Pioneers Of N.Z. Roads Have Found A Home

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30540, 8 September 1964, Page 18

Pioneers Of N.Z. Roads Have Found A Home

[Specially written for “The Press 0 by A. J. PETREJ SHINING brass gleaming glass polished paintwork leather upholstery. A cross-section of New Zealand’s motoring and transport history has found its place in Wellington. In Port road, Lower Hutt, after many months of planning and building, the veteran car museum ot the industrialist, Mr Len Southward, was opened to the public for the first time a few days ago.

The display lasted only for three days, and all proceeds went to charity. But during those three days many saw a fascinating and meticulously-prepared exhibition of some of the mechanical milestones in the history of the Dominion.

Nearly 40 vehicles were on display—the oldest, 1900; the newest, 1948. And there were other things to' see too—acessories, old tyres, old petrol cases, dozens of names from the past. Mr Southward is a cheerful, energetic and good-humoured man with sparkling eyes and a joke always on his lips. At the same time he is always on the move, always interested, always attacking some problem or project with an inspiring and infectious enthusiasm. His museum, like his Lesco racing team, the star member of which is national saloon car champion, Kerry Grant, is one of his enthusiasms. On entering the museum, the first car the visitor sees is a 1904 two-cylinder eighthorsepower Wolseley, spotless and gleaming from end to end. This car took part in the world-famous London to Brighton run last year, the first car from New Zealand to do so. It won several awards, and the reasons for this are obvious from its perfect appearance. Big And Strong Nearby stands an BCLT Maserati of 1950. This car was imported into New Zealand and raced by F. Zambucka, of Auckland. Today enthusiasts marvel at the bulk and brute strength of it, compared to the present light and seemingly fragile racing cars. Old bicycles and a suit of armour stand near the door, while along the wall is a line of New Zealand number plates, from the first to the last, illustrating the 22 changes of number plates New Zealand has had in its motoring history. Ironically, the first plate has figures and letters: it is to this format we have returned today. Around the other walls are old radiators, their brass gleaming, and at odd spots are old tyres, car badges, bulb horns (the temptation to squeeze them is almost irresistible) and polished brass lamps. The tyres are particularly interesting. All in new condition, they come in three main colours—red, white, and black. Vast in size by today’s standards, they look very thin, and the tread is very narrow. Some are treadless. More cars. A 1909 Clement Talbot stands gleaming in the light of the overhead fluorescent tubes; to one side, on a

ledge above the door, are some oid horse-carriages, and motor-oil tins bearing longforgotten trademarks. There is a 1907 Holsman car, a 1913 Austin, a 1926 Morris Oxford, and a magnificent 1930 six-cylinder Rolls Royce. Descriptions All the cars have descriptive placards in front, and in addition, Mr Southward recorded a commentary on tape, and had it played over loudspeakers at'regular intervals during the display. And more cars—a vintage Austin taxi, complete with taxi-meter forever at “For Hire,” a 1933 Chrysler Airflow, some vintage motorcycles (there are many “pockets” of oddities like this; they add surprise to the display, like the nuts in chocolate) and a 1948 eightcylinder Daimler limousine.

The Daimler is still registered, and occasionally still used. Its paintwork is lustrous beyond almost anything seen on the streets today; its fittings luxurious, its whole bearing regal. It is a magnificent car, and an imposing one.

And still more cars. Near a Tiger Moth, which dangles from the ceiling (it is real, like everything else in the display) there is a Model T, in the traditional black. It was said of these, the customer could have any colour he wanted . . . as long as it was black. The Ford tartan, some called it. Beside another Model T is a ’ Stepney wheel. How many remember what that is? For those not old enough to remember, it is a patent spare wheel. The idea was that when a tyre flattened, and of course, punctures were extremely prevalent in Model T days, the driver would bolt the Stepney wheel to the hub, over the top of the flat wheel. This gave, in effect, a dual wheel but it must have made a car a brute to steer.

Then there is the 1900 De Dion, the oldest car in the display, and a very odd chariot to modern eyes. A very old outboard motor and a very new one stand together and a 1935 Packard limousine stands proudly by itself.

There are old petrol signs, and old hand-operated petrol pumps. In a corner are some cars awaiting restoration: a 1923 Stutz, one of the old Americans; and a 1923 Bentley three-litre —shades of Le Mans. Then a Daimler truck, about 1926 vintage, in rather dilapidated condition; It is a vast machine, looming high over the visitor, and resting on solid rubber tyres. Rare American

Standing rather forlornly in one corner is a really rare American: a. 1937 front-wheel-drive supercharged Cord, with a V 8 Lycoming motor. And vintage fire engines, a 1923 Ford TT engine and a 1917 Buick six-cylinder. A Scott aero-engine stands crankcase by crankcase with a huge and magnificent 1933 Hispano Suiza Vl2 engine, complete with gearbox. An 11litre unit, this motor produces 220 b.h.p., and has dual ignition systems: two distributors with 12 wires sprouting from each. It has a history, this engine. Originally it powered a German staff car, but it was liberated by a New Zealand soldier and brought back to New Zealand for racing. It was never used. Then there is a 1905 Darracq, two cylinders and eight horsepower. This car is the same as the famous Genevieve, the car which appeared in the film of the same name. A 1922 Renault stands haugh-

tily beside a 1925 Swift, and over them are two radiators hung on the wall. Can you pick what they came from? A Marian, and an Adler —names long since vanished.

Some of the cars have been lent to Mr Southward by the owners for inclusion in the museum.

A pile of petrol cases brings more forgotten names to mind. Gilmore, Tydol, Gold Crown, Kalif, Plume, Big Tree, Chester and Howdah. What would the local garage attendant say today if you asked for a case of Howdah? To modern ears it could be a weird disease,, or a new cocktail. Years ago it meant benzine, the wherewithal to keep the wheels turning. But to the true vintage enthusiasts, and anybody with a bit of the small boy in him, it is the back room that holds great interest—a back room where the public is never admitted. Here there are bits and pieces everywhere.

Inside the door is a traction engine, half restored, and a Delage motor rests on the floor. Magnetos and wheels lie around' a 4 CLT Maserati —it will never race again, but some day it will go on display. Everywhere are the remains of old cars, aero-engines, pistons—almost anything you can think of. Some of the cars are those from which parts have been “cannibalised,” for those restored vehicles to be seen in the public display. Others are awaiting restoration. Others are merely there. They will never be restored—they are too far gone—but some day their parts may be needed. A Dennis fire engine fills the centre of the room, and lying rather miserably in one corner are the remains of the Adler from which the radiator in the museum was taken. At the back of the room there is a 1912 Silver Ghost, a Maxwell and a 1914 Mitchell; a device with a huge motor like a railway unit. A 1909 Rover moulders in a corner, and a 1920 Rolls Royce with a 1935 American body glares superciliously at the intruder.

Power Transfer A fascinating flight of mechanical fancy is the 1918 Owen Magnetic. This vehicle had an ordinary internal combustion engine which drove an electric generator. This in turn drove electric motors, which drove the car. Two air-cooled Franklins will eventually make one good one, and in racks are stored vintage tyres, some still in their original wrappings. There are old motorcycle frames, and a 1925 Cadillac V 8 motor. There is a Rolls Royce Merlin motor —the same as those which powered the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the Second World War —and an Allison aero engine, An American Yellow Cab taxi, in rather second-hand condition, lies in another part of the room. It too will be restored. Then there is a 1909 Maudsley motor, with overhead camshafts. This was definitely designed with the home mechanic in mind. By removing four round “hatches” one could pull the pistons and con-rods without any further work—the job took about 15 minutes when all cylinders were done. It is almost as simple to remove the valve gear. The answer to a mechanic’s prayer, in fact. Space Problem Mr R. Southward, Mr Len Southward's son, said the big problem with the museum was space. There was no difficulty in obtaining cars and there

were many, the Owen Magnetic for instance, that deserved a place in the display. The present museum building could not be extended any further. If there were space, it would be possible to ask owners of vintage cars to lend them for, say, three months, thus having a constantlychanging display. Many owners would be glad to lend their vehicles: most of them have trouble storing them. Mr Southward could not put a value on the cars on display, but he said it would be at least £5OO each. But this did not take into account the thousands of man-hours that had gone into their restoration. Even the paintwork takes hours. The “Brighton Run” Wolseley, for instance, had been given many coats of enamel, which had then been varnished to give a deep, lustrous, and brush mark-free finish. Mr Southward said this was the way all vintage cars should be painted. Extensions Later So there it is, the museum and behind the museum. The extension which houses the museum also houses the workshop of W. Hamblin, where Kerry Grant’s cars are prepared. In it is a chassis dynamometer, which is used not only in tuning racing cars but also to test the mufflers made in the Southward factory, which also makes petrol cans, steel tubing and rear-vision mirrors. Mr Southward, jun., said the museum would eventually be open to the public regularly, probably only at week-ends at first. But the visitor to Wellington should not miss seeing this museum, if it is at all possible. It is here that many of the pioneers of New Zealand’s roads have found their last resting place, where they provide enjoyment for the many who see them, and preserve an important part of New Zealand’s history. It is to be hoped the museum will be extended and improved, even on a different site, so that this generation and succeeding generations will be able to see these wonderful and historic old cars. Perhaps to marvel at the ingenuity of the engineers of that day, or at the way in which transport in New Zealand, and the world, has grown from these beginnings.