Car Rally

 Proud owner, George with his 1928 Studebaker President.  He got married in it.

Below, Neville's beautifully restored Rolls Royce Phantom - only warranted the week before.

As part of its pedigree, a prior owner Grandma Brown came 5th in the 1957 10,000km Ampol Trial around Australia

The car competed three years running.

In the 1958 Ampol Trial, it experienced a rare mechanical failure - a piston burned out. The beautiful old engine ran very roughly on only five cylinders, and Granny's son didn’t like the vibrations running through the whole car. So, stopping in a small village in South Australia, he dropped the sump and removed the offending piston and connecting rod. Knowing the engine would then be seriously out of balance and would probably shake itself to pieces, he cut a piece from a farmer’s discarded ploughshare and taking a good look at the crankshaft, welded the piece onto the shaft to act as a balance weight. He then replaced the sump and pressed the starter. The old Rolls was back to its smooth self again - down on power but no vibrations!

I had a fraction of a second's fame on Seven Sharp just after the rally - me sketching, and a picture of my best side (my back).

Rusting Trucks

 Charlie restoring Toyota Landcruiser - one of the sources

View in 2010 of rusting Fordson Thames Flatbed

Exactly 10 years later 2021 the same truck slumping from the onset of rust

Americarna 2021

We were lucky to enjoy Americarna again. Even people that hate cars loved it this year. Sandwiched between lockdowns in Auckland, it fell on a perfect window for even the very uninterested to want to get out and enjoy the events.

WW2 Dodge Command Car

Last weekend, we went to a car show. It was the kind that had all types of clubs showing off their best. By far, our favourites were the ones that were in the shade. This happened to be the New Zealand Military Vehicle Club so there were several trucks and jeeps. (We found out later that some members even have small tanks!) It was quite hot that day and after many minutes at the Sausage Sizzle and the bake sale we decided to sit in the shade. I pulled out my book and sketched this officer's World War 2 deluxe jeep (actually a Dodge). Since it's not as tall and wider than other jeeps of the time it seemed more modern with it's Hummer-like proportions.

 

Alfa Romeos

 A calm New Plymouth morning found 50 Alfa Romeos from all over New Zealand parked up by the sea for their 'Show and Shine'.

The oldest there - 1958

All the way from Christchurch - with some coaxing when starting

I gather the cross is derived from the Milanese warriors, the right hand snake part was the symbol of the influential Visconti family.  The crown for when they became dukes in the 15th Century.  However I was puzzled about the bloke in the snakes mouth.  One owner suggested it represented a Saracen.  Alfa = Anonimea Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. Originally made in Milan in 1910, it was bought by Nicola Romeo in 1915.  The company now owned by Fiat produces in the centre of the country in San Germano, not far from the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino - known to many New Zealanders

Americarna 2020 - More Bel Airs

At this year's Americarna, I ignored the new cars and went with a classic car to sketch. This is a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air. A great car in a design variant before they started to get very ugly in the 60's and 70's. I also did this one standing up so it gives it a slightly different angle than usual. There is another quick drawing from a couple days before when they stopped in Waitara. I've never gone out to see the cars when they stop at the smaller towns. I'm not sure if each of the small stops get ALL the cars, there were still tons and it's quite a nice vibe to see Americarna outside New Plymouth.

Americana 2020

700 US classic cars lined the streets today.
This is Peter's 1957 Chev 3100 pickup

Down by Peggy Gordons was this surprising procession of US army vehicles from Vietnam vintage.  John (Mathew's) Oshkosh - Dragon Wagon

Standard 10 and the Harvard

Some more winter sketching in the Taranaki Aviation Technology & Transport Museum. There's so much stuff in here. Most things are grouped into sections but there's always the odd specimen randomly inserted. A toy-sized 1950's car is snuggled under the wing of a Harvard (T-6 Texan) fighter plane. I drew the plane a few years ago and I think it was damaged on a landing. That's why it lives in here with the cute cars and why its current propeller is too small. (It looks tons better than with no propeller though!)

Urban Sketching , cars and cafe

OKOKI-KAKA Raods, north of Urenui in Taranaki. a day out with the Taranaki Sketchers.

Social Kitchen New Plymouth . wonderful café restaurant

Rover 3500

I was talking to the owner of this car as I drew this. He said that he bought the Rover 3.5 brand-new in 1972. He's also had several cars since then, but always kept this one. I really liked it too.

Vintage and Classic Cars

Great day out, sketching  cars at an event to raise funds for the Cancer Society. Fast and furious , no detail as such ….and then gave away better ones where owners wanted something to take home !

Michigan & Texas

The Dinky Drum Co playing outdoors to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts patrons

Items at the Houston museum of Fine Arts

Bugatti at Henry Ford Museum of Innovation - Detroit

Cross between a Traction Engine and a Train.  Who knows what happens at night in the museum.

2016 Ford Mustang Shelby

The American car festival, AmeriCARna, came around again. I ended up chatting with people, got distracted and mucked up a few sketches. That's the bad side to using a pen. I did get one sketch from the 2018 show though: a 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby.

Freedom campers at the Waiwakaiho river , New Plymouth

Freedom campers hit the local news ( and it seems elsewhere in the country) for respecting the local environment , with waste- of all kinds- left behind .  While I was sketching I got talking with the owner of DCH 999, a young German law graduate who appreciated the chance to be on our coastline and was enjoying our Kiwi lifestyle .  Not one of the offenders I'm sure - safe travel .     MLB

Motorama 2017 (and 2016)

Went to Taranaki Motorama again this year and ended up looking at a 1980 Pontiac Trans-AM. The sketch on the right is the one that I did last year at the same show at East End Reserve but haven't uploaded it until now.

Photo was by Barry Mills ( imagebarry@gmail.com , 027 255 4408) taken at the car show at New Plymouth's East End beach reserve. My partially finished sketch is of a beautifully presented 1936 Ford Coupe. MLB

Wedding Car

Wedding car

Gables - in background of wedding pics

Inline Skating Champs - local Ravens defending

2011 Dodge Challenger at Port Taranaki

Late afternoon sun on a car parked down near the breakwater at low tide. The days are starting to get longer now.

PORCHE CLUB VISIT

Outside Len Lye building, New Plymouth

Taupo

A few days away in a different location , Taupo - so out with the sketch book., Artline 0.3 drawing  pen and 6B pencil..The black Ford convertible , a classy sports car  of its day was in town and I took a walk to the marina in time to see the Ernest Kemp with a head of steam taking tourists out onto the Lake . MLB