Selwyn Times: November 25, 2020

34 Selwyn Times Wednesday November 25 2020
MY PRIDE AND JOY
Vintage cars at Hororata
The annual Hororata Highland Games
had a new attraction this year with the
addition of a selection of vintage cars on
display led by two rare vintage Scottish cars
in keeping with the Scottish theme of the
event.
“We got a couple of the oldest cars in the
country. It’s an important part of the early
fabric of early motoring in New Zealand,
and these cars played a large part in the
development of the country as well,” said
rally organiser, Malcolm McGibbon, from
the Canterbury branch of the Vintage Car
Club.
The Bonnie May of Argyll hales from
Alexandria in Scotland. Owned by Tom
and Jenny Stephens from Rolleston the
car was rebuilt from the remains of two
cars that Tom sourced from Drummond
in Southland in 1965 and Wigram in
Christchurch in 1971.
Of his first purchase, Tom said: “The
mechanicals were completely dismantled
and scattered around the farm. The chassis,
wheels and axles had been used as a farm
trailer around the farm for many years. The
wheels had steel bands welded to the rims
but time had taken its toll and only the hubs
were usable. We recovered an immaculate
brass petrol tank and gearbox and engine
completely stripped with many parts
missing. There was no steering or radiator.”
Once in possession of sufficient original
parts, Tom restored the 1905 Argyll with
the help of friends over a period of 10 years
adding radiators and other parts to his
collection from a clearance sale in the 1980s.
The Argyll has travelled 5,000 miles since its
first rally in 1987.
The Bennetts Family’s 1912 Albian was
also at the show. “1912 was the last year that
the Glasgow-based Albian Motor Company
made vehicles, before specializing in
gearboxes. They were very popular during
World War 1 as they were relatively simple
to fix,” said owner, Don Bennetts from
Christchurch.
This particular Albian was owned by
beer and spirit merchants. It was then lost
for a while and turned up at a car sale yard
just before World War 1. Apparently, it was
traded in for a bike, which the person used
to ride to Burnham to join the army.
Don says a market gardener in Governors
Bay bought the car and used it to take fruit
and vegetables to market. At some point the
car got away on the hill and crashed, ending
up in two pieces. The front half was used as
a saw bench and the back half as a trailer.
Members of Don’s family gathered up
the bits and started to restore it, and luckily
managing to find the missing radiator. By
1957 it was back on the road and has been
in the Bennetts family ever since.
Left: The 1905 Bonnie May
of Argyll was built from the
remains of two cars – its
rebuild journey spanning
from 1965 to 1987 when
the finished car attended
its first rally.
Right: The Bennetts
Family’s 1912 Albian was
one of the last Glasgowbased
Albian Motor
Company made vehicles
and spent a number years
as a wreck used for things
other than motoring.
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