OE127 New Zealand
Lake Taupo 1980
From Al Dray:
My father owned OE127 from 1979 to 1988 and it was at that stage totally original apart from a Vee windscreen and (I think) newer front guards put on by Bryan Wycherley, who was a dentist in Palmerston North, and owned the car for 25 years. Bryan took it on the 1965 Haast International VCC Rally in South Island NZ, when Lord Montague brought over his Prince Henry.
I used to polish the whole car as a kid with brasso (5 hours - hard work) and everything else was old and original at that point; the rear guards were hard to polish and had many tiny stone dents. The car used to go like the clappers and would blow off many then-modern cars like Cortinas, Datsuns, etc.
The car has since had an extensive restoration by Clynt Inns in South Island and I think it now looks magnificent (photos from Napier Art Deco 2018 show this). It is, as far as I know, the only NZ-new 30-98, and remains in NZ.
I have also included two photos of OE 176 which is in the Southward Car Museum and was restored by John Southward in the 1970s. John drove this car up from Paraparaumu where the museum is, to Hawkes Bay, for Art Deco about 8 or 9 years ago. Once warmed up, he sat on 60 mph and stayed in 4th except once when he changed down to 3rd on a step downhill, and nobody passed him on the 180 mile journey. I would struggle to do his time in a modern car. John also bought our OE127 off dad in 1988, but he also had the Bugatti bug by that stage...
As a young house surgeon in the 90s in Auckland, I had the privilege to meet two interesting patients. One, an old man called Derek McNeil, told me he and his brother had raced a Vauxhall at Brooklands in the late 20s or early 30s "with rivetted pistons" . I never did manage to get his old photos before he died, then his daughter told me the basement flooded and they were lost. I have discussed this with Nic & Judy Portway over Judy's lovely lunch in Dec 2001, and Nic thought the photos would be very important, but alas......
The other man had been a friend of Ken Hemus, who owned OE127 just after the war. He had also known the local cop about 20 miles south of Auckland, who had an early 50s Vauxhall as a Police car. The cop had bemoaned some guy who was speeding through his patch in "the fastest bathtub on wheels he'd ever seen", and he couldn't keep up in his new police car. The man telling the yarn knew, of course, that it was his friend Ken Hemus in OE127.
The B&W photo is OE127 in the early 30s, when it was reputed to be the fastest car in Hawkes Bay (NZ). There was a devastating earthquake in Hawkes Bay in 1931, and in the rebuild they built a new concrete road between the two towns of Napier and Hastings. There was an illegal and unofficial race there between 127 and a large Minerva (which I assume was sleeve-valved). The Vauxhall won, but spectators thought the Minerva faster, if there'd been more room........I have my doubts. This B&W photo was given to me by retired farmer Bill Inglis, in his 80s, who recently sold me the number plate OE3098 which is on my Jag. Bill's father was at the race, and took the photo - at that stage (early to mid 30s) the car had the headlights higher, but later reverted to correct height.
My father owned OE127 from 1979 to 1988 and it was at that stage totally original apart from a Vee windscreen and (I think) newer front guards put on by Bryan Wycherley, who was a dentist in Palmerston North, and owned the car for 25 years. Bryan took it on the 1965 Haast International VCC Rally in South Island NZ, when Lord Montague brought over his Prince Henry.
I used to polish the whole car as a kid with brasso (5 hours - hard work) and everything else was old and original at that point; the rear guards were hard to polish and had many tiny stone dents. The car used to go like the clappers and would blow off many then-modern cars like Cortinas, Datsuns, etc.
The car has since had an extensive restoration by Clynt Inns in South Island and I think it now looks magnificent (photos from Napier Art Deco 2018 show this). It is, as far as I know, the only NZ-new 30-98, and remains in NZ.
I have also included two photos of OE 176 which is in the Southward Car Museum and was restored by John Southward in the 1970s. John drove this car up from Paraparaumu where the museum is, to Hawkes Bay, for Art Deco about 8 or 9 years ago. Once warmed up, he sat on 60 mph and stayed in 4th except once when he changed down to 3rd on a step downhill, and nobody passed him on the 180 mile journey. I would struggle to do his time in a modern car. John also bought our OE127 off dad in 1988, but he also had the Bugatti bug by that stage...
As a young house surgeon in the 90s in Auckland, I had the privilege to meet two interesting patients. One, an old man called Derek McNeil, told me he and his brother had raced a Vauxhall at Brooklands in the late 20s or early 30s "with rivetted pistons" . I never did manage to get his old photos before he died, then his daughter told me the basement flooded and they were lost. I have discussed this with Nic & Judy Portway over Judy's lovely lunch in Dec 2001, and Nic thought the photos would be very important, but alas......
The other man had been a friend of Ken Hemus, who owned OE127 just after the war. He had also known the local cop about 20 miles south of Auckland, who had an early 50s Vauxhall as a Police car. The cop had bemoaned some guy who was speeding through his patch in "the fastest bathtub on wheels he'd ever seen", and he couldn't keep up in his new police car. The man telling the yarn knew, of course, that it was his friend Ken Hemus in OE127.
The B&W photo is OE127 in the early 30s, when it was reputed to be the fastest car in Hawkes Bay (NZ). There was a devastating earthquake in Hawkes Bay in 1931, and in the rebuild they built a new concrete road between the two towns of Napier and Hastings. There was an illegal and unofficial race there between 127 and a large Minerva (which I assume was sleeve-valved). The Vauxhall won, but spectators thought the Minerva faster, if there'd been more room........I have my doubts. This B&W photo was given to me by retired farmer Bill Inglis, in his 80s, who recently sold me the number plate OE3098 which is on my Jag. Bill's father was at the race, and took the photo - at that stage (early to mid 30s) the car had the headlights higher, but later reverted to correct height.
Pukekohe race track, 1983. Doing 80-90 on the front straight. The speedo needle used to get stuck at 56, but the driver of a 4.5 litre Bentley said he was doing 90 on the back straight and the Vauxhall was gaining on him.
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OE127: H Wycherley. Lindis Pass NZ. Haast Rally 1965
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Register Notes: Velox - polished aluminium- new front wings - original car carried a Vee screen from 1950-70; now with flat screen; imported into NZ 1924; Zenith 48RB carburettor; low lights; 23" s.s. wheels; Autovac; k.b. brakes replaced previous hydraulics; major engine rebuild 2000 - 01; with new steel rods; twin spares with running board toolboxes; believed to be only 30-98 sold into NZ from new.
DK Jan '24
DK Jan '24
OE176 (NZ)
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OE176 (NZ)
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