Bucklers!

[Roger Dowding]

Chassis 90/8.First owner Kerwyn Taylor who built it on UK chassis 1956-58 with de Joux mk. 1 body. Raced at Teretonga and Dunedin. Subsequent owners Trevor Dunning, Gordon Pringle, Graeme Currie, Ken White, Bruce Sutcliffe, Dewar Thomas (who restored the car), Garry Price, Dallas Crampton, and Steve Day.

This car - in recent times


Here with Dallas Crampton at Ngawhini Hill Climb. Date not stated



A article - from an event at Ngawhini -

[Roger Dowding]

Photo from Steve Sharp archives - at Pukekohe . comment on the photo
" Young Bruce Sutcliffe tending to his baby.**
Bart Jonkers may have already seen this one. "

According to notes I have Bruce owned it ** his baby in the 1970's -1975-ish ..

Bruce Sutcliffe well known in Buckler Circles [ owned a few ] and Bart Jonkers now owns this Car - which is in Holland.
The creator of this thread will know more than I do.

The year - not known - looking at the shorts early 1980's - I had those too !! Not a good look !
Attachment 65803

Just found out this - the Registration number is still on Carjam ..

" Year: 1955
Make: BUCKLER
Model: 90
Colour: Green
Second Colour: Yellow
Body Style: Sports Car
VIN: 7A81X000701901955
Plate: KA6377
Engine No: 4945
Chassis: BK901955
Vehicle Type: Passenger Car/Van
Seats: 2
CC rating: 1,172cc "

Previous plate noted too

" Plates History

Plate Effective Date
Current Plate? Get CarJam Report
KA6377 19-Sep-2011
AAH494 06-Apr-2001 "

and before that BL 4993

[Roger Dowding]

Wally Bower in Buckler 6/2 in the early 1970's at Pukekohe - photo by Kevin Lancaster.



Entry List from Milan Fistonic for a 1970 meeting.
Milan wrote " This could be the race shown above. It was held on March 8, 1970 at Pukekohe. "
I was probably there too !! - but no photos of the car !



Kelvin Brown writes ;
" Good to see that photo of Wally Bower in the Buckler Mk.6/2 car, by then the original Arnott blower and 100E had been removed and replaced with a Cortina engine of 1340 cc. ?, was repainted yellow. "

Photo from " Geebeez " the car in Yellow.



Graeme Banks " Geebeez " also wrote
" Yes that was NZs second Buckler probably in its final form before being almost destroyed in a road accident and reincarnated as the Blue Brick. "

Here in a Ray Green " ERC " photo is the Blue Brick along with the now Bart Jonkers car Buckler 90/8 KA6377 Yellow over Green and behind is the Ivy Stephenson / Bruce Sutcliffe Blue over White 90 - they both have De Joux bodies.
Photo from around 1985-86 I believe at Pukekohe in the old Paddock area by the Tote building



Would appreciate any corrections / comments to pass on to Kevin Lancaster - who in retirement n the Coromandel is now posting many of his 100's or 1000's of photos.

Cheers
Roger

[Oldfart]

All seems correct to me, except I note from the entry list that the Bowers car has capacity as 1250 cc
Yes that's the paddock at Pukekohe, and what looks like the tail of another de Joux body just almost out of shot. The door opening looks a bit more like Mistral than de Joux though.

[ERC]

Just come across your mention in last year's Classic & Sports car Rhys! Didn't realise the Alan Staniforth connection - or maybe I just missed it.

I'm a year behind, as the cruising habit since 2011 has meant the pile of magazines kept growing whilst we were away - every year. Cut back from 5 a month to 3, but still not exactly gaining, though having this year's travel cancelled may make a difference.

Referring back to the 1985/86 photo at Pukekohe, note the crowd was pretty good. How times have changed.

[Oldfart]

Sad to say, but the person most responsible for the marque being a known thing, Bruce Sutcliffe passed away this last weekend.
Without Bruce very few would know what the cars were, or meant in the NZ racing scene.
RIP Mr Buckler NZ.

[Roger Dowding]

Sad to say, but the person most responsible for the marque being a known thing, Bruce Sutcliffe passed away this last weekend.
Without Bruce very few would know what the cars were, or meant in the NZ racing scene.
RIP Mr Buckler NZ.

Thanks, Rhys, had just read it on a post by Kelvin Brown.
Bruce's contribution to the marque was huge.

Kelvin posted this photo of team Buckler after the 1982 Perrier Le Mans relay race at Pukekohe.
Bruce Sutcliffe left, Center Q, right Ian Hallett, and another Gent.


Bruce in one of his cars .. leave it Oldfart to say which one



Bruce in the ex Ivy Stephenson car -1982 Ross Cammick photo

[Roger Dowding]

A Special Edition of New Zealand Classic Driver - entitled " ROAD, RACE & RALLY " was published in late 2021.
Six bucklers were gathered together for the article;
Peter Benbrook, 1950 Buckler MKVI.
Graeme Brayshaw, 1954 Buckler MKVI.
Mark Garmey. 1957 Buckler 90.
Grant Bowring, 1957 Buckler DD2 (UK) 90.
Craig Laing, 1958 Buckler DD2,.
Roger Munns, 1959 Buckler 90.

The first two pages of the article



A couple of photos taken at the time.





The Mark Garmey car was owned by the creator of this thread on TRS, back in 1970.
Recently photos of the car under an earlier owner have been appearing on Old New Zealand Motor Racing, Facebook page posted by the owner at the time Peter Preston.

A few Bucklers in New Zealand, have gone overseas, so it is good to know these ones are still here and being used as intended with some Motorsport.

[Roger Dowding]

2013

Interesting stuff, thanks BMC BOY for the photos, question, who is in the Car - dark body white stripe and Roundel for the race number, the Gent has a beard, from a 1982 TACCOC sprint, ??, From memory he was quite an authority on Bucklers like Bruce Sutcliffe, and a member of the Waitemata branch of the Vintage Car Club, that ran Chelsea and other sprints / hillclimbs. ( Lyle Chambers, who had a 1930's BSA front wheel drive [ 4 wheel ] special - with a side valve Ford 10 engine in place of the four cylinder BSA, new him well. the said BSA was run at a Pukekohe sprint with owner Lyle driving and myself been given time to do a few laps too The BSA could hit about 80 mph on the back straight at Pukekohe [ pre-chicanes ] ). Also remember the Glendene Sprints, [ as pictured earlier ] where the Bucklers were and Peter Bruin's, beautiful Lotus 11 sports [ where is that car now ??].

Just going back over this thread - back to 2013 - as have recently seen a few photos by Peter Preston when he owned the Buckler that is now with Mark Garmey, and a previous custodian was " Oldfart " - Rhys Nolan.

To answer my own question ? above.

The Gentleman in the Dark Car with White Stripe TACCOC 1982 by Ross Cammick - is that Ian Hallet ?, who I have seen in a photo with Bruce Sutcliffe and another Buckler Driver, when they won the Team Prize at a Perrier Le Mans Relay Race at Pukekohe in 1982.
The photo, in Post #267, has Bruce Sutcliffe -left, Gentleman with a beard Q centre, and Ian Hallett also with a beard. SSharp noted in 2013 that the Gent in question was quote " That's David Childs. ".
I am now trying to recall what colour Ian Hallets car was. Think it may have been one colour
Now to find the photos, again.

[Roger Dowding]

Peter Preston in Buckler 90-3.
Photos from Peters own archives.

One taking a spin, at Renwick in 1962.

Attachment 72380

The other stated to be Teretonga - helmet seems different but car has same 1961 - 64 number plate.

Attachment 72381

Peter was a successful racer as seen in the article [ advert ] from Motorman that Milan Fistonic has Posted -well back in this thread.

Attachment 72382

Posted before other photos of the car around the same time early 1960's.

Teretonga again. next to a Healey



On track



The car has a distinctive bonnet scoop and the stripes, which Mark Garmey has recreated on the car in its current state.

Sometimes all photos are there, the next time not !!

[Oldfart]

The bonnet scoop went when the overhead valve 1470 cc engine was fitted. The mesh stone guards on the lights were on it when I had it, they came in a box of spares.

[Roger Dowding]

The bonnet scoop went when the overhead valve 1470 cc engine was fitted. The mesh stone guards on the lights were on it when I had it, they came in a box of spares.

Thanks OF, RN,
Another photo from Peter Preston - his first meeting after he bought the car from Barry Cottle - Wigram 1961 ?-trying to read the number plate and see the ' colours " used - White on Deep Red, 1956 -61 or Black on Yellow 1961 - 64..
Looks like the 1961 - 64 plates - the last of the " Old " style Black on Yellow



Ignore the " Renwick " note - forgot to Edit the photo name. Peter stated it was Wigram. Not sure how many times a year they used the Air Force Base - the Lady Wigram Trophy Race was during the " season " January - March,when the Overseas Drivers visited - the off season for Grand Prix and major Sports Car races in UK and Europe.

The plates ;



As on the car :

[GregT]

I'd doubt if that's 61 at Wigram. No rain. It was wet Friday practise and Saturday race day.
It was only late 70's that the track got used more than once a year. University CC and a couple of others managed to talk their way onto it - but no spectator admission. Club members only.

[Roger Dowding]

I'd doubt if that's 61 at Wigram. No rain. It was wet Friday practise and Saturday race day.
It was only late 70's that the track got used more than once a year. University CC and a couple of others managed to talk their way onto it - but no spectator admission. Club members only.

Thanks GregT, I was picking 1962 by the number plate,
Cheers
Roger

[Milan Fistonic]

Peter Preston's Buckler was number 1 at Wigram in 1962 and 1963.

[Roger Dowding]

From Classic Autonews archives - Allan Dick collection.

Hillclimb in Northland - Number Plates are the 1956 - 61 issue.
Northland Car Clubs main Hillclimb venue was Puhipuhi Road, :" North " of Whangarei - near SH1.
Was this there ? - Thanks " Oldfart " for clarification of directions and venue - had my compass upside down - now corrected above " North ";



Pre June 1956 - At Dunedin in 1955 for the Festival Road Races.
from a magazine article. On two wheels



An old print of the same photo ;



At Levin in 1956

[Oldfart]

The top photo I think looks like Puhi puhi which is actually North of Whangarei, a bit beyond Whakapara where the road to Russell branches off.
Jim Boyd did have the use of both of the Mk 6 cars in succeeding years.

[Milan Fistonic]

The top photo I think looks like Puhi puhi which is actually North of Whangarei, a bit beyond Whakapara where the road to Russell branches off.
Jim Boyd did have the use of both of the Mk 6 cars in succeeding years.

I believe Puhi Puhi was Northland Car Club's first hill climb venue. Jim Boyd drove a Buckler there on September 16, 1956 and October 28, 1956.

[Oldfart]

I believe Puhi Puhi was Northland Car Club's first hill climb venue. Jim Boyd drove a Buckler there on September 16, 1956 and October 28, 1956.

It went on for several years, the Northland Special competed there under many of its' names and drivers.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of photos of the Vic Simkin Buckler from the period 1960 -

Levin in 1960 - thought to be the November 26th 1960 meeting.

The car had the ex Lionel Bulcraig Humber 80 motor that was modified and a Sunbeam Rapier gearbox.
The bonnet scoop was wide and quite distinctive for a Buckler.

Lewis Townsend photo - as processed by Ross Cammick.



Another photo of the car from Kelvin Brown archives - event not detailed - on the 1956 - 1961 Number Plate
" 487*119 ". Looks like a Hill Climb event with the chock at the back wheel.