'I remember these, what a terrible vehicle', or 'These were great', is the mixed response by gentlemen of a certain age, to the blue Trekka displayed in our English Shed.
The Trekka is the only motor vehicle to be designed and mass-produced in New Zealand. While other vehicles were built, none reached mass-production. Between 1966 and 1973, 2,500 Trekkas were built.
The Trekka was initially designed by Phil Andrews' Motor Lines company, a firm which imported Skoda vehicles. It was manufactured by Motor Holdings, Otahuhu. The vehicles were locally built and the running-gear was from the Skoda Octavia, imported in kit-set form from Czechoslovakia.
Now the story gets interesting.
The Trekka was a product of import restrictions designed to encourage higher New Zealand content in locally-assembled vehicles.