Cinderella updated

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 13

Cinderella updated

Remember the story about Cinderella and the fairy godmother who touched the pumpkin with her magic wand and it became a beautiful coach ? Well, a young Hamilton man has touched his welding rod to some steel pipe and a Yamaha motor-cycle and he has come up with a 1972 version of Cindy’s coach. This machine, the world’s wildest motor-cycle, is coming to Christchurch for the International Motor Show at Canterbury Court from September 28. Centre piece of this strange vehicle is a giant five-foot vinyl covered orange pumpkin. Inside the pumpkin there are seats upholstered in soft nylon velvet in a rich golden colour. This coach body is suspended on four chromium plated springs between a chassis painted in deep purple. High up at the front is the coachman’s padded seat and under him sits the Yamaha 360 c.c. motor. The motor drive through a right-angle gearbox which saw many years service as the steering box on a Bedford truck. The power is then transmitted by a

chrome tailshaft to a Ford car differential and out to super-wide Goodyear racing tyres off a Brabham Formula One racing car. To cap it all off the steering is done by fourfoot long motor-cycle forks similar to the “easy rider” type of chopper motorcycle. These are also lavishly chromed.

The ingenious machine can be driven, albeit slowly until a bigger motor is fitted. The Christchurch show will be its first appearance and after touring New Zealand the strange device, known as “Cindy Baby,” will be sent overseas where the rest of the world can marvel at this wonder machine!