The Difference Between 1903 and 1927

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 76, 21 June 1927, Page 10

The Difference Between 1903 and 1927

Is the Difference Between Two Days and Four and a Half Hours DR. RAYNER’S MEMORIES Dr. Rayner, first president of the Auckland Automobile Association, always had a liking for speed. Time was when his wife decided that she would ride with someone else. Recently he did the trip from Rotorua to Auckland in approximately 4£ hours, while his latest venture was from Cambridge to Auckland in two hours 40 minutes. He modestly remarked that he didn’t think he went over 62. The difference is between these speeds and what he did in 1903, in the first run of the Automobile Association, when several cars took two days to make Rotorua. At that time Dr. Rayner was president of the association, and among the other members were Dr. Clive Lowe, secretary, Mr. R. B. Spinks, who connected with Ryan and Co., brought out the first cars, the 1902 model Oldsmobile, the late Dr. Owen, Mr. Moody a contractor, Mr. George Henning, the proud and only possessor of a steam car, Mr. Bockaerd, who in conjunction with Mr. Skeats imported the De Dion, and Mr. Smith, of Smith and Caughey, who had a Darracq. The first run was done in some style, the gear being trained to Rotorua, and a camp with cooks and waitresses being ready for the travellers. All went well until the Fifth Hill Ridge (Bombay) was reached, and none of the cars, with the exception of an 8 h.p. Cadillac, could negotiate this. The Cadillac was used to transport the lady passengers, while the men of the party proceeded to 'push their objecting chariots up the hill. Mr. Henning did some great spurts of speed for about 200 yards at a time, after which he had to stop and put in more water, following which he would get along like a scalded cat for another portion of the journey. THE EXPERT There were numerous stops en route, and Mr. Spinks rendered yeoman service. He was the expert of the party, and was covered in grease and dirt

almost from the word “go.” Every stop meant that the whole party disembarked, and offered suggestions. The party stopped at Ngaruawahia the first night, and reached the camp where they stayed for a week, on the second day, starting out with the birds both days. TOO MUCH DASH Waimangu and Tikitiri were “toured,” and the party then started out for home. Dr. Rayner, as president, felt that it wai up to him to show a bit of dash, the result being that first of all his wife transferred herself to another car, and next he broke a front spring, lost control of his machine, and was half way over a precipice, on the Mamaku mountain, before he stopped, and the Cadillac came to the rescue again. THE FIRST "LIFT” The immediate result of this was that his passenger, who was numbered among the first New Zealanders to “have a lift,” decided to walk the remainder of his trip to Bombay, bitterly regreting that his love of the unusual had led him to forsage the railways. In those days the rules of the club were that all cars kept in correct line behind the president’s car. The president had a bugle, which he managed to get some result from with a lot of energy and practice, and any breaking of the line was immediately noted and the bugle blown as a warning. The result of this was that all behind the president’s car received a Very liberal coating of dust, and it was quite some time before they realised that there was one rule that was being of far too great a benefit to one of their members. The trip, including running expenses, camp and everything, cbst the members £4 each for about 10 days—and many of them thought that it should have been about half that amount. UNBEARABLE VEXATION Although this and several other trips were undertaken, and few of them were without their trials, the members thoroughly enjoyed themselves, though there were occasional vexations hard to bear. On one occasion the .members, all lined up to depart on a tour, were treated to the sight of the president, gradually undressing himself as he became more and more heated, strenuously and unavailingly endeavouring to start his engine. This was followed by a more exciting period when the president took his axe to the machine, and set out to demolish it, only being brought to lis surroundings by his wife’s warning, “Don’t you hit that car again.” Sir Archibald Boyd-Carp tenter, who is with the motor trade delegation in New Zealand, is uncle to Mr. F. H Boyd-Carpenter, an enthusiastic competitor in junior motor racing events in England. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter’s best recent performance was the winning of a “double” at the Surbiton Motor Club’s meeting on Brooklands track in April. Driving a 7 h.p. racer, Mr. Boyd-Carpenter won a. si-mile race at an average speed of 74.2 m.p.h. In an SJ-mile event he averaged 76.4 m.p.h.