The Birth of Holden Austin Special 1927 Bsa Restoration
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NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE No. 307 December 2010/ January 2011 $6.95 THE BIRTH OF HOLDEN Behind the wheel of an AUSTIN SPECIAL 1927 BSA RESTORATION 9 418979 000012 Rally Action Across New Zealand Pictures supplied by Arthur Bennett, Dunedin The late Harry Lemon of Westport with his ex Newman’s Cadillac taken at Franz Josef Glacier, December 1953. A group of Westport people formed a party and hired Harry to take them on the trip. While staying in the Glacier area they made the Okarito Forks Hotel, now demolished, their base. This Cadillac was used by Newmans on the Motueka run most of its life. Another Cadillac bus the same was owned by the Wesport building firm, Neilson Bros who used it to transport their staff down to Franz Josef, where a replacement hotel was under construction. Harry Lemon later purchased several KB7 Internationals from Newmans as well as a swept up Aeroflite Type, which was formerly on the Wellington-Napier run. Lower picture: Arthur Bennett fourth on right standing. PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED Submissions of suitable prints and information (where available) are always welcome. Please send original photographs of historical interest with any available information to: Beaded Wheels, PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. Laserprints/photocopies are not suitable. Photos will be returned as soon as practicable. management committee MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SECRETARY/ TREASURER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Contact National Office for all queries Please note this information changes Michael Lavender Bob Ballantyne regarding VICs, logbooks, historic Race Licences, annually - these details are valid until 03 325 5704 [email protected] 09 444 4066 [email protected] October 2011. Lighting Endorsement, Registration of vehicles, REGISTRAR Tony Bartlett address changes, Subcriptions, Membership PRESIDENT Rod Brayshaw 06 867 9850 [email protected] John Coomber 07 549 4250 [email protected] Cards, Speed events. Diane Quarrie 03 348 0062 [email protected] SPEED STEWARD 06 876 4009 [email protected] CLUB CAPTAIN NORTHERN REGION The Vintage Car Club Of New Zealand (Inc.) Frank Renwick BEADED WHEELS CHAIRMAN John Foot National Office, 03 352 4383 [email protected] Kevin Clarkson 07 823 5641 [email protected] PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 03 385 9821 [email protected] CLUB CAPTAIN SOUTHERN REGION VCCNZ ARCHIVIST Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 John Chynoweth Betty Wallace Email [email protected] 03 439 5474 [email protected] 03 942 2723 [email protected] branches A full list of branch addresses and contact details can also be found on the VCCNZ website at www.vcc.org.nz ASHBURTON EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY KING COUNTRY NORTH SHORE SOUTH WAIKATO WAITEMATA PO Box 382, Ashburton 7740 PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo C/- 34 House Ave, C/- 7 Godwit Place, Lynfield PO Box 403 Tokoroa 3420 C/- 9 Marlborough Ave, Glenfield [email protected] Whakatane 3159 Taumarunui 3920 Auckland 1042 [email protected] Auckland 0629 AUCKLAND [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] TARANAKI [email protected] PO Box 12-138, Penrose, FAR NORTH MANAWATU OTAGO C/- 86 Wilson St, Hawera 4610 WANGANUI Auckland 1642 2534 Kaitaia-Awaroa Rd, PO Box 385 PO Box 5352, Dunedin 9058 [email protected] PO Box 726, Wanganui 4540 [email protected] Herekino, RD 1, Kaitaia 0481 Palmerston North 4440 [email protected] TAUPO [email protected] BANKS PENINSULA [email protected] [email protected] ROTORUA PO Box 907, Taupo 3351 WELLINGTON PO Box 22-431, High Street, GISBORNE MARLBOROUGH PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 [email protected] PO Box 38-418, Petone, Christchurch 8142 PO Box 307, Gisborne 4040 PO Box 422, Blenheim 7315 [email protected] WAIKATO Wellington 5045 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SOUTH CANTERBURY PO Box 924, Hamilton 3240 [email protected] BAY OF PLENTY GORE NELSON PO Box 623, Timaru 7910 [email protected] WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH PO Box 660, Tauranga 3140 PO Box 329, Gore 9740 PO Box 3531, Richmond 7050 [email protected] WAIMATE PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SOUTHLAND 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 [email protected] CANTERBURY HAWKES BAY NORTHLAND PO Box 1240, Invercargill 9840 [email protected] WEST COAST PO Box 11-082, Sockburn PO Box 3406, Napier 4142 PO Box 17, Whangarei 0140 [email protected] WAIRARAPA C/- 9 Stafford Rd, Christchurch 8052 [email protected] [email protected] SOUTH OTAGO PO Box 7, Masterton 5810 Hokitika 7882 [email protected] HOROWHENUA NORTH OTAGO C/- M. Tapp, RD 3, Warepa, [email protected] [email protected] CENTRAL OTAGO PO Box 458, Levin 5540 PO Box 360, Oamaru 9444 Balclutha 9273 C/- 4B Roto Place, Wanaka 9305 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Please note this information changes annually - these details are valid [email protected] until October 2010. 2 Beaded Wheels Beaded Wheels Publisher THE Vintage CAR CLUB OF NZ (INC.) The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 Vol LX No. 307 Editorial Committee Beaded Wheels Kevin Clarkson (Chairman), Judith Bain, Rosalie Brown, Bill Cockram, John Coomber, Issue 307 December 2010/January 2011 Mark Dawber, Marilyn McKinlay. Material for Publication Reports of restorations, events, road tests, historical and technical articles etc should be FEATURES forwarded to PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141, typed or neatly printed, double space on one 12 The Birth of Holden side of paper only. Email of text and photos is acceptable, digital photographs should be high 14 Mercer – The Car who’s future went resolution eg 300dpi. No payment is made to contributors. The opinions or statements down with the Titanic expressed in letters or articles in Beaded Wheels are the author’s own views and do not necessarily 16 Behind the Wheel —Avon Hyde’s Austin Special express the policy or views of The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc). 20 A Good Keen Man Email [email protected] 22 Into the South Island High Country Advertising Address Classified and Display Advertising to: PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. George Mihaljevich’s 1911 Hudson 24 Little Ell - The Story of a 1927 BSA restoration Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 332 3827 Gentleman’s roadster features page 10. Rate schedule available on request. 27 Restoration Bug Back Issues Available on request to PO Box 13140, 28 Rally Snippets Christchurch 8141. 28 Pride and Passion Motor Show Correspondence & Editorial Contributions Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 332 3827 29 Topless Tour and Pre-39 Run PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. 30 2010 Auckland Hunua 100 Subscriptions Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. 49 50 Year Awards Phone 03 366 4461, Fax 03 366 0273 Annual subscription (6 issues) $39 inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$70 Other countries (6 issues) NZ$100. COLUMNS Production Typesetting & design by RGBDesign 4 President’s Message Printed by Spectrum Print Ltd, Christchurch. Closing Date for February/March Issue 4 As We See It Editorial Copy 27 December 2010 Morris Minor bonnets never looked so Advertisements 10 January 2010 good as in the tail of this car, page 16. 5 VCC Events The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) 6 National Office News National Office Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 6 Mailbag Email [email protected] Postal Address 9 Timelines PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand. Address 10 The Way We Were 12 Aberdeen St, Christchurch, New Zealand. Website 32 Brass Notes www.vcc.org.nz Beaded Wheels is the voice of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) and its 35 branches 34 VCC Rally 2012 covering the length and breadth of the country. The efforts of our members continue fostering 35 Book Review and ever widening the interest in this segment of our country’s history. It is to these people, who This Austin is on the market and looking appreciate the fascination of age, the individuality for a new home, page 37. 36 Two Wheels and Other Things and the functional elegance of vehicles from a bygone era, that this magazine is dedicated. 37 Marketplace Beaded Wheels – A very apt and well-known title however readers may wonder at the origin of the name. By way of explanation beaded edge wheels 44 Swap Meets & Rallies use beaded edge tyres that are kept in place by reinforced rubber beads, which fit into the rolled edges of the wheel rim. This style of wheel was a 53 Idle Torque distinctive feature of early motoring being used on early bicycles, many pre-1924 cars and most motorcycles until 1927. The VCCNZ adopted the title Beaded Wheels for their quarterly club magazine in March 1955 which was the successor to the monthly Guff Sheet. Copyright Information The contents are copyright. Articles may be COVER reproduced complete or in part provided that acknowledgement is made to “Beaded Wheels, This 1956 FJ Holden is representative of early Holdens. See The the magazine of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc)” as the source. Beaded Wheels Birth of Holden, page 12. reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes. Photo Rosalie Brown Beaded Wheels 3 president’s message as we see it As we approach another festive season past twelve months has finally been signed Here in Canterbury we are looking to a I look back over a very busy year, and by both parties and is now in force.