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ERA - the ex Prince Bira - Bill Morris car..
Posted a couple of photos of the Ex Bira ERA - the Blue one with yellow stripes [ yellow on the chassis ] on a facebook page and Allan Dick responded with the attached information.
" It is Romulus, the famous ex Bira ERA which came to NZ with it's proud and enthusiastic owner Bill Morris who drove the car like fury and had an awesome reputation in the UK. One of the Dunedin motor racing crew — Greg McKenzie — went to the UK in the late sixties or early seventies for his OE and ended up staying four or five years and became great mates with Morris. When Morris brought the ERA to NZ he stayed for the summer and competed in classic racing up and down the country. He stayed with Greg in Dunedin for several weeks when he did the southern races. Greg brought him to the pub every night and Bill became part of the Downtown Tavern "think tank" who met nightly to talk motor racing and solve the world's problems. Bill was great and easy company - no airs and graces. Sadly, his health went down and he died in 2018. " ***.
The photo - posted before under the Dunedin 1984 part of the thread when I first wrote it ..
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On the track
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Otago Daily Times photo of the ERA and the 260M - as in the above colour photo..
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** Have found out a bit more about the ERA .. It was one of several that were in the stable of Prince Chula of Siam and his brother Prince Bira used to race them .. more to come on this.
Details from John Newell ..about the ERA. this was a reply to Allan Dick's comment posted above
***
" actually the E.R.A. that Bill Morris brought out in 1984 is Hanuman II. Chassis R12B, and always a 1500cc engined car.
It was one of Prince Chula's White Mouse Garage E.R.A.s, and was raced by his cousin Prince B. Bira.
There were two other Siamese Prince owned cars. These are Remus (R5B), and Romulus (R2B).
I was priviledged to help Bill push start Hanuman II that year in Dunedin, as a teenager. It is a memory I won't forget!
When in the UK on my OE playing with Vintage racing cars for 6 years in the 90s, I got to know several E.R.A. owners, and worked on one of these cars.
R12B is actually now back in Thailand.
R2B spent most of its life there but is now back racing in the UK. "
An ERA was in Dunedin in 1989 as well.. an article by Mark Holman for Classic and Sports Car Magazine from the UK - who also writes for NZ Classic Driver.
This on Ardmore and Dunedin in 1989..
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Dunedin 1984 - A Montage of images from the Dunedin Weekly News. plus other photos.
Not sure if posted before - went back over the thread recently. the images was scanned in 2019.
This was the centre-spread in the " Dunedin Midweek " - the Weekly published on the Wednesday following the event on 29th January 1984.
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Mark D posted a couple of photos recently from his own and also the Bramwell collection of cars at the events - including the Newell Vauxhall 30/98 having a slide on Bethune's Gully - the Hill Climb ..
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The 1930's Alta that was in the Entry Lists of the Pre-war vehicles - actually Vintage and up to 1954. It included Sports and Racing cars from the 1930's to 1954.
Behind the Honda tow car ..
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A crowd around the Alta with the Engine cover off - location not stated - from the archives of Mark Dawber.
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Pontiac Bonneville a 1965 model Reg JA1965 - Owner Mark Dawber
Saw this car at Dunedin in 1984 - the Street Races that started this thread..
Recently some photos have emerged of the car at the Lyttleton Street Races in the 1980's.
I need to research the actual date or dates. *** See note below in this post
The car has been rebuilt by Mark and his son in the last couple of years and has been to some VCC events around Christchurch.
Photos from both events ;
Lyttleton ..
This from a John Wards who took a number of photos at the event.
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Photo from H Dawber archives - his own photo I believe.
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Moving on around 40 years - the car had been off the road for around 30 years so since early 1990's.
The VCC Grasskhana event, raking up, and taking up, a lot of the track.
Mark Dawber's own photos.
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The car showing some primer paint as was not finished at the time.
Have seen a number of photos of the rebuild - mainly of the bodywork.
The car was known as the " Aircraft Carrier " when Mark raced it in the 1980's
Have just found this on an early thread on TRS where there was a question about the Races.
There were three events
This about the first two - from Chris Read.
" The first meeting was SUNDAY 13 11 88 and was a very hot day which played havoc with cars on the grid without starters as the race was new and getting the races away was taking 5 minutes after formation. I cooked the motor! The Cooper Bristols of Jim Boult and Wayne Marsh were there I think and too fast for me. The BCM, ACE111 and 260M were evenly matched and we had great racing.
Times were 59 seconds. There is a great photo in the following weeks Press of Graeme Hamilton in the ACE and me in the BCM cutting the corner at the top under a verandah. Not sure if this meeting or the next but over the bridge the Stanton dropped its rear diff drive chain with me 1 foot behind and it sure made me pucker until I saw it lay itself on the ground and I passed over it and round the Stanton as it came to a stop.
THE SECOND MEETING WAS 12 11 89. It was a hot fine and sunny day. I was racing the BCM Special. Times were about 60 sec for the classic single seaters. Both the Coopers were absent. Russell Greer had the Stanton and once in front he was too wide to pass. I had pole but the Stanton got in front and stayed there. The ACE111 had broken its drive train so I had no one to play with except a bothersome anklebiting FF which was lots of fun. Getting the corner right onto the straight after the down hill bit gave you some straight speed to pass. I really enjoy street racing and this was all of that so it was a pity this was the last meeting. I think I was awarded the PDL trophy for best effort by a NZ built special. All I was trying to do was get past Russell.
A Porsche came to grief but not sure if that was why it did not happen next year. I think it was a matter of logistics. Great wee circuit and part of NZ history of street circuits. Chris Read "
" jellywrestler " states that there was a third event 11th November 1990 - Armistice Day WW1 Anniversary
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Ryal Bush - scene of the " Southland Centennial Race " in 1956 and NZ Road Race 1957
Events were held at Ryal Bush, Southland in early 1956 and again in 1957, in February of that year.
This is before the opening of Teretonga, a dedicated Racing Track in November 1957.
A series of photos from the " Eric Rillstone Studio " have been shared by Graham Woods on Old New Zealand Motor Racing Facebook page - Graham mentions that he has discovered 24 photos from Ryal Bush mainly 1956 with some 1957 and also photos from Teretonga in later 1957, when the Track opened.
Cars in the Southland Centennial Race.
Note some cars also ran in the " Sports Car Race ",
The Entry list Lap Chart - posted before ;
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Grand Prix cars - Ferrari's
Peter Whitehead in the pits
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Whitehead on track
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Reg Parnell - in his Aston Martin ** - should have read the entry list and had a good look at the car.
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Ron Roycroft Bugatti - Jaguar leads Peter Whitehead followed by Frank Shuter in the Edelbrock Special
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Ron Roycroft in the Bug-Jag
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More action to come - the Sports Cars
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Ryal Bush - more from Graham Woods the Eric Rillstone Studio archives
Ryal Bush 1956 - The Sports Cars - as noted some cars competed in the Sports Car Race and the Southland Centennial Race.
Entry List for the Sports Cars ;
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Mrs June Monk in her TR2 in the lead an Allard behind
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Ray Archibald in the XK120 and Tom Killkelly MG Special
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HWM Jaguar - photo was posted with the note who is the driver ? #44
will be in the Entry List for one of the Races. F A O Tony Gaze in the Sports Car Race he had a Ferrari GP Car in the main race or is it John Horton in the main race, but he was #7 ..
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Tom Sulman in the Aston Martin DB3S
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Ryal Bush a 1956 image and the 1957 Event the NZ Road Race Championship
Another from 1956 of Mrs June Monk leading a couple of others with a car off in the grass.
Titles were used for females back in these days.
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The NZ Road Race Championship - Entry List for the 1957 Event.
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Some of the Entrants on track.
A group with Tucker in the Ransley Riley [ RR 2 ].
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Reg Parnell and Peter Whitehead
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Jack Brabham in a Bobtail Cooper - Climax
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Horace Gould of Cooper Bristol fame in a Maserati 250F
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Some details on the photos including an error H Gould Maserati. not Ferrari
That is all for the moment.
Do have the Saloon Car Entry List for one years events but no images
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New Zealand Championship Road Race - 1949 - at Wigram
" New Zealand Championship Road Race ". 1949 at Wigram RNZAF Base.
In the 1950 Programme for the same event it states
The event was "Run jointly by the Canterbury Car Club (Inc.) and the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand, - Held under the auspices and rules of the ' Association of New Zealand Car Clubs ' and Supplementary Regulations.".
The Association had been formed in 1948.
Entry List and Lap Chart for the " Main " Race. up to lap 21.
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The entrants on the startline from a Newspaper or Magazine of the Day.
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Notes on the Drivers.
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Other notes - unsure where from - a Club newsletter perhaps - not serious enough to be in the Programme.
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All from Graham Woods vast archives