8 replies to this topic

[geebeenz]

I am researching the history of the supercharged Buckler MkV raced by Jim Boyd in 1955/56. Both Vercoe's book and Kelvin Brown's Buckler history refer to Boyd winning the New Zealand Sports Car Championship in 1956. Vercoes reference relates to the Buckler DD1 and Brown the MkV. Motorsport NZ Lists for the Sports Car Championship only start from 1960. Does anyone know how official the NZ Sports Car Championship was in 1956 who sanctioned it and which Buckler Boyd won it in.

[David McKinney]

I am researching the history of the supercharged Buckler MkV raced by Jim Boyd in 1955/56. Both Vercoe's book and Kelvin Brown's Buckler history refer to Boyd winning the New Zealand Sports Car Championship in 1956. Vercoes reference relates to the Buckler DD1 and Brown the MkV. Motorsport NZ Lists for the Sports Car Championship only start from 1960. Does anyone know how official the NZ Sports Car Championship was in 1956 who sanctioned it and which Buckler Boyd won it in.

The first NZ Sports Car Championship was in 1960
I can only think that the 1956 reference is to the sportscar race at the same meeting as the NZ Championship Road Race for racing cars, at Dunedin. Boyd did win that race, but it was a handicap, and there are no contemporary references to it having a title.

Boyd didn't see the DD1 till October 1956, ie at the start of the 1956/57 season. He was still hin the MkV in 1955/56. Throughout that season he couldn't stay with Ross Jensen's 100S Austin-Healey: in that Dunedin race, for example, he was given a minute's start and Jensen caught up all but 19sec of that by the finish

[geebeenz]

Many thanks David. I am often amazed how quickly some of you can instantly come up with answers from over 50 years ago.

[wenoopy]

The first NZ Sports Car Championship was in 1960
I can only think that the 1956 reference is to the sportscar race at the same meeting as the NZ Championship Road Race for racing cars, at Dunedin. Boyd did win that race, but it was a handicap, and there are no contemporary references to it having a title.

Boyd didn't see the DD1 till October 1956, ie at the start of the 1956/57 season. He was still hin the MkV in 1955/56. Throughout that season he couldn't stay with Ross Jensen's 100S Austin-Healey: in that Dunedin race, for example, he was given a minute's start and Jensen caught up all but 19sec of that by the finish

To amplify a little on David McKinney's comments, from the late 1940's, there were events designated each season as the 'New Zealand Road Race(Racing?) Championship', ' NZ Beach Racing Championship', and similarly 'Hill Climb' 'Sprint' and 'Trial' championship events. Sometimes there was also a 'North' or 'South Island Championship' event as well but these were stand-alone events and they were run by various clubs over the period.

There was no overall champion recognised until the 1956-57 season when a points system over the 7 major races for the 'Gold Star' was introduced. I don't think there was any thought of racing car or sports car categories at the time, they were all 'Formule Libre' apart from Trials, where I presume saloon cars were expected. In 1959-60 similar Sports Car and Saloon Championships were set up by the NZ Racing Drivers' Club.

The titles of 'NZ Championship' and N & S Island were still allocated for a while to individual events within(or sometimes outside) the Gold Star Racing points championship and the later Hillclimb series, but had no special value(rather like the current European Grand Prix in the F1 champs). Likewise with Sprints and Beach Racing where there never was a points series.

It is probably unwise to take any one NZ source of info as being correct. Some errors or mistakes have been perpetuated from one source to several others, and sometimes more recent writers have put a different slant on earlier events through not really knowing how things really worked at the time.

[thunder427]

There was a real nice fibreglass sports car that was resident in Christchurch in the late 50's, early 60's,(this was a 'road car'), Zephyr powered 2door coupe,I'm thinking it was called a 'Sabre',It was very well proportioned car,but I only knew of 'one' being built............does anybody remember this car or its history and ofcourse is it still in existance today in some form or other !!!!!?.....................regards427

[David McKinney]

Built I believe by Barry Walker of later Mirage fame
Familiar at Ruapuna and neighbouring venues for about ten years from 1958, latterly in Aynsley Murray's hands.
But I don't know anything more about its origins

[Peter Leversedge]

The "Sabre" was built during the early ' 60 s by Barry Walker who passed away recently aged in his early '70 s. He built the car while he was working as a mechanic at Hutchinson Motors the Christchuch Ford dealers. I was working there at the same time and Barry's work bay was about three along from mine You could say I saw it being built as I visited his home work shop from time to time as it was being built. As David says he later built a car called a Mirage but during the first season he raced it he had a bad crash at Dunedin and both the car and Barry never raced again. The car was rear engined with a Ford 1500 engine and a twin cam head that he made himself. I understand the engine ended up in the speed boat of the late Bill Stokes
The last NZ Championship Beach Race was held in 1977

[thunder427]

The "Sabre" was built during the early ' 60 s by Barry Walker who passed away recently aged in his early '70 s. He built the car while he was working as a mechanic at Hutchinson Motors the Christchuch Ford dealers. I was working there at the same time and Barry's work bay was about three along from mine You could say I saw it being built as I visited his home work shop from time to time as it was being built. As David says he later built a car called a Mirage but during the first season he raced it he had a bad crash at Dunedin and both the car and Barry never raced again. The car was rear engined with a Ford 1500 engine and a twin cam head that he made himself. I understand the engine ended up in the speed boat of the late Bill Stokes
The last NZ Championship Beach Race was held in 1977

Peter;this makes a lot of sense,I worked across the road from 'Hutchies' at the Departmental store 'Millers Ltd',actually you may remember (or have been part of!!) the Mechanics racing the customer cars around from the back of the dealership to the front of the facility, I also remember when on of the external service 4 post hoist collapsed with a 58 ford on it ,about'68/69............was Ross Dickson working at 'Hutchies' when you where there???????

David,Ansly Murray,Ive been away to long but this name rings a large Bell!!,was he the person that built that real pretty Red Singer Gazelle 'Sprint' with the wire wheel,from Sumner way.................or do I need to come home for a refresher course?????????????.....................regards427

[Peter Leversedge]

thunder427 I was at Hutchinson Motors 1959 to 65 with BarryWalker, Ron Rutherford & Neil Stuart .