Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

[Roger Dowding]

John Windelburn celebrated his birthday recently, his 92nd Birthday I do believe.

There is a this tribute to him in the Facebook Group " Sports Sedans ".
It is an extract from the Auckland Car Club - tribute to drivers ;

" John Windelburn has been involved in both the motor industry and
motorsport for several decades. He began racing an Austin A30 at
Ardmore in the early 1950s and progressed to the ex-Jim Palmer
Lotus 11 in which he enjoyed some success. After moving to
Auckland and setting up North Shore Transmissions he began
campaigning a B4 Roadster and with his mate George Bunce also
contested long distance production races including many races in the
well known Z28 Camaro and eventually a potent V8 sports sedan
during the 1980s. John also held volunteers in high regard and
donated the John Windleburn Trophy for outstanding volunteer
contribution to the Club. "

John's first event was in 1954 [ 70 years ago ] in a Sports Car a Singer S M Roadster not in the Austin A30/35 or Morris Minor Saloons that he competed in.

Here is John's Certificate from the First Event he competed in, run by Auckland Car Club.
** The event was at Bright Road, Franklin County - where Pukekohe Car Club ran their Hill Climbs including the Bardahl series event that I first met John in 1979. he was driving a huge Pontiac or Chevrolet convertible that had been burnt out.
I was in the Triumph TR4A.

- he sent the image of it to me, today. and later sent me the details of where ** !.

A Euan Sarginson photo of John in the Austin A30 - event not known, but moving quickly. 1961 - 64 plates on the car.
Is it at Pukekohe, exiting the Elbow ?

John was a member of Auckland, Northern Sports and Pukekohe Car Clubs over his motoring career, and was at the NSCC 50th Anniversary of the Clubrooms in August 2022,

[Roger Dowding]

Three photos of the cars outside the Helensville Hall - two from Arthur Siddall albums - courtesy Duncan Fox, the last from my Uncle Eddie Dowding's own photos.

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disregard the date on the photo - we now know was 1945.. The Riley 9 Kestrel just seen to the left
Right - My Uncle Ed with pipe in the Riley and his wife Una as Navigator - Una turned 100 in January 2020.
Left - ** Ralph Watson and a Mate in the Singer
Ken Hemus was in a Sunbeam for this event and got stuck in Mackies Rest Mud Section as did many others.

Ron Roycroft won the event.

The full pages of the Album.

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Poor editing on my part - the Album of Arthur Siddall state August 1945 - and the number plates are the " 1941 - 1946 " issue white on black with a , comma at the bottom centre of the plate - [ only taken 4 years to get right ].

I was also confused as Ed [ my Uncle Eddie ] and Una Dowding are in a Riley - they had a Morris Minor " 8 " Tourer in earlier years 1942 on and in the Winter Trial in August 1946 they are again in a Morris Minor " 8 " Tourer. I wonder was the Riley a " borrow " ?
What is confusing also is the colour of the Morris Minor " 8 " changed from dark in 1942 and 1946 to a light colour in 1947 when it appears in the Concour Photo taken at Cornwall Park in October 1947 and has the 1946 - 51 plates black on yellow with a - hyphen symbol centred

Posting again with an additional set of photos of the event from the Arthur Siddall Album.
It is the first page on the event page 4 in the Album and has the Results and show Ralph Watson in the Singer in action.
Ron Roycroft won the Cup with Vern Clarke second and "'[ Uncle ] E - Eddie Dowding 3rd, Ces Hodge 4th.

The Blank space with the corner stickers is a missing photo with Wally Housego in an M.G and George Sellars in the Austin Seven - presume the " Monoposto " Racer, so not from the Trial Event.

[Roger Dowding]

Tjebbe Bruin, Peter Bruin's son - Peter of Lotus XI and others cars fame.
He was involved in Trialling Hill Climbs and other Motorsport, largely with Auckland Car Club in the 1960's -70's.
He also took or collected a lot of photographs, many from ACC events but some from NSCC, TVCC and other Clubs, and put them in Albums.
Here a set of 4 by John Larry Lawton - the page was 6 photos - 2 from another venue, a TVCC Hill Climb at Maramarua.
14th March 1965 Event.

The photos - from a Peter Bruin Album. Tjebbe Bruin has been posting many images on Old New Zealand Motor Racing with details where known of people and the photographer - if not him.

Results from the Event - from NSCC " Club Torque " Magazine of the time - Graham Woods archive.

Originals of the individual photos were published by John Larry Lawton previously. Thought they were familiar.
Jamie Aislabie Cooper - Jaguar [ Bobtail ],
Barry Munro Beach Buggy,
Rod Coppins Zephyr Corvette,
Jack Nazer Lotus Anglia.

The full page from the Album with both the TVCC and NSCC events.

A busy Motoring weekend TVCC 13th and NSCC 14th March 1965

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote Jamie Aislabie Cooper - Jaguar [ Bobtail ],

The Cooper Jaguar is not a Bobtail, it's a front-engined sports car and it was driven by Jamie's brother Brian.

[Roger Dowding]

Quote Jamie Aislabie Cooper - Jaguar [ Bobtail ],

The Cooper Jaguar is not a Bobtail, it's a front-engined sports car and it was driven by Jamie's brother Brian.

Thanks Milan - yes, my oops - the " Bobtail " note is on the Album Page - and here is the JLL photo. described as " Cooper Holden ".
seems like I mixed up the cars. - the " Cooper - Jaguar " name is on the results from NSCC Club Torque - confusing

[Roger Dowding]

Entry List and the Official " Club Report " Results and Incident Report on the Race.

Images from Milan Fistonic vast archives - may post on the " Pukekohe " thread too as have similar data from others BNSW events in different [ previous ] years.

Entry List;

The NSCC " Report ".

Father Allan and Son John Woolf both there, Allan had moved to an Escort and John had the Vitesse.
Fastest Lap to Paul Fahey in the 3400cc Capri.

Was there, probably as a Marshall Around that time - was on the Trials sub-committee and supported the Rally Speed and Race Committees.

[Roger Dowding]

Post #489 was about the NSCC November Hill Climb at Cosseys Farm - 10 years earlier " Ostrich Farm Road " was the venue.
Here from Milan Fistonic archives - the report and results from NSCC " Club Torque " Magazine.

FTD to " Sager " in the Cooper, was it Jim or Ken, ?.
** most likely Ken Sager as he appeared at the next Hill Climb in the Cooper.
What capacity as the Class in Entry lists appears to have big gaps up to 750 then 3001 to 5000cc. ?? In December the Sager Cooper was in the 751 to 1100cc Class.

See Morrie and Ken[ny] Smith both in the Cooper Holden, I think that car went later to the Aislabie brothers with mainly Jamie racing.

Met Jim Sager, Kens Dad, at the first NSCC Club night I attended in February 1967 with my father, the night I joined the Car Club having just purchased my first car a few days / couple of weeks before.
NSCC used to have meetings at the Edendale School Hall in Mt Eden / Sandringham, before the the Club Rooms were built in 1972.

Next event on the Road was December 1961 - the Entry - Programme Cover - Results from Richard Bauz [ Sandmandli ].
The Document was Keith Yeats which was with the " Orchid " documents when Richard bought it a few years ago and the car is now in Europe and competing still.

[Roger Dowding]

Having posted details of the November event and copies of the December Programme - these came along.

Thanks again to Milan Fistonic, the NSCC 1960's archive is growing.

Keith Yeats copy of the Entry List / Programme had some times on it too.