Here is another one from New Zealand

[ahebron]

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/131750593/ugly-historic-timarubuilt-electric-car-donated-to-geraldine-museum

 

One of the first ever commercially built electric cars from the 1960s has been donated to the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum and members are working on its refurbishment.

A nearly 60-year-old Kiwi built electric vehicle has been dubbed "the ugliest car in the world" by one of the team working to bring it back to life.

"You couldn't make a better job of making something ugly," Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum member Cor Bot said of the car believed to be one of the first electric cars built commercially in New Zealand.

"It's a great wee project though," Bot said.

The unnamed vehicle, one of up to 10 built, has sports lightning bolt badging and was donated to the museum by an anonymous South Canterbury resident who bought it off Trade Me for $10,150 in April 2022.

Another museum member, Colin Johnstone, said the donor “thought it should stay in our area” as it was built in Timaru and Geraldine.

Johnstone, who described the gift as “very impressive”, said he could remember the awkward looking vehicles during his childhood in Geraldine as they had work undertaken in local engineering workshops.

“We’ve got the only road legal one ... it still has the plates on it.”

 

SUPPLIED

This South Canterbury-built electric car has been called the “ugliest car in the world” by one of the people refurbishing it.

Bot, an engineer, said the car “has basically been built on the chassis of a Triumph Herald”.

"It is very rare. I understand there were not many made. I think there may have been only about 10 made but yeah, very rare.

"It is not the nicest vehicle to look at but my goodness it is a gem really."

JOHN BISSET/STUFF

Hard at work refurbishing a rare historic Timaru-built electric car are Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum members, from left, David Graham, Cor Bot and Ian Webb.

The car was reported as being the brainchild of Timaru engineer and inventor Donald MacConachie with estimates of eight to 10 vehicles built.

Bot said the car had six batteries through the centre connected to two electric motors that drive the back wheels.

"They in turn drive the car of course, but in order to charge the batteries there was a small standby engine/alternator in the front and that would run a little generator that would charge the batteries.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF

Power gauges on the dashboard of an electric car built in Timaru and Geraldine in the 1960s.

"That made it more of a hybrid rather than just electric."

Johnstone said by sheer chance they have managed to locate the original alternator and were hopeful of acquiring it from its owner who was using it as a standby generator under his bench in Christchurch.

Bot said the refurbishment target was to make the car run again, but it probably won't be certified for the road.

"I would like to see it go again ...

"The work is not a total rebuild, it is more of a refurbishment and tidy up.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF

A myriad of cables in the rear of the historic electric car built in Timaru around 1966 that is being refurbished at the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum.

"We think the work will take a minimum of six months. We only work on it once a week, every Tuesday."

Bot said there are probably six people working on the project at each session, and they try to ensure that everyone knows what everyone is working on because "we are all fossils and anyone could fall by the wayside".

"This is a project for the museum, and I'm just one member of the Tuesday Club. We all bring different skill sets to projects."

Bot said, ideally they would have the refurbishment finished in time for the museum’s Crank Up day in October.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF

One of the electric motors that drive the historic electric car built in Timaru around 1966.

The cars were “made from 1966 to 1970” with the museum stating it was the earliest example of a kiwi-built electric car and its version was the only road legal build of the eight completed by MacConachie who planned to mass produce them in cream or blue.

The vehicle sits on the shortened Herald chassis with a Morris 1100 rear suspension, and it has a fibreglass body that was pressed in Washdyke at Robs Marine. Engineering work was completed in Geraldine, with “a whole lot of Kiwi ingenuity” and because MacConachie “had a mate there that could help out”.

[Chris A]

6 hours ago, ahebron said:

"the ugliest car in the world"

That's a bold statement! It is certainly 'different'. Good luck to the team working on it an interesting project.

[Iain T]

It's even uglier than a G-Wizz so the statement might be correct! 

Iain 

[Pete Lewis]

good to see things have moved on Hmm !!!  i dont find the Citroen Ami appealing either

[Chris A]

26 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

good to see things have moved on Hmm !!!  i dont find the Citroen Ami appealing either

At least with the NZ car you could easily tell the front from the back.

A local teenager (14 or 15) near me has one of these, I guess parents think it's safer than a motor scooter or bike

[PeteH]

45 minutes ago, Chris A said:

At least with the NZ car you could easily tell the front from the back.

A local teenager (14 or 15) near me has one of these, I guess parents think it's safer than a motor scooter or bike

Bet that does very little for his “Street Cred”. Though😃

Pete

?

[Iain T]

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

good to see things have moved on

Is it coming or going? 

On the plus side are those suicide doors? They are on my must haves for the next money pit..... 

Iain 

 

[Chris A]

15 minutes ago, PeteH said:

Bet that does very little for his “Street Cred”. Though😃

Pete

?

Au contraire. It probably helps - the young ladies won't have to were a crash helmet and hence ruin their hairstyle, they'll be warm and dry. OK, so the lady friend will want it parked well away from where anyone will see her get out of it

[Chris A]

5 minutes ago, Iain T said:

On the plus side are those suicide doors?

Yes and no. One side, the driver's side (on a LHD) is but the passenger side no. I would have thought better to loose the passenger rather than the driver.

[Chris A]

8 minutes ago, Iain T said:

Is it coming or going? 

I feel sorry for the owner coming back to the car after having a few too many apperos and trying to figure out which end is which

[Iain T]

29 minutes ago, Chris A said:

feel sorry for the owner coming back to the car after having a few too many apperos and trying to figure out which end is which

Or even trying to open the door! 

It's so ugly I find it cute. A real Minion car. I would call mine Kevin.. 

[Iain T]

38 minutes ago, Chris A said:

Yes and no. One side, the driver's side (on a LHD) is but the passenger side no

Very odd. I wonder if that has design merit or something marketing thought would be great USP? 

Iain 

[Chris A]

19 minutes ago, Iain T said:

Very odd. I wonder if that has design merit or something marketing thought would be great USP? 

Iain 

Cost saving. Look at the panels they simply turn round and fit to the other side, front end & back end are also the same, just fit different light clusters. The number of parts is kept to the minimum.

[Iain T]

1 hour ago, Chris A said:

Cost saving.

So it's ze bean counters design. In the city I would still buy one over a bike. 

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

             A british one 

Roger

[rogerguzzi]

Info

Electric Cars and Vans from Stevens Vehicles

Roger

[Iain T]

I like the Spitfire but not the Stevens! 

[Peter Truman]

What an ugly looking thing, and looks like f/glass so won't even rust in peace!

[rogerguzzi]

5 hours ago, Iain T said:

I like the Spitfire but not the Stevens! 

Hello 

       The Spitfire is us 

Plus we are off to Spain again this year before we get to old (77,5 and 74!)

As my old mother said once you give something up you will never start it again!

We think she is right !

Me and the Memsahib will have tiffs/arguments/etc but a bottle of vino later and all will be ok

We will do the usual blog thingy !

We are going to do Castles etc and a bit of Pyreneers so what could go wrong?

As I say the worst that could happen is you come home on the back of a breakdown truck

So be brave and use your old cars as they so much more fun than the Shoping ones 

And  trust me you will love it or money back !

Roger and the Memsahib

ps just a taster and they love classic cars we have so many children and adults sit in Spitty you would not believe!

Plus we think the Spanish are very friendly people not like the French!

Plus they love Classic Cars because they are rare due to tax!

[Iain T]

9 hours ago, rogerguzzi said:

So be brave and use your old cars as they so much more fun than the Shoping ones 

If only I could get my wife to love my Vitesse! She calls it the old banger. I've been searching for another bigger less sporty car we might actually share. First choice is a Jaguar mk9 with auto box and pas but I'm also keen on the Armstrong Siddeley Star. Both are big cars but have some grunt. I'll keep the Vitesse for me! Have a great holiday, I'm jealous. 

Iain 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Iain T said:

If only I could get my wife to love my Vitesse! She calls it the old banger.

Mine's the same... says it's not as good as a real car. 

[JohnD]

Wrenching the steering wheel back to Triumphs, but in New Zealand, does any one know Graham Main , Paul Goghill or Johnathan Hill?

I have pictures of them with their racing Vitesses, that I collected some time ago, from NZ.   I'd love to know if they are still racing them?

     Graham Main

 

  Paul Goghill

 

  Jonathan Hil

Any other racing Vitesses in NZ?

John

[ahebron]

JohnD funnily enough December last year I was having arvo tea with Mac Reynolds and he said Graham Main had recently visited him.
I have an idea he sold his Vitesse racing car.

Adrian

[JohnD]

Thanks, Adrian!  Would you ask Mack if he has contact with Graham, please?

I often say that my Vitesse is the last Racing Vitesse in the world - except for the Candy Box in the US!  So I'd like to be proved wrong.

John

[ahebron]

Paul Coghill is still racing his Vitesse down south.
https://talkmotorsport.co.nz/nzcircuit/blackmun-wins-brian-crosbie-memorial-trophy-at-star-insure-classic-speedfest/

I turned around at my computer and there was a copy of NZ Classic Car dated August 2006 and it has an article about a Vitesse racing car and a 2.5 racing car in New Zealand.