273 replies to this topic

[David McKinney]

Cannon and Rhubarb One are the same sportscar

My question really was, is the Kaipikari Road photo of the car in its Cannon incarnation?

[west17]

My question really was, is the Kaipikari Road photo of the car in its Cannon incarnation?

Sorry, David it is racing as the Cannon and possibly the last time it was raced by Lindsay.

[David McKinney]

Thanks Westy

As I suspected

[Jaffa]

Chamberlain Road was the only access to the Chamberlain farm, which possibly is why it was refered to by some as Chamberlain's Road. I did several different duties there between 1963 and 1980 as a member of the ACC speed committee. Great to see some of the old photos and I will post some when I can get a way to upload them. So far my attempts to do so are being stopped by anti virus program refusing to let Imageshack access to my computer.

[bradbury west]

Try this one, which was recommended by one of our NZ colleagues some time ago. It works the same way as Imageshack but I find it very easy after problems with the other system

http://www.postimage.org/

Roger Lund

[Jaffa]

Doug Bremner in his very fast and unspectacular VW Corvair. This car handled extremley well and Doug always drove so smoothly that he appeared to be going slow, even when setting FTD.

[Jaffa]

Try this one, which was recommended by one of our NZ colleagues some time ago. It works the same way as Imageshack but I find it very easy after problems with the other system

http://www.postimage.org/

Roger Lund

Thanks Roger, This seems to work a lot better.

[bradbury west]

Bump. I was looking for the photo of the 1990's built Sunbeam 24/60 with the Maori V12 aero engine, slated for auction this month in NZ but now to be by private treaty, and thought bumping this thread might be anjoyable for newcomers who might not be aware of it and the wonderful archive shots.
Roger Lund

[grunt]

Stewart Quertier has sent these taken in the Christchurch area. My guess is early ’50s, but we need to know who, what, when and where (and in one case, how). And are they at the same venue?

The top photo is either Gebbies Pass or Governors Bay hillclimb about 1950. The top car is a Low Chassis Invicta owned by McLean? who also raced it at Wigram in 1949 or 1950 or both.
The car was eventually restored by Jim Phillips in Ch Ch in the ealy 80's. I think it was sold out of NZ in the mid to late 80's. Grant Cowie

[grunt]

Patmos Hillclimb in Dunedin or is that not obscure enough. I have no details to offer.

[275 GTB-4]

Welcome W17

Never seen a picture of that car before

But which came first, the Cannon or Rhubarb I?

Look forward to anything else from Urenui you'd like to share (or anywhere else for that matter)

I have seen pictures of events past Paritutu on Centennial Drive...and vaguely remember hearing something about Ngamotu Rd up from the Port

[David McKinney]

The top photo is either Gebbies Pass or Governors Bay hillclimb about 1950. The top car is a Low Chassis Invicta owned by McLean? who also raced it at Wigram in 1949 or 1950 or both.
The car was eventually restored by Jim Phillips in Ch Ch in the ealy 80's. I think it was sold out of NZ in the mid to late 80's. Grant Cowie

Hi Grant, and welcome
Bet you don't remember me phoning you a hundred years ago when you had the the Cooper jet car for sale...

The first photo's Summit Road 22/4/50. Hapless driver was Hec McLean, and it was earlier the same year he'd raced at Wigram.

Billy Lee's the obvious candidate for the other photo, possibly at the same event, but I've never before seen a photo of his Cooper 500 with a number-plate

[David McKinney]

I have seen pictures of events past Paritutu on Centennial Drive...and vaguely remember hearing something about Ngamotu Rd up from the Port

That was a race circuit, not a hillclimb. Started on Centennial Driver, turned into Paritutu Road, then back down Ngamotu Road to Centennial Drive again

[275 GTB-4]

thanks David....I knew I wasn't going nuts! Stratford has the speedway....but I am sure there was also a Hill somewhere...maybe up near the racecourse????? Egmont Village way??

[David McKinney]

thanks David....I knew I wasn't going nuts! Stratford has the speedway....but I am sure there was also a Hill somewhere...maybe up near the racecourse????? Egmont Village way??

Not sure. The main Taranaki hillcimb in my day was Kapiikari Road, Urenui, and I have a feeling there might have been another nearby. Also hillclimbs in the Hawera area, but you might well be right about Stratford

[275 GTB-4]

Not sure. The main Taranaki hillcimb in my day was Kapiikari Road, Urenui, and I have a feeling there might have been another nearby. Also hillclimbs in the Hawera area, but you might well be right about Stratford

My passing comment was just that Stratford had and still has a dirt speedway oval....

[Peter Leversedge]

Stratford Speedway was at the Showgrounds in the late 80s when I raced a sprint car there in a meeting that included future NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon. At the time Jeff was still racing sprint cars.

[johnc42]

Some more Chamberlain’s Road picture from the Hatrat Collection



A general view of part of the course



I don’t know if this corner was called the Karussel, but it looks as if it should have been. An A40 Special circa 1964



The Paddock (literally). The car’s labelled as a Cooper-JAP but I can’t see much Cooper about it...



The Lycoming, stripped of road equipment, getting its breath back between runs. This seems to be from the pre-Boyd era, possibly during Forrest Cardon’s ownership



The pre-war coupés were always very much a part of the Chamberlain’s Road scene. This one seems to be Red Dawson’s Ford, equipped with full-race V8 Corvette engine, and a saloon record-holder in its day

Hi The A40 photo is me (John Curtis) driving up Chamberlain’s Road hillclimb. The photo of whats labled a Cooper Jap, is one of the photos that the late Keith Smith gave me and I think he throught this was the car. He & I put together many photos which I put on a disk and gave the the NZ Grand Priz Association some 5 or 6 years ago. I have noticed some others on this site that were among the collection. Since Keith deid, his wife have given me some more photos, which a present I have not had time to identiy. If I can help with any details please ask.

[johnc42]

Unfortunately I have no real idea of venue or date and not too sure about the drivers for these:

Possibly George Bunce?


Maybe Garth Souness?


Maybe John Curtis?


An "atmosphere" photo (with dog)

The Zepher in the photo is not John Curtis, as my car was brown with a different reg plate, although I did run it at that hillclimb.

[terry mcgrath]

Having recently purchased a large collection some 400 plus photos of motor racing in NZ 1948-1960 I remembered this great thread and eventually found unfortunately to find many of the great pics that were posted here are all gone - what a waste of this valuable on line resource.

Anyway the man who I would have gone to, to put details together on these photos David McKinney is sadly no longer with us -- it was he who initially started this thread.

Is there anyone who has a good knowledge of the 1950's NZ motor racing scene who can help put the who where and when to some of these pics

terry

[Catalina Park]

Allan Dick is probably someone to contact. He is on Facebook https://www.facebook...classicautonews

[wenoopy]

Having recently purchased a large collection some 400 plus photos of motor racing in NZ 1948-1960 I remembered this great thread and eventually found unfortunately to find many of the great pics that were posted here are all gone - what a waste of this valuable on line resource.

Anyway the man who I would have gone to, to put details together on these photos David McKinney is sadly no longer with us -- it was he who initially started this thread.

Is there anyone who has a good knowledge of the 1950's NZ motor racing scene who can help put the who where and when to some of these pics

terry

 

You could also  contact the New Zealand forum "The Roaring Season" (www.theroaringseason.com) which has good membership of NZ 'nostalgiates(?)' as well as expats now living in Australia or USA. Some of us have personal memories going back to the late 1950's and a few even earlier. In any case, there weren't quite as many venues or competitors in those times as there were later. 

 

Stu Buchanan

[bradbury west]

Stu, is Peter Leversedge still about and active.?
Roger Lund

[wenoopy]

Stu, is Peter Leversedge still about and active.?
Roger Lund

 

Apparently yes. His picture appeared in a Christchurch newspaper (or its on-line version) on 29 December 2014, as a convenor of a Neighbourhood Support group in his part of the city, relating to 2011 earthquake damage for which infrastructure repairs are still continuing.

 

I don't have any contacts in Christchurch but a local, or Allan Dick from post #271  might be able to put you in touch.

 

Stu