at Rakaia, and has a body built true to original form. .... A 1907 10 horse-power Cadillac io another entrant in this class. ine car won its class at last year s rally and also the Dunedin-Brighton raliy and Invercargill-Riverton vintage events. It has been driven to all these rallies from Timaru, covering hundreds of miles with absolute reliability. ... A 1906 Reo 7£ horse-power model and a 1908 International buggy which are both in excellent condition will also parade before the public in the Class three consists of . ° ne ’ ©r three cylinder cars with vertl £« front-mounted engines. A wuo Darracq <the same type as appeareG Li the film “Genevieve”) which wai

found burnt-out and rotting in South Canterbury, and was restored by Mi C. Westoby, of Timaru, has been entered. Hundreds of hours have gone into its restoration.

A 1913 Calthorpe Minor will make its appearance, for the first time since its restoration, in class four, lor vehicles of four or more cylinders, but less than 12 horse-power R.A.C. racing. Mr Allan Baker, of Christchurch. has restored this car beautifully in every detail from a once rusty wreck. Other cars in this class are a 1914 Delage owned by Mr D. W. Reid, of Dunedin, a 1910 de Dion Bouton roadster, a 1914 F.N., and a 1914 Austin 10.

From Wanganui, Mr A. P. Tonks w’ill bring a 1913 20 horse-power Daimler to compete in the class having more than four cylinders and greater than 12 horse-power. The car is a perfect example of this welknown marque, and has the original windscreen and folding hood which made it an aristocrat in its day. A car which would defy the memory of even the most ardent car enthusiast is a New Pick, entered by .Mr L. Briggs. From Peel Forest comes a 1905 Argyle waggonette restored from a wreck by Mr R. M. McMahon. One can imagine the worx involved in restoring the chassis, which had been cut up and used for fence posts many years ago. Other cars in this class are a 1913 Panhara Levassor, 1911, F.N., a 1916 Dennis “First Aid” fire engine which made itself fampus at last year’s event, a 1912 Unic, a .1912 Clement Talbot, a 1915 Model T Ford, a 1912 Overland, and a 1914 Wolseley tourer. The president of the club (Mr A. Anderson) said that the cars m this year’s event were 100 per cem. better than last year. “The amount of work and energy that has gon v into preparing the cars is just amazing,” he said.