Two new bearings for this 1899 Benz Velo and she's off!

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Every few months, our friends at Auto Restorations update us on car events happening in New Zealand and tell us about the projects they’ve been working on in their workshop. Recently they completed some work on this 1899 Benz Velo, including re-white-metalling the two main bearings. Last week it was time to start her up, and we were sent this exciting video showing her first drive.

1899 Benz Velo

This beautiful Benz is in a wonderful condition and has an impressive history. It is believed to be only the second car on the South Island. We were told it was a wedding present for Mrs Wycliffe-Goodwin and was sent to her and her husband, Mr E. Goodwin, sometime in 1900 when they were leasing Rockwood Station near Glenroy, in Mid Canterbury. Petrol had to come from Sydney in four-gallon tins. After a short ownership, the car got stuck in the Selwyn River and the owner parted with it in disgust. In 1901, it was sold through Oates Lowry & Co to a Mrs H.J.Shaw. In her possession, the Benz took part in a race on Ferry Road with Mr Oates, also in a Benz, when speeds of up to 16mph were reached. Claims were made that this was the first motorcar race in the colony! A few weeks later it was sold again through Oates & Lowry, this time to Mr J.S.Monck of Moncks Bay. Mr Monck owned the car for over 40 years, although for some of those years it wasn’t on the road and was used as the basis for sawing firewood, using its belt drive for a power take-off to a circular saw. Mr Monck’s son Charles restored the car to roadworthiness sometime in the 1930s. In 1946 Mr H.P.D. van Asch from Hastings bought the car, and it remained in the van Asch family until Gavin Bain bought it recently and returned it to Canterbury.

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