ANOTHER CAREFUL OWNER
Irefer to your article in the July publication New Zealand Classic Car [Issue No. 343] on my old 635 BMW, now in the very capable hands of Pete Sturgeon. You say that it was “rescued from oblivion” after ownership by a number of privateer owners. I guess I could be described as a “privateer” but I can assure you that the car was nowhere near oblivion. As the car’s longest-serving custodian to date (19 years) I do know a little about it.
I bought the car in 1989 from Peter Hudson in Melbourne who had been running it on a relatively shoestring privateer budget (doing the rounds of the pit after the races and collecting used and discarded race tyres). I paid A$28K — good money for what was, in relative terms in those days, a tired old race car. I did some work to the car (it was painted red at the time — running under Shotover Jet sponsorship) and ran it in a number of endurance and club events before involvement in someone else’s accident at Wigram left the 635 shortened at both ends. It sat in my workshop for some time before
the very talented Marty Strain, along with the panel shop at GWD Russell in Invercargill of which I was a part owner at the time, restored it beautifully but sympathetically to its JPS Group A–spec and livery, retaining patina such as the hole in the steering-wheel centre where the pit radio switch was connected, and the patch in the roof where the pioneering in-car snorkel race cam was fitted. I then raced it for many years in historic events. It was underpowered against much of its competition but handled and stopped beautifully, particularly in the wet. Jimmy Richards also did some wheel time in the car while I owned it.
In 2008, I sold the car in that same excellent condition to Pete Sturgeon, who has gone on to do the wonderful conversion back to Group C spec. You will understand therefore that stating that I ended my time with the car [with it] in a state of “oblivion” doesn’t sit well. Jim Boult, Queenstown Apologies, Mr Mayor. Clearly our writer was so pleased to see it again that he veered, regrettably, into hyperbole.