READERS’ WRITES

Iread with interest Geoff Lewis’s article on the 1924 Indianapolis Stutz Speedway Six in the August issue [No. 332]. My late father had a Stutz in the late 1930s. He purchased it from the Gardner family who owned the brickworks in New Lynn. John Gardner owned J Gardner Motors in Newmarket, being the Porsche agents in the ’50s and also brought the first Datsuns into New Zealand.

Dad ran the Stutz for a couple of years before selling it, as he joined the NZ Air Force as a leading aircraftman servicing planes at Whenuapai and maintaining the family orchard in Henderson, which is now Cranwell Park.

I recently donated a number of photos to MOTAT and some to the Waipu settlers museum, one being [of] the Stutz. A close friend was Harry Curline, who owned the garage in Waipu and a hot Singer Bantam, which I owned for a number of years.

Dad loved his many cars and got a write up in the British Jaguar magazine, being the oldest person to purchase a 1997 XK8. I have traced it and it is being well maintained in Auckland. I asked Dad what happened to the Stutz and was told that it went down country to the Waikato/taranaki region, where it ended up powering a sawmill. We were told that they tried to run it on kerosene and it collapsed.

Some of the similarities in your magazine article and our family recollections are fascinating. I have discussed this with my brother in the Hawke’s Bay, who may have other photos. Please contact me, as we may be able to add more history.

Our family owned the first Ford in New Zealand, my great grandfather being a dentist in Hamilton circa 1906.

Ruskin Cranwell I have forwarded your information on to Geoff Lewis, who will contact you, I’m sure. The Stutz history would suggest that it could well be the same car. Please let us know what you find out. AFW