ANZAC Day run near Christchurch, New Zealand.

[nzcarnerd]

ANZAC day in the New Zealand (and Australia) equivalent of Memorial Day where military dead from past wars are remembered. This year being a Tuesday it was a partial public holiday and about 40 cars, and one bike, took the opportunity to take part in a run around a rural area about 20 miles inland from Christchurch. It was a fundraiser for the local RSA (Returned Service men's Association), with the route passing five local war memorials. The combination of a nice sunny autumn day, and mostly traffic-free roads meant it was suitable for the very early cars, the two oldest being the 1900 Wolseley and the 1905 Alldays and Onions. The two main organisers own between them several of the early cars, and one has several Wolseley cars so there were several of each. I took my 1929 Studebaker cabriolet and drove about 120 miles including going to and from home.  Photo credits to Philip Dickie who posted these pics on a local facebook page.

[nzcarnerd]

1900 Wolseley. This car has been with the same family since 1946 and the driver on the day is the son of the 1946 owner, but nowadays his grandson (so fourth generation) also does some of the driving. Single horizontal cylinder, 4 1/2" x 5", reverse rotation engine and chain drive. Cruise about 25 mph.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

1905 Alldays and Onions. I think this one is a single, and a recent restoration, but the owner has previously restored a two cylinder model. 

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

1909 Ford T.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

1912 Ford T. The driver here is the son of the now late owner who restored of this car nearly 50 years ago. He also has a very rapid 1914 T speedster.

 

[nzcarnerd]

Several more Ts - 1913 and 1915. I think the '13 is a recent import from the US.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

Some later Fords. The owner of the '32 has had it more than 50 years.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

A few Chevs. The speedster is registered as a 1925 but must have a later front axle, with brakes.  The '47 has had a later grille piece added. It is a local assembled model, from parts sourced from Canada.

[nzcarnerd]

Other makes represented. The 1924 Cadillac was purchased used in the US in the mid 1920s and the owners toured the US and Europe with it before shipping it home. The 1935 Buick is a locally assembled model, though these were sourced from Flint (unlike our Fords, Chevs and Plymouths which came mostly from Canada). The green 'cabriolet' is my Studebaker. What would be regarded in the US as a Datsun B210 is a local limited production variant known as the 120Y SSS, which came with the stripes and mag wheels as standard, along with a tweaked engine with a good cam, twin side draught Dellorto carbs and other goodies so it could compete in a local production race series back in the day. A quick car by the standards of its time.

 

[nzcarnerd]

Some of the other early cars. 1911 Hupmobile 'telephone box', 1914 Talbot, 1914 Renault van, 1914 Rover, a 1910 Stanley (which I think is mostly a reproduction), and a 1912 Wolseley.

[Ozstatman]

Thanks for the ANZAC Day update NZ.

 

"Lest we forget"

[nzcarnerd]

More Wolseleys. 1933 Hornet, 1964 6/110, 1963 1300. And a Riley Elf, a version of the well-known Mini which was also badged as a Wolseley Hornet.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

5 minutes ago, Ozstatman said:

Thanks for the ANZAC Day update NZ.

 

"Lest we forget"

Thanks, I think a combination of the day of the week and the nice weather meant there were several similar runs in various locations around the country, although perhaps with less emphasis on the earlier cars.

[John E. Guitar]

Great photos, thank you for posting them.

[wayne sheldon]

Looks like a fantastic turnout of automobiles! 

I especially like the early Wolseley and the Alldays and Onions! I have always been impressed by how the Commonwealth and Europeans drive their really early automobiles more often than do the American collectors. That was also a fine showing of other later what we might refer to as "brass era" cars. I still get a little confused by your designations of "Veteran" and "Vintage".

Alldays and Onions has such a charmingly English sound to their name. I understand they had a very long history?

 

I heard that there was a string of Earthquakes off your islands yesterday? No serious damage I hope?

 

Thank you for posting the report and photos!

[ch1929]

Thanks for posting the pictures!

[Gunsmoke]

Great showing of vintage stuff, some not common over here. BTW, we in North America say "down under" when referring to Aus/NZ, what do you politely refer to us? Thanks for posting.

[John Kelso]

Very nice looking Stanley

[nzcarnerd]

8 hours ago, Gunsmoke said:

Great showing of vintage stuff, some not common over here. BTW, we in North America say "down under" when referring to Aus/NZ, what do you politely refer to us? Thanks for posting.

I think the most common reference is simply the US, or The States. No opposite of 'down under' as far as I recall.

 

There are quite a lot - as in several thousand - American collector cars here, mostly run of the mill stuff from the post WW2 era and some owners are frequent visitors to the US. Plenty of 'foreign' cars as well but there are almost two different camps in that many owners of non-US cars that given a choice wouldn't touch an American car.

[nzcarnerd]

18 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Looks like a fantastic turnout of automobiles! 

I especially like the early Wolseley and the Alldays and Onions! I have always been impressed by how the Commonwealth and Europeans drive their really early automobiles more often than do the American collectors. That was also a fine showing of other later what we might refer to as "brass era" cars. I still get a little confused by your designations of "Veteran" and "Vintage".

Alldays and Onions has such a charmingly English sound to their name. I understand they had a very long history?

 

I heard that there was a string of Earthquakes off your islands yesterday? No serious damage I hope?

 

Thank you for posting the report and photos!

When the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand was first founded in 1946 by a bunch of Canterbury University students the cut-off date was 1927 - i.e., the end of the Ford T. For whatever reason it was later extended to 31 December 1931. To separate the earliest cars they decided on two categories; veteran for cars up 31 December 1918, and vintage for the later ones.  At some time there was a gradual acceptance of 'post vintage' cars - up to WW2 but at the time those cars had to be 'thoroughbreds'. A lot of the thinking was based on the cars that were here in NZ. By the 1970s there was grudging acceptance of post WW2 cars and in more recent years the club has set up a 30 year rule. The club has expanded greatly to have over 8,000 members nationwide but as with many organisations there is an aging membership, not helped by many new members being retired people who have got rid of the kids and now have some time and money to spend. The aging membership thing explains why we have several hundred who have ben members for 50 years o more. I have 'only' been a member for 44 years. I think it is a good thing that most people are now 'freer' in their thinking and more accepting of a greater range of vehicles.  I know there are a few older diehards who want to set up specific era clubs but who is going to continue it when they fall off their perches? There is a large number of one-make clubs anyway, and most of those members are VCC members as well.  It has become very noticeable in very recent years with the proliferation of 'coffee and cars' type events that many people have no interest in belonging to any club. 

 

Re the terms vintage, veteran etc - and classic - of course these are not legal definitions, just club ideas. There are always arguments especially over the word classic - people posting on facebook etc demanding their car be regarded as a classic etc - and my answer is always that it is whatever you want it to be. The VCC categories only matter when there are events for certain era vehicles, or when there are prizes at stake.

 

The VCC categories can be found in this link. Lots of other stuff on the main site as well. The club has had a national magazine, Beaded Wheels, for most of the time it has existed. I have been on the editorial committee of the mag since 2002. The committee's primary function being proofreading.

 

Club Eligible Vehicles - Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (vcc.org.nz)

 

Re earthquakes I didn't feel the most recent lot - too far away I think - but I guess Californians are like us in that they accept the odd shake happens, just to keep us on our toes. We had a magnitude 4.4 here about 7.30 one day last week which woke those of us still in bed (I work late so don't get up early), but that was only because it was shallow and centered less than ten miles away. Of course here in Christchurch where I live we had the major quakes 2010-2012 and much of the city has been rebuilt.  

[nzcarnerd]

18 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Looks like a fantastic turnout of automobiles! 

I especially like the early Wolseley and the Alldays and Onions! I have always been impressed by how the Commonwealth and Europeans drive their really early automobiles more often than do the American collectors. That was also a fine showing of other later what we might refer to as "brass era" cars. I still get a little confused by your designations of "Veteran" and "Vintage".

Alldays and Onions has such a charmingly English sound to their name. I understand they had a very long history?

 

I heard that there was a string of Earthquakes off your islands yesterday? No serious damage I hope?

 

Thank you for posting the report and photos!

Re Alldays and Onions - Alldays & Onions - Wikipedia