On an unseasonably cold and wet November Sunday morning, a gathering of hardy branch members ventured to the clubrooms to participate on our Annual Vintage Veteran and Commercial Run, organized this year by John Foster.
While the weather may have put a few members off coming, what did arrive was a variety of interesting machinery, a number American, fabric roofed and pre 1930, with a few later vehicles up to the 1970s sprinkled in for good measure – the smallest Lex Westoby’s 1970 Morris Mini Estate, the largest Dave Diamond’s 1977 Chevrolet C20 truck. With a warm brew of tea and coffee it was soon time to roll – but not before Alistair and Nola Day put the hood UP on their 1926 Dodge Tourer – the first time in my own time in this club that I had ever seen this occur on this vehicle when on a run.
With all vehicles out the gate by 10:30am it was tail end Charlie duties for John Foster and myself in John’s 1958 Daimler Majestic, for which I was lucky to find myself behind the wheel. The run John chose first took us up to Gleniti, through the new Hunter Hills Drive subdivision, and out into the Rosewill and Levels valleys, to reach the flats of Kerrytown and Pleasant Point. After Point it was a trip through Richard Pearse country, Waitohi, and Seven Sisters Road to reach the back of Geraldine, where we encountered Barry Smith’s 1927 Erskine 50, and Stick Campbell’s 1928 Chevrolet truck travelling comfortably at 40mph.
After Geraldine a number of us took in the sight of the Rangitata irrigation ponds, before reaching our lunch stop, at the Peel Forest Picnic area. All members present made full use of the shelter on site for lunch, and much time was spent discussing the different vehicles present – a number of which soon had their hoods up, and members congregating around – along with several tourists in the area, parked alongside us with oversized campervans.
Shannon Stevenson
The top being placed upon Alistair Day’s 1926 Dodge.
Jim Geddes’ 1972 Holden HQ Belmont at start of rally
Vehicles lined up at the Peel Forst Picnic area
Dave Diamond’s 1977 Chevrolet C20.
The engine bay of Bill Weir’s 1929 Chevrolet
Participants Vehicles lined up outside the clubrooms