Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

Attachment 29464

Correction ; Ken Wharton's BRM in the pits, not the Whitehead Ferrari

Hi Roger,
I have a similar collection of photographs in my possession. The car line up in post 5 is according to my copy the clubs very 1st run. Your print is reversed I see , the cars are all lh drive.

Your uncle Eddies Morrie 8 is the 2nd one in on your right. That’s also him in the mud climb. The other two are Ralph Watson (Singer 9 LeMans) and Ken Hemus Sunbeam.
Looked like good clean fun from a great era of NZ motoring.
I see I have several shots of the Brown Ford 10 special at Seagrove Airfield also.

Greetings Duncan,

It would be very worthwhile to get the photos you have scanned and recorded here.

The Singer nine in the mud is Driven by Ralph Watson but is his Four seater, rather than the Le Mans which was his second Singer. Refer here, pages 6 & 122/6. ---

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/

The NSCC mud plug was officially titled, “The Winter Trial” and was certainly a fun event, but it comprised a serious component in the clubs yearly calendar, with a still existing designated trophy. It was Ron Roycroft’s habit to specially acquire a Model T Ford each year in order to win the event. However on the last occasion, he ran second to me after I attacked the final hill at maximum speed in my very versatile ACV8. LOL

Them were the days. Trevor.

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Originally Posted by duncan fox

Hi Roger,
I have a similar collection of photographs in my possession. The car line up in post 5 is according to my copy the clubs very 1st run. Your print is reversed I see , the cars are all lh drive.

Your uncle Eddies Morrie 8 is the 2nd one in on your right. That’s also him in the mud climb. The other two are Ralph Watson (Singer 9 LeMans) and Ken Hemus Sunbeam.
Looked like good clean fun from a great era of NZ motoring.
I see I have several shots of the Brown Ford 10 special at Seagrove Airfield also.

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Duncan,yes my copy says first run and oops about the reversed image.

Thanks for your information and Trevor too!!. the Morrie 8 is the one mentioned in the Roycroft book, must dig out and check details.

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

The Ford Ten Specials and others, that would be great to see details,
I know Ed and his brother Mac, while not building a special did modify an Austin 7 tourer, [ around a 1930 model ], with cut down doors, raked windscreen, to make it look MG sports car like. think I have a photo somewhere.

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Attachment 29594

Found a photo of the Austin 7, with Mac's [ my father ] dog Kim, Ed Dowding and a friend, name unsure. photo from my Dads ones so think he probably took it, some sort of a gathering as other cars in view including a Morris 8. have sent a copy to Ed, he may recognise the friend.
Photo would be around 1937-38. no concern about same tyres on each axle, looks like 3 different tyres in the view.

three different tyres fitted probably to balance the cable brakes

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Originally Posted by 928

three different tyres fitted probably to balance the cable brakes

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928, WHAT BRAKES !!, think that " Lord Austin " had the same idea as Ettoire Bugatti, the car is made to go, not stop. probably right though.
One tyre looks like a Michelin - left front - which would make sense as Mac worked at Briscoe and Company Hardware and Ironmongers in Customs Street, and they had the Michelin Agency..

you are right roger. we had a 7 and a wooden anchor on a length of rope that we would throw at parking meters to help. got a laugh even from the blue boys

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

Attachment 29594

Found a photo of the Austin 7, with Mac's [ my father ] dog Kim, Ed Dowding and a friend, name unsure. photo from my Dads ones so think he probably took it, some sort of a gathering as other cars in view including a Morris 8. have sent a copy to Ed, he may recognise the friend.
Photo would be around 1937-38. no concern about same tyres on each axle, looks like 3 different tyres in the view.

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Found a couple more photo's with a pencil note on the back " 1940 ", so maybe a bit later than 1938, the car looks the same, but with the hood down.. not quite an MG but !! 747cc of absolute power .. maybe.

Trevor S , sent you a private message, cheers Roger D. re Ralph Watson and another BSA Special.

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

And some more ;
Mud Climb, Macky's Rest, off the Scenic Drive, Titirangi - Swanson area about 1946.
[ details from the backs of the photo's.]

Attachment 29175

Attachment 29176

Attachment 29177

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Have found some information from Scott Thomson's book " Up to Speed " about Ron Roycroft, on the Mud Trial, a couple of the photos appears there.
The car back view on is a 1922 Sunbeam, with Ken Hemus, Arthur Small and Tom Palmer.

the location is described as Mackies Rest [ not Macky's - as on the back of my photos ], the year 1946, apparently it was a hare and Hounds type Paper chase, with Ron Roycroft in a Riley , as the Hare, but he used sawdust, 17 cars entered, actual date 18th August 1946.
O'Callahan in a Ford 10 won, with Ron second and a B Tappenden in a Pontiac third.

The book describes the May winter trial, the next one as harder than the 1946 one. the 1947 Trial was won by Herb Gilroy in an Austin Ulster, that later became Bruce McLaren's first competition car.

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

Attachment 29594

Found a photo of the Austin 7, with Mac's [ my father ] dog Kim, Ed Dowding and a friend, name unsure. photo from my Dads ones so think he probably took it, some sort of a gathering as other cars in view including a Morris 8. have sent a copy to Ed, he may recognise the friend.
Photo would be around 1937-38. no concern about same tyres on each axle, looks like 3 different tyres in the view.

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Have found out that the other person on the car is Ted [ Edward ] Kippenberger, who was a mate of Ed and Mac's and went on to be Director of Civil Aviation in New Zealand. knew him back in the 1960's .

Attachment 29772

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Attachment 29773

More of the sketches from Ardmore NZ Grand Prix 1956. By Win Bristow.
Interestingly the Austin Healey featured earlier John Seabrook driving #16, was subsequently owned by David Lichenstein, Phil Neill [ racer of some note ] and Mark Donaldson - founder of the Austin Healey Car Club of New Zealand.
Not much detail with a couple of the photo's

Attachment 29794

Attachment 29795


Ardmore NZ Grand Prix, 1956;
Two more Win Bristow sketches, probably should have been another thread, all the photo's and sketches from Eddie Dowding.

Not the early years, but a Northern Sports Car Club member [ racing for Austin Healey Car Club NZ ] at the 1983 Jaguar Drivers Classic Le Mans Relay Race.

Attachment 29789

A collection of photos, which will post as a new Thread to follow.

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Originally Posted by Trevor Sheffield

Greetings Duncan,

It would be very worthwhile to get the photos you have scanned and recorded here.

The Singer nine in the mud is Driven by Ralph Watson but is his Four seater, rather than the Le Mans which was his second Singer. Refer here, pages 6 & 122/6. ---

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/

The NSCC mud plug was officially titled, “The Winter Trial” and was certainly a fun event, but it comprised a serious component in the clubs yearly calendar, with a still existing designated trophy. It was Ron Roycroft’s habit to specially acquire a Model T Ford each year in order to win the event. However on the last occasion, he ran second to me after I attacked the final hill at maximum speed in my very versatile ACV8. LOL

Them were the days. Trevor.

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Attachment 29790

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" The Winter Trial ", as Trevor calls it was a very popular event and gets some mention in Scott Thomson's book, " Up to Speed " the Ron Roycroft biography. It mentions a lot of names, Ken Hemus [ who is an official at the 1956 Ardmore NZ Grand Prix ] and others who feature in NZ Car Club history of the time.
The last photo was taken at Helensville and is at the same Hall that the photo of Ron Roycroft in the book was taken

The author of "Up to Speed" is Scott Thomson.

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Originally Posted by Milan Fistonic

The author of "Up to Speed" is Scott Thomson.

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Milan, you are so right - need to look before I type. now corrected in the post, thanks

In a recent conversation [ E-mail ] Eddie Dowding advised me that as well as being Club Captain / President of NSCC, as a School Teacher at Seddon Technical College in the early 1950's he taught a teenage Bruce McLaren when Bruce was in the 4th Form.
Bruce's interest in cars was apparent then which Eddie would have enjoyed too!!
The College was based in the central city in those days, not at Western Springs where it is now. small world.

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Originally Posted by Roger Dowding

NSCC, was formed during the second world war - believe or not and from what I have gleaned from my Uncle Albert Edward " Eddie " Dowding, initial discussions took place on the Ferries bewteen, Auckland City and the North Shore jetty's, Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead. Eddie lived at the time in Herne Bay and caught the Ferry to Northcote to visit his girlfrend. amongst the group initially involved were, Phil Seabrook, Alan Pybus, Laurie Powell and others, Ron Roycroft was a member in the late 1940's too !!. Eddie Dowding and his brother-in-law Jack Boot both belonged, Eddie was Club Captain in the early days / years.

Eddie is still alive and well at 95, and many years ago gave me a few photos on NSCC and some events.
Here are a few to start

Attachment 29131
NSCC Concours 1947 -

Attachment 29132
NSCC Helensville Mud Trial 1949

Attachment 29133
Jack Boot Riley Special - raced at a Cinder Track in Huntly - year not known but late 1940's.

As I find more will post them.

Please add to the thread.

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In my rummage around the garage, I found Eddie's Memoirs written in 2006, It has some information on the his cars and a mention that he was Club Captain 1943-45 and its second President 1945-46, although the NSCC website has him as Eddie Downing, must get that corrected
** the entry was corrected back in 2016 following my contact with the Club