Hudson and Essex cars from 1918 to the 1950s parked along Dannevirke's High St, last Saturday morning.
Hudson and Essex cars from 1918 to the 1950s parked along Dannevirke's High St, last Saturday morning.
When Hudson and Essex car owners drove into Dannevirke recently they turned heads and stirred memories.
The vehicles, spanning the decades from 1918 to the 1950s and their proud owners, were here for the New Zealand Hudson Essex Terraplane Club's national convention.
And as the cars from Dunedin to Auckland lined up along High St early last Saturday morning, locals reminisced.
Dannevirke's Bill Rendle had to leave his Hudson and Essex cars parked in the shed because a serious accident seven weeks ago left him with his femur bone broken in three places.
"I remember these old things," Pat Herbert said. "Ours had the tin trunk on the back and it would be so windy we needed rope to tie on the canvas roof."
Luckily for the owners of the 18 vehicles in town, Saturday was perfect, with no wind.
"These are just fabulous," Maureen Lyons said. "Last weekend I had a Cobra parked at the back of my place, it was sex on wheels, but you can't beat these beauties."
Dannevirke veteran car enthusiast, Ken Mills with a Hudson Straight 8, which has been taken to the United States twice.
Historian and car enthusiast Ken Mills can remember the days when he'd see the Hudson Essex cars on our streets all the time. "The Hudson was first produced in 1909 and then in 1918 the Essex came along as a cheaper option," he said. "The first Hudson on the streets of Dannevirke was in 1912. It belonged to the Dannevirke/Herbertville Coaching Company."
Mr Mills' favourite at the weekend was the wonderfully restored Hudson Straight Eight which has been taken to the United States twice by its proud owners. "It's a rarity and the quality of it is amazing. I've a photo of me as an 8-year-old with one of these, towing a caravan, which was towing a 14-foot boat behind. You're not allowed to do that with a car today."
And while the Straight Eight was a shining example of restoration, one labour of love across the road was capturing plenty of attention too.
The 1922 Railton is owned by Peter Stubbs of Silverdale, north of Auckland, who purchased it from Southwards Museum at Raumati on December 8 last year.
"My brother and I are restoring it, but it still has its original paint job," he said.
Sadly, for Bill Rendle, host for the weekend, his two cars, a Hudson and an Essex, had to stay parked in his garage.
"I would have had both of them here, but I fell off the back of my ute while shovelling metal and broke my femur bone in three places.
"That was seven weeks ago and it could be six months before I'm back in action."
After their early morning visit to the Fantasy Cave the vehicles and their 56 drivers and passengers headed out along Mangahei Rd to Te Uri and Mangaorapa Station before lunch at Porangahau Beach.
