Records Kept Of All Cars In New Zealand

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28801, 23 January 1959, Page 12

Records Kept Of All Cars In New Zealand

rpHERE are nearly three-quarters of a million vehicles in New Zealand—cars, trucks, buses and vans—and for every one of them there is a record card, filed away in one of the 360 or more deputyregistrars’ offices throughout the Dominion. In this way, and through centralised files in Christchurch and Wellington, the Motor Registration branch of the Post Office keeps a check on all vehicles in the country. These cards show the year in which the vehicles were first registered, their make, technical details such as rated horsepower and passenger capacity, chassis and engine numbers, and the names and addresses of their owners. Confidential Ordinarily, car owners do not see these cards, which are kept as a departmental record, but last year, when a reporter of “The Press” sold hie IMS Austin - T he was handed his eard and asked to take it across to another Counter in the Wentworth Building with the transfer papers. It was an administrative lapse —but one which proved harmless, and interesting. Flipping it over, while waiting in the queue, he noticed that on the back was a list of some 50 or more makes of cars which were being' manufactured around 1930. Many of them, such as the Arm-strong-Siddeley, Cadillac, Daimler, Fiat, Hillman, Morris, Plymouth, and Wolseley are still being made today, and are as popular as ever. Others, although not now made, are still seen on the roads—particularly in Canterbury which is the old cars’ Fiddler’s Green. Among them are the Essex, Hupmobile. Oakland and Sunbeam. But who today, outside that enthusiastic band of veteran and vintage owners, has heard of the Arrol-Johnaon, Marquette, P. and M, Straker-Squire, Denby, Berliet, Garford and Tilling-Stevens? The Straker-Squire, as were

i most early cars, was named for ’ the men who designed and built I it. They were Sidney Straker i and R. L. Squire who, in 1901, • were in partnership marketing . the Straker Steamer lorry. ■ In 1907, at the British Motor Show that year, the firm an- . nounced its one model policy, and I was one of the first in the country . to make this change. _The car , was a four-cylinder model with ■ the cylinders cast in two blocks. The Darracq is One of the cars of those years which has become ! a rally favourite. It was designed ■ and built by Alexandre Darracq, . a draughtsman who gained great , experience and prestige in the [ manufacture of bicycles—as did • being made then was a 14-16 h.p. Lord Nuffield, who started business in Oxford as William Morris. One of these early makes, at least, is unlikely ever to have ; reached New Zealand. This is , the ! Guy V 8 tourer, built by the ; firm established by Sydney Guy, i which is pow better known as a manufacturer of trucks, buses and trolley-buses. In 1919,’ when the firm was already well established in the commercial field, the 20 h.p. tourer was produced, and caused quite a . sensation at the British Motor Show of that year. 25 Cara Built It was advanced in many of its specifications, and by February, 1920, the factory had received £2,250,000 worth of orders .but only 25 were known to haVe been built. The last series of record cards issued by the Post Office to carry a list of makes was introduced in 1950.' On these 75 makes of cars, trucks' and tractors were, listed. Since then new cards have been issued, with ai blank left for the name of the make to be entered by the clerk. - When the department took over motor registration from local bodies, in 1925, and issued a series of registration plates which were made in the United States, there were 125,000 vehicles in New Zealand.