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LewPalmer
USA
3317 Posts |
 Posted - 25/02/2025 : 22:06:20
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This correspondence was given to me from Rod Brayshaw in response to a number of questions:
NA0540 NZ HISTORY AS GATHERED BY Rod L Brayshaw 23/05/2011
Is there documentation of the duo-reds? NO
This hotel site, does that mean it was a new hotel being built and it was buried under it?
Ted Loversidge did not have the Airline body and his recall is it was hidden from him and secretly dumped at night under a Hotel construction site. According to others the body was stored and pulled apart in a shed in Avonside Christchurch. Parts that were saved, as listed below.
Was the spare tire hub same as production P’s, N’s, T’s, etc? Wooden block and the conventional alloy housing
Obvious one: Any original parts remaining?
DASH PANEL now on a PA in Christchurch.
BONNET CATCHES now on the same PA
BONNET COMPLETE in Christchurch
RADIATOR ASBY in Christchurch
LH RUNNING BOARD in Christchurch
FRONT WING in Christchurch
STEERING BOX in Auckland, and not for sale.
HORN
HORN AND SPOT LAMP MOUNTS.
FUEL TANK END. I have this.
Are there more photos? Attached, The number plate is NZ, the other pics will show this more clearly. The NZ number 282 , 588 plate is from the 1951-1956 period, the symbol is a comma lower-centre Black plate white numerals. The airline pic I sent originally was in the prior ownership before Loversidge. Any available others went with the car when sold by Loversidge.
Was interior dark red? Yes
Since there was not a sunroof, was there a dome light as Tickfords had? Had a fabric roof panel no dome light
Was there ever a standard production N Airline in NZ? Not to my knowledge, just 1 PA
Was chassis black or red? Chassis was black. The rear of the body hung over chassis. The body was further back on the chassis.
Brake drums black or red? Or perhaps silver? Silver
Is there any documentation remaining? NO, when Herridge owned the car he re-registered it in NZ as chassis NE0540
Was this a well known MG in the NZ club? YES
Did the car move around the country much when it sold from owner to owner? Who was the first, second, third, etc owner?
List of owners I have established.
Gordon Wheeler of MG Spares and Services , 257 Lyttelton Road, Christchurch was the importer. During the late 30's Wheeler a NZ dealer was importing second hand MG's from the UK. You paid a set price for a 4 cylinder and another set price for a 6 cylinder car. The UK dealers sent what was available. Wheeler and his brother travelled to the UK.
Frank Parker of Papakura Auckland in 1940’s He went to the War in 1942 and the car was used by his cousin Hec Walker who ran off the road and damaged a LH Stub axle while out with one of many Women. Son of Frank Parker Frank Parker Jnr lives in Wellington NZ.
The Mother of Frank Parker then sold the car to an unknown person at a give-away price it is reported.
? Wilkinson had the shed in Avonside, Christchurch where the body was dismantled. He worked for NAC.
Don Oddy of Christchurch had 0251 that came from UK to NZ without a body. Don received the bonnet top and sides, LH running board, a front Wing and the Radiator assembly from Geoff Owen who paid the outstanding rent on the shed in Avonside and retrieved the parts he wanted from the dismantled Alloy body and parts. The body was very sick in 1953-55 when it was dismantled and dumped. Geoff saved the instrument panel and the bonnet catches and fitted them to a PA he was restoring. The PA is still in Christchurch.
At this stage early to mid 1950’s Doug Herridge had the Rolling Chassis and had it at NAC (our domestic Airline at that time) at Harewood Air Base building the first special body. The N was called the Herridge Special from then on. Doug Herridge now lives in Sydney Australia; he was an Aircraft instrument Technician. Herridge raced the car extensively from 1958 until he sold it in 1961.
A Temuka Traffic Cop, Keith Swift acquired the 0251 chassis and the Airline parts about this time 1955. These were sold to Len Rickard of Christchurch.
Ted Loversidge bought the NA as the Herridge Special in 1961.
Ted raced the car in 1961 in Dunedin as purchased and got soaked on the drive home to Christchurch so he designed and built the body as it is now.
The original Herridge body was rebuilt (with less rivets) sand now is on NA0956 owned by Geoff Owen.
Sold to Paul Salt who sent it to the USA. 2001 ?
Vic Viscovitch from Auckland cut the roof off the only PA Airline that was in NZ as “all MG’s don’t have roofs” according to him. This was about 1951-52. I have some parts from this car.
Did it use standard NA type instruments? YES they were on the same angle as the A pillar and faced down towards the floor.
Will any previous owners attend the 2012 Nat Meet in Hobart? Not to my knowledge, Herridge is in his 80’s
Was the body lighter red and wings darker red? YES. But the reds are close shades, could be taken as one red.
Are there any interior photos? NO
What was headliner like? Fawn wool type cloth
Standard N-Type 3 spoke steering wheel? YES
Standard MG bucket seats? No, standard N Bench back and two base squabs
Was carpet red or black? Seems it was RED but some other memory is BLACK
Was the car ever registered in England, and if so, is the original registration number known or remaining? YES new in UK number unknown so far.
Did the car have "roll up" windows or slide up? ROLL UP
Are the doors that we see on the car original or did someone add window closing doors? YES original
Did the car have a recess or round flat area on the back for the spare tire? FLAT
How do we know who built the body? We don’t
Was it a new car in New Zealand? NO
Who converted it to a race car? HERRIDGE.
The body was narrower than the usual Airline, the windscreen was narrow about 8” – 10” high, it was known as the GUN SLOT SPECIAL. The rear window was chromed framed and opened. It is assumed the body width was tight across the bench seat back.
It was always known as a prototype but if there is two N Airlines with chassis numbers older then it is possible it was a NA converted from a second hand vehicle by an unknown body builder. Any reference I can establish from people talked to as to it being a Whittingham and Mitchell body have come from Lew’s Website. We doubt the body was made in NZ. However there were a number of body builders in NZ at that time as NZ received a lot of cab and chassis and vehicles without bodies.
The shackles where converted by WHEELER after an accident in Milton Street Christchurch. Ted Loversidge converted back to trunions purchased from Barry Bone.
The fuel tank is a standard N type, triangular in shape.
I would suggest you make contact with Mike Allison as he may have knowledge of the body, or know of any others other than Car Bodies. As this is the third Chassis in numerical order it would seem to be uncertain it was the first. It may have been however the first body made and retro fitted in the UK to the Chassis NA0540 it was on when it was imported by Wheeler. Ask Mike Allison.
This concludes my research to date 23/05/2011.
Lew Palmer
PA1169, NA0651 |
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LewPalmer
USA
3317 Posts |
Posted - 26/02/2025 : 17:39:01
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The name I forgot is Jeff Newey. Anyone know whether he is still about and active?
Lew Palmer
PA1169, NA0651 |
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rodb
New Zealand
264 Posts |
Posted - 27/02/2025 : 22:40:54
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Jeff Newey is in Newcastle Australia.
RodB NZ |
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LewPalmer
USA
3317 Posts |
Posted - 28/02/2025 : 01:13:44
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Thanks, Rod. When I spoke to him many years ago at Watkins Glen, we were able to examine NA0540 when it was owned by Hank Giffin. I vaguely remember there was someone else with him, both of whom had some connection to the car. I would love to pick his brain of any memories he (still) has. I think this was about the same time as when I met you at Beaulieu in 2002.
Lew Palmer
PA1169, NA0651 |
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rodb
New Zealand
264 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2025 : 01:09:54
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send me a mesage and I will put you in touch with him
Lew.
RodB NZ |
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