The Star: February 29, 2024

The Star Thursday February 29 2024
8
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Veteran car set for sedate tribute run
• By Chris Barclay
GEORGE LEE is obviously
no boy racer, but the 76-yearold’s
wheels will turn heads
sedately when Vintage Car
Club Canterbury pays homage
to the world’s longest-running
motoring event.
The retired motor trimmer/upholsterer
owns the oldest motor
entered in Saturday’s inaugural
Brooklands to Brighton Run,
which is modelled on the enduring
London to Brighton Veteran
Car Run and restricted to vehicles
at least a century old.
Lee spent 30 years basically
rebuilding a 1904 Alldays &
Onions single cylinder eight
horsepower four-seater from
scratch, a true labour of love he
had to be railroaded into.
Having restored the interiors
of hundreds of vintage and
classic cars since starting his
apprenticeship at Riccarton bus
builder GB McWhinnie in the
1960s, Lee needed badgering into
buying the motor and gearbox in
Greymouth.
“I thought I work on old cars
all the time, why do I want a
hobby on what I’m working on?”
asked Lee, who then justified
why he relented in 1992.
“It grows on you, it’s a rust disease.
If it’s rusty we’ve got to pick
it up and have a look at it.”
Alldays & Onions’ obscurity
helped because Lee wasn’t
interested in restoring a stockstandard
Model T Ford. The
Birmingham-based English automobile
manufacturer operated
between 1898 and 1918.
Once he returned from the
West Coast, Lee sourced an
Alldays & Onions differential in
Palmerston North plus a chassis
from Loburn.
While his veteran – cars
produced before 1918 earn that
designation; vintage were made
between 1919-1930 – is almost
entirely faithful to an original,
there is one modern concession.
“There is a crank at the front
but I’ve got a Japanese starter
motor because I’ve hurt my back
a few times,” Lee admitted.
“The thing is a lot of these cars
never get on the road because the
BY GEORGE: Retired motor trimmer/upholsterer George Lee with the finished product of
his part-time labours over 30 years, a pristine examples of a 1904 Alldays & Onions veteran
motor vehicle.
PHOTO: CHRIS BARCLAY
people who own them are old
and they can’t crank (start) them.
You have to be pretty strong.”
Sporting a canary yellow paint
job for maximum visibility, Lee
spent untold thousands of hours
toiling to make the rare machine
roadworthy two years ago,
though it was not an expensive
exercise.
“It’s cost bugger all really because
I’ve done it all myself,” said
Lee, who was looking forward to
the Run after a recent tune-up
jaunt to Geraldine.
“It’s something free for the
public and the kids love it,” he
said.
The London to Brighton
Veteran Car Run was first held as
the Emancipation Run in 1896,
with emancipation referring to
the repeal of the law requiring
all motor vehicles to be preceded
by a man walking with a red
warning flag.
It was revived and rebranded
ROADWORTHY: Veteran and vintage-class cars will take
part in the inaugural Brooklands to Brighton Run on
Saturday.
in 1927, restricted to vehicles
built before 1905, and has subsequently
been held annually with
two exceptions: the duration of
World War 2 plus ensuing petrol
rationing until 1947, the Covid-19
pandemic stalled the 2020 edition.
The English version in November
covers 87km and attracts
more than 350 entrants, the local
equivalent will be considerably
shorter.
Around 50 drivers will travel
a maximum of 30km once they
set off from the suburb north of
the city.
The route, which includes
Spencerville, Lower Styx,
Prestons, Burwood, Waimairi
Beach, Marine Parade and
Southshore en route to the final
destination, a car park on Hawke
St, should take about an hour to
complete.
And if they experience mechanical
issues along the way,
there should be a 1919 Nash tow
truck in the vicinity.
The run starts at 10am and
once the vehicles, including
motorcycles, arrive they will be
on display until 2pm.
Vintage Car Club Canterbury
branch veteran convener Colin
Hey said members had always
taken a keen interest in the
British event and eventually the
penny dropped.
“We thought, ‘Why don’t we
organise one for Christchurch?
We’ve got a Brighton here,” Hey
said.
The route was designed to keep
potential stoppages to a minimum,
so there is only one set of
traffic lights to negotiate, exiting
Prestons.
“One difficulty with veteran
cars, and especially motorbikes,
is stopping and starting again,”
Hey said.
“Some of the motorbikes don’t
have a clutch, so once the engine
stops the rider has to jump off
and push-start it.
“It’s basically left hand turns
and then one or two intersections
and some roundabouts.
It’s very easy running and there
shouldn’t be too much traffic.”
Hey said the speed was not the
essence, it was an opportunity
to showcase the horsepower of
yesteryear.
“It’s definitely not a race, most
of the cars will do 30 mile an
hour, the really old one’s will do
20-25.”
Each participant receives a
commemorative plaque at the
finish, while there will also be
prizes for the oldest vehicle/
youngest driver combination
plus the best motorcycle, car or
truck chosen by the public who
visit the display.
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