Correction ; Ken Wharton's BRM in the pits, not the Whitehead Ferrari
Correction ; Ken Wharton's BRM in the pits, not the Whitehead Ferrari
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 08-12-2015 at 05:20 AM. Reason: poor eyesight.
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.
Last edited by Trevor Sheffield; 06-14-2015 at 09:05 AM.
Duncan,yes my copy says first run and oops about the reversed image.Originally Posted by duncan fox
Thanks for your information and Trevor too!!. the Morrie 8 is the one mentioned in the Roycroft book, must dig out and check details.
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.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 07-09-2015 at 06:55 AM. Reason: retouch photo
three different tyres fitted probably to balance the cable brakes
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
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.
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.
Trevor S , sent you a private message, cheers Roger D. re Ralph Watson and another BSA Special.
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.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 08-16-2015 at 07:40 AM. Reason: misread the " Up to Speed "- information correct authors name again.
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 .
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.
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
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.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 08-14-2015 at 07:00 AM. Reason: photos did not attach.
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.
A collection of photos, which will post as a new Thread to follow.
" 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
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 08-13-2015 at 10:13 PM. Reason: correction from Milan Fistonic
The author of "Up to Speed" is Scott Thomson.
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.
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
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 05-18-2020 at 03:14 AM.
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