SEPTEMBER
Sunday 3rd Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Wednesday 13th Club Night 7.30 pm
Sunday 17th Club Run – BBQ Breakfast
Wednesday 20th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
OCTOBER
Sunday 1st Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Wednesday 11th Club Night 7.30 pm
Sunday 15th Club Run – BBQ Breakfast
Wednesday 18th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
NOVEMBER
Sunday 5th Breakfast the Hub 8.30 am
Wednesday 8th Club Night 7.30 pm
Wednesday 15th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
Sunday 19th Club Run – Boot Picnic Pow Wow
Tuesday 21st Hospice Run Club Breakfast - First Sunday of each month At The Huka Hub Café
Huka Falls, next to the helicopters. Special menu for Club Members. IMPORTANT: Please let Owen know by 3pm Friday if you will be there: 07 378 8327. Please be seated by 8.30 am.
2 Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque COVER
33
Cover: 1904 Darracq ‘Genevieve’ pictured at the 2011 Veteran Car Run London Concours.
35
CLUB DAY
Third Sunday of the Month.
Although you can print this magazine to A4 (either actual size or scaled to A4), this magazine has been set up in A5 format. This allows you to print 2 pages up on an A4 or even a booklet if your printer supports it.
If you open the magazine file in Acrobat Reader, and select file>print, under Page Size and Handling (see image below), you can print multiple pages per sheet. Click File>Print>Multiple>Pages per sheet> 2
If your printer supports printing both sides of the paper, you can also print a ‘Booklet’. Which allows you to print, then staple and fold up into an A5 magazine.
Here are some more informative links and videos to help:
• Printing Multiple A4 Sheets on One A4 Sheet in Adobe Reader
• Printing PDFs from Acrobat Reader
• Get Adobe Reader
The month’s activities commenced, as usual, with breakfast at The Hub. This is a popular event, with 30 to 35 members attending each month. One of the benefits of this event is that members bring a friend or colleague who the member thinks may be interested in what we do. As a result, it looks as if we will be acquiring a few new members.
As a result of some members finding the coffee morning and club night on the same day a bit much to handle, Barry has agreed to defer the Petrolheads coffee mornings one week. This month, the group met at Lava Glass. I understand the café was not as well organised as usual and things did not go as well as expected. Nevertheless, the 30+ members had their morning cuppa and a chat before going their separate ways.
Club Night this month was an enjoyable evening. It was the first time I (along with many others, I suspect) had played Bingo. It was a lot of fun. The number calling started out slowly until members got the hang of what was going on, and with the help of a phone app, the pace increased as the evening went on. There was a lot of laughter and consumption of chocolate goodies. There was considerable positive feedback and a willingness to revisit the experience in the future.
The final club event for the month was the Daffodil Rally for Cancer. The weather gods were most unkind. As I am aware of others preparing reports on this event, I will make no further comment except to say I was very disappointed for Tony, who had put a lot of work into preparing for this occasion. Thank you, Tony, but we have no control over the weather. My thanks also to Peter Lockie, who had
planned to co-ordinate the distribution of daffodils, but again, the weather had conspired against us. Peter’s work came to naught.
As you maybe aware, the new carpet is down and is the subject of a lot of positive comment. To date, I have heard no adverse remarks. $10,200 of the cost of this job was donated to us by the Lion Foundation, with some additional costs coming from our own coffers. This came about as a decision was made to include the replacement of the very tatty orange vinyl in front of the servery in the carpet upgrade. I have no doubt that all members are grateful to the Lion Foundation for their generosity. A new vacuum cleaner has been purchased, and quotes are being sought to replace the very tatty and torn curtains.
Recent reports from Christchurch revealed some interesting statistics that I would like to share with you. Our branch has 88 members of VCC NZ. That group has 109 club vehicles. The smallest branch is King Country, with 23 members and 40 vehicles. The largest branch is Canterbury, with 1296 members who own 2759 vehicles. The total membership of VCC NZ is 8455, with 15,727 vehicles.
I would also like to express my thanks to Owen and Heather, who represented the branch at the VCC AGM in Nelson. Significant time at this meeting was spent on constitutional issues. With the passing of a replacement Incorporated Societies Act, there have to be some changes in the way VCC NZ operates. In due course, our branch will also need to amend our constitution. Owen and Heather sat through lengthy and detailed debate on this and other heady issues. There will be further discussion on the constitution in March next year in Christchurch.
In the meantime, safe travels ��
Eric
Club merchandise available on Club Nights.
Baseball Cap - $16.50
Polo Shirt - $38.50
Bucket Hat - $17.80
Fleece Jacket - $59.00
Club Lapel Badges and Car Stickers
We have most stock available at the club rooms.
If your car's interior needs some love, reach out to us! We'll be happy to help!
Faded or worn leather/vinyl seats, Damaged leather steering wheel, Scratched dashboard or door panels, Cracked vinyl armrest and shifter.
As an alternative to replacing, Fibrenew can repair & make it look great again. Don't replace, renew with Fibrenew!
DEAN WILLS
FIBRENEW BAY OF PLENTY
Locally owned and operated
Based in Taupo
Ph: 021 215 6889
Email: bayofplenty@fibrenew.co.nz
Web: www.fibrenew.co.nz
Taupo
Auto & Marine Trimmers
16 Manuka Street
07-378 6969
grant@taupoautomarine.co.nz
www.taupoautomarine.co.nz
Vehicle Servicing
Car Repairs
Vehicle Brakes
Car Exhausts
Shock Absorbers
Towbars
Tyres
Warrant of Fitness Safety Checks
Batteries
28 Oruanui St
Taupo
Owners: Susan & Peter Wall
07 3783132
Mobile 021 717131
I was gazing out of the window at the garden recently, a cup of tea in hand, and thinking that I really should get out there soon and do something meaningful. At the same time (because I can multitask), I was having the odd passing thought about some names of cars, which is a subject that obviously doesn’t entail venturing out into the cold. I eventually had a small lightbulb moment and realised that there are actually quite a lot of cars with girls’ names - how lovely! So here are a few of them.
Genevieve is a 12hp 1904 Darracq. This car is famous for being the star of the movie called “Genevieve.” This was the story of two couples who took part in the “London to Brighton Veteran Car Run” and resorted to sabotage and practical jokes to make it to the finish line first. When the movie was released in 1953, the owner of the Darracq was an Englishman named Norman Reeves. He had restored the car and named her “Annie,” but when the Darracq was selected to appear in the film, she was rechristened “Genevieve” after the patron saint of Paris, the city where the car was built. Genevieve took part in the “real” London to Brighton Run in 1953 with Dutch rally driver and Monte Carlo Rally winner Maurice Gatson-
ides behind the wheel. The film became the catalyst for an unprecedented interest in veteran motoring worldwide.
The cool part of this story is that Genevieve came to New Zealand in 1958, where she stayed for 35 years before returning to the UK, and she is now at the Dutch National Motor Museum. The story of the car was told by Kiwi author Rodney Laredo in his book called “A Darracq Called Genevieve.” “Genevieve” is of Welsh origin and means white wave, and in French origin, it means tribe woman.
Here’s a picture of her during her time in New Zealand.
This car was named after Elisa, the granddaughter of Romano Artioli, who was chairman of Lotus at the time. The Elise was designed in-house at Lotus, and it was a genuine pioneering car that rewrote the rule book on lightweight automotive
engineering. Over the years, the Lotus Elise has achieved iconic status in the motor industry and is thought by many to be a once-in-a-generation achievement. “Elise” is of French and Hebrew origin and means God is my oath.
This limited-edition sports coupe from the 1960s was an exercise in creating a vehicle with the highest quality in mind. Only 554 cars were ever made. The nameplate would go on to become one of the most popular platforms that Nissan has created. The Silvia was officially sold in the late 1990s as the 200SX. Silvia means spirit of the wood, and in Japanese, it means forest. (What
Here’s another one from Nissan. The Violet had much success in the international rally circuit. In fact, it was Nissan’s most successful car in the World Rally Championships. The Violet dominated the Safari Rally from 1979 to 1982. This car was
also called the Stanza. We all know that “violet” is an herbaceous plant of temperate regions, typically having purple, blue, or white five-petalled flowers, one petal of which forms a landing pad for pollinating insects!
After Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, two of the first models to emerge from the union were the Skyline and the Gloria. The Gloria was a stately four-door sedan, and the then-future Emperor of Japan was presented with one in 1959. The nameplate would spawn 11 generations. “Gloria” is a Latin word meaning glory. Hmm, I’m not sure this car is aptly named.
Carina is actually a constellation, and car manufacturers often seem to reach for the heavens to name cars. The name “Subaru” is a Japanese name for Pleiades, a cluster of stars also known as the Seven Sisters. Anyway, back to the Carina, this model shared the same chassis as the TA22 Celica, ex-
cept it had four doors. The Toyota Carina was known for its performance and reliability and would later become the Toyota Corona (which in astronomy means the rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars). “Carina” also means dear little one.
This car was produced from 1922 to 1939 by the Austin Motor Company. It followed the template of the Ford Model T in that the car was affordable to produce. What makes this model interesting is that Nissan also began producing this car under an agreement with Austin. Obviously, the Japanese people’s fascination with using female names for their automobiles began early on!
This was a two-door fastback that succeeded the FTO Galant in Japan. Its styling stood out (and still does, actually). “Celeste” means heavenly, and under the hood
was Mitsubishi’s famous Saturn engine (reaching for the heavens again!) In the United States, this model was known as the Plymouth Arrow.
This car is named after Clio, one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology (sort of heavenly). In December 1990, the Clio was voted European Car of the Year for 1991 and soon became one of Europe’s best-selling cars, as well as the first Renault to be consistently among the top 10 best sellers in the United Kingdom, where it was selling in excess of 50,000 cars a year by 1995. The Clio has won many awards, including the European Car of the Year twice, and has been praised for its design, performance, and safety features. “Clio” is of Greek origin and means glory. Hmm, French styling is so good.
The Morgan Motor Company is a British motor car manufacturer owned by Italian investment group Investindustrial. It was founded in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan. Morgan produces about 850 cars per year, all assembled by hand, and the waiting list for a car is usually about six months, but it has been as long as ten years. Morgan cars are unusual in that wood has been used in their construc-
tion for a century and is still used in the 21st century for framing the body shell. “Morgan” is of Welsh origin and means circling sea. We all know someone who has a Morgan in his stable, don’t we Barry?
This is an electric city car that first made its debut at the 2008 Paris International Motor Show. This cute little van has a similar seating configuration as the McLaren F1: The driver sits in the center, with passenger seats on either side behind him. “Mia” is an abbreviation for missing in action. Maybe that’s why we don’t see these little vans around.
Skoda provides lots of interesting options using girls’ names like Octavia, Fabia, Felicia, and Laura for its various models. Then, after years and years of girls’ names, they produce a Yeti, which is a large hairy creature resembling a human or bear, also called an Abominable Snowman! Not too many people know this, but the
online Czech-English dictionary shows that “Skoda” with a capital “S” means “Too Bad!” Anyway, is it me, or do all Skodas look alike? I’ve run out of steam now mainly because, well ... it’s about Skoda, and I can feel my eyelids drooping now.
Felicia
Yeti
Fabia
Our recent Bingo Night was most enjoyable.
by MaureenMurray Stanley, along with his capable helper, Barbara, was a brilliant Caller who became more speedy and cheeky with each game played.
He aptly used car information in place of the well-known “Bingo Lingo” to provide an authentic car theme........ “Through the gate in a Morris 8, Dirty Gertie Number 30, 1948 first Ford off the production line.”
Chocolate treats for winners of varied corners, as well as prizes for each winning card, were well received. One lucky table had a very chocolate experience with corners and cards won by each competitor.
The predicted heavy rain put a big damper on our Annual Cancer Run this year. With an alternate programme put in place, it was pleasing to see a good number turn up in moderns and classics to support a most worthy cause. A few of our members could not stay but took the time to drop in a donation and wish us well. Morning tea, with added contributions from our members and visitors, was held in the Clubrooms and was most delicious.
Cash donations to the morning tea, including a raffle ticket, added to the collection. We were aware that last year’s nearly $1,000 donated was not possible this year, but Maurice Gianotti, on behalf of the Cancer Society, was pleased to report that $552.10 was raised, which was good news, considering the circumstances.
Thanks go to Tony and Pam for the organising the event. Unfortunately, their ‘Model A’ came to a standstill on the way home, but with fellow member Bruce Jefferies and a sturdy tow rope, the run home was achieved. After some time in the Naughty Corner and a few hours under the bonnet for Tony, all is well again...... all part of having a Vintage Car and supportive Car Club members.
46th Annual “Rubber Duckie” Motor-Cycle Rally
16th September 2023
NEW PLYMOUTH
ENTRIES CLOSE 8th September 2023 with Rally Secretary, Sue Street, 36 Essex Street, New Plymouth. Ph (06) 753 9100
email: sue.street@xtra.co.nz
You are invited to…..
The 2024 Founders Prince Henry Tour
SOUTHERN SCENIC TOUR
29TH – 31ST JANUARY 2024
With three days of Veteran motoring from Dunedin- Gore – Owaka – Dunedin. Starting on Monday 29th January 2024, following the National Veteran Rally in Dunedin Returning Wednesday 31st January.
We will be travelling at a relaxed pace, with a backup trailer for peace of mind. Mark these days on your calendar!
Tour organiser is: Nevin Gough easttaieri@yahoo.com or 0211150312, Marion McConachie bmmcconachie@xtra.co.nz or 0273387008
We have some more nice books this month, which will be added to the library:
Motor Reference
• Turbo Charging - The Internal Combustion Engine
• Mechanics of the Motor Vehicle
• The Wankel Engine - Design and Development Applications
Haynes Workshop Manual
• Vauxhall Chevette 1975 to 1978 1256cc - All models including Chevanne
Motor Racing
• Champions of Speed - A celebration of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon
• World’s Greatest Tow Trucks
• 1001 Images of Cars
• Rolls of Rolls-Royce - A biography of Hon C S Rolls by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
The library is for you to browse and borrow books that interest you and will be open every time we meet in the clubrooms. Come and have a look round!
Our fully equipped modern workshop facility offers a reliable, accurate and affordable solution to all your reconditioning and machining needs. Includes high performance race/street, general automotive, motorcycle, marine, light and heavy diesel and industrial. We offer extremely quick turn around times and can pick-up or deliver if required
Brian Henson / Scott Murray
Unit 6 / 465 Broadlands Road Rotokawa, Taupō 3378
Ph; 3773570 Fax; 07 3773572
Email; Engines@hmltd.co.nz
by Tony Mannington
Unfortunately, due to the weather, but not without a lot of effort the committee made, printing off flyers and putting them up at local businesses, Radio stations informed, and local paper with full-page advertising and write-up, we were unable to complete our Rally run down to the Taupo Market as planned.
We just didn’t get the numbers we expected, and the money count was down accordingly. We were notified early on Saturday that the market day had been cancelled by the Owner/Operator.
We turned to plan B, sending out an email to all members to say the market had been cancelled, but we still would like you to come down to the Clubrooms at 10.00 am with some morning tea and support the Cancer Society.
I welcomed everybody for braving the bad weather and apologised for the weather gods for their part in ruining our planned run down to the Taupo Market.
I am sure if the weather gods had been kind we would have had greater numbers. Maybe next year.
Maurice then spoke on behalf of the Cancer Society, thanking everyone for contributing, boosting the Cancer Society funds.
To boost our donations to the Cancer Society, we ran a $50.00 note raffle and managed to raise another $120.00. It was won by a non-members, maybe another new member coming up.
Thanks to all the contributors for our wonderful morning tea. We didn’t have to get out the Club biscuit tin. We all enjoyed lots of meet and mingle, and the main question was, who cooked the delicious date scones?
On our way to the Clubrooms, Dora, our Model A, had a few coughs and splutters, but on our way home, Dora had one too many coughs and died. Many thanks to Bruce and Trish for the tow home, and the good news is that Dora is going again.
Just received a thank you call from Maurice Gianotti of the Cancer Society.
Total amount donated to Cancer Society $552.10.
A great effort, considering the weather conditions on the day.
Bruce Jefferies has been quietly beavering away in the parts shed under the clubrooms for weeks now. He’s determined to get rid of the rubbish, tidy the shelves, and get the shed into some sort of order. Hopefully, this will make it a nice place for you guys to rummage around, chat, and perhaps buy something. This will be a monthly page with something Bruce thinks will interest you. This month, he is featuring spark plugs!
The parts shed is there for you to browse around and buy anything that you need or even something you didn’t know you needed. Bruce is happy to let you in the shed. Just give him a call on 07 378 4774.
Come and have a look around!
The Scenic Tour of the King Country is an informal rally through the roads of the King Country, we have questions for you to answer along the way and some silent checks.
The roads this year are a combination of a bit of tar seal but mostly country metal roads. Full petrol tanks are recommended, the route is approximately 180km and there are no petrol stations on the route. We have taken onboard feedback form our last Rally and changed the dinner venue.
• The event is open to members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand.
• The Road code must be obeyed at all times. One person in each vehicle must be a member of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand and may be called upon to show their current membership card.
• The Driver must hold a valid driver’s licence and may be required to show this document.
• No entries will be accepted after closing date due to catering requirements.
• In event of a dispute, the decision of the Rally Organising Committee shall be final.
• A back-up vehicle carrying petrol and water will follow the route.
• Electronic navigation aids are not to be used during this event.
Friday 6th October
6.00pm Taumarunui RSA Club, Marae Street, Taumarunui.
Saturday 7th October
9.00a.m. Meet at the Carpark (Opposite the Post Office in Miriama Street.) (Rally Pack will be given out)
9.30 a.m. Welcome briefing
10.00a.m. First vehicle departs. Lunch provided by Aria Play Centre. Afternoon tea at conclusion of Rally at clubrooms.
6.00 p.m. Pre-dinner drinks at the Taumarunui RSA, 10 Miriama St.
7.00 p.m. Dinner and prize giving upstairs at RSA.
They are:
Veteran & Vintage before 1931
Post-Vintage 1932 to 1945
Post War 1946 to 1960
P V 60 1961 to 1980
Post 1980
Touring Class Motorcycles
Commercial (Trucks)
If fewer than 3 vehicles are entered in a particular class, then these vehicles will be placed in the next appropriate class.
Rally Organisers: Wayne and Julie Gilbert, Campbell Wright & Norma Dougherty.
Rally Secretary: Jacki Sinclair, 0277791166
Postal Address: 923 Taringamotu Rd, RD 4, Taumarunui
E-mail: kingcountry@vcc.org.nz
King Country Scenic Tour Entry Form
Electronic navigation aids are not to be used during this event.
Name of Driver:
Name of Navigator:
Address
Town Post Code
Phone Number
E-mail Address______________________________________
Vehicle Make
Model_______________ ______ Year
VCC Branch & Number
Saturday Lunch
$15.00 per person
Saturday Dinner
$45.00 per person
Total
Any dietary requirements:
Please complete in full and return with payment to King Country Branch VCC or pay by direct credit to Westpac 030426 0178017 00 with your name as a reference.
Rally Secretary: Jacki Sinclair, 923 Taringamotu Rd, RD 4, Taumarunui
E-mail: kingcountry@vcc.org.nz
Entries Close: Thursday 28th September 2023
A good night out and meal enjoyed by all.
Sad at the closing of our favorite restaurant. Thanks Gary for many great meals and the stories and laughs that went with them. Trish Jefferies.
Wow, what a great turnout this morning! Seventeen cars and about 32 petrolheads came to Barry’s coffee morning at Lava Glass. I’m sure the lovely sunny weather helped, but this has turned out to be such a popular event.
We took up a lot of space in the seating area, and it was very loud. Everyone had so much to say. It was a joy seeing so many of our lovely cars parked in the car park.
The drive-in convoy to Lava Glass from the Clubrooms was a round-about route instead of going straight there, making it a lovely drive, and quite a few people along the way noticed the convoy and watched us go by.
Wednesday September the 20th at the L’Arte cafe. 255 Mapara Road, Acacia Bay, at 10 am. Members can meet at the club rooms at 9:30 am and drive out in convoy if they like.
See you there! Thanks and Regards Barry.
Parts department hours are better than ever: 7.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday 8.00am to 1.00pm Saturday
Parts and Services offer a comprehensive parts and service solution for your car, van, ute, truck, trailer, caravan, fifth-wheeler or campervan. We’re all about smart servicing – that means getting the parts that you need, and servicing your vehicle to your satisfaction every time. Still at; 1 Miro Street, Taupo Web; partsandservices.co.nz
Phone; 07 378 2673
Lava Glass Car Park
September
Sunday
Wednesday
Monday
Wednesday
October
Sunday
Sunday
Monday
Wednesday
November 2023
Sunday
Sunday
Monday 20th November
Tuesday 21st November
December 2023
Saturday 2nd December
Sunday 3rd December
Wednesday 20th December
