HWM Sports

[alwylie]

I'm trying to trace the New Zealand history of the HWM Cadillac sports car that spent most of its life in NZ. Richard Wright kindly provided the above photo of it racing wheel-to-wheel with Beowulf. It was imported by the Avery brothers of Hamilton in 1956 who eventually replaced the 5.4 litre Cadillac V8 with a 7.7 litre Continental flat 6 aircraft engine. One account has the Cadillac engine going into a speedboat. Does anyone know anything about that? The next owner is said to have been one Peter Haskett - perhaps the same Peter Haskett who raced single-seaters in the 70s. Does anyone know if Peter is still about and how I could contact him? The next known fact about the car is that John Donnelly bought it from John Riley in the early sixties. I've talked to John Donnelly and the next owner, Graham Hallen, who have both provided a lot of detail about their experiences with the car. Graham sold the car to the late John Monehan and the next known owner was Ron Roycroft, who rounded up some of the original parts that had been removed from the car over the years. Gavin Bain bought it from Ron and eventually sold it to Matthew Collings, a relative of George Abecassis, one of the principals of Hersham and Walton Motors. Matthew had Auto Restorations in Christchurch restore the car to the way it was when it arrived in NZ with a 331 Cadillac engine. It has recently been shipped to Matthew in England. I'd love to learn more about the car's history and would welcome any stories about it or leads to people who might know something.

Allan Wylie

[beowulf]

According to the "Levin Motor Racing Circuit 1956 - 1976" book. E L Avery from Hamilton was entered in 1957 in a 5,500cc HWM and was second in the Smith and Walding 6 lap handicap race.
It next appears in the 1958 Autumn meeting still with E L Avery and 5,500cc and won race 3 a 6 lap Le Mans start scratch race and was second in race 7 another 6 lapper with a Le Mans start.
At the Spring meeting in November it doesn't feature in the first two sports car races' but won it's class [over 3000cc] in race 9, an 8 lap race. Followed by a fourth in race 14 a handicap race and second in race 16 a six lap handicap race.
28th of March 1959 was it's next outing at levin where it won it's class in the 6 lap Le Mans start race and was fourth in the invitation race for the fastest 10 sports cars. Won by Angus Hyslop in the D Type from the Jimmy Palmer Lotus and Roly Levis in his RAL.
There is a R Haskett from Maketu entered in the 1963 Vic Hudson meeting in a 2000cc HWM, I think that this probably the ex Jim Boyd car.
Next mention is with a 7,500cc motor and J Donnelly as the driver at the March 1964 meeting. Third place in the sports and sports/racing cars scratch race the best result.
The rest of its racing history at Levin you probably have. Hope this is all some help. It has been fascinating looking up the entrants and results. So many memories.

[bry3500]

http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...nd-Yarns/page8

[alwylie]

Photo:Wayne Collins
Thanks Beowulf for that very helpful information. It adds more detail to the picture of the car's history. I didn't think to ask John Donnelly if he'd ever raced it with the Continental engine but the record of the March '64 Levin meeting shows that he did. The entry of R. Haskett in a 2000cc HWM at the 1963 Vic Hudson meeting is intriguing and probably a red herring.
Thanks also to bry3500 for directing me to the Yards and Yarns thread. I am familiar with that thread but I'm looking for more information, preferably first-hand, to try and resolve some of the anomalies and contradictions in the written records. For example, David McKinney has said Peter Haskett bought the car from the Averys and sold it to John Donnelly. Graham Vercoe has P.Haskett driving it during the Averys' ownership but makes no mention of him owning it. Ken Smith doesn't think Peter Haskett ever owned it and John Donnelly says he bought it from Johnny Riley so the chain of ownership is far from clear. I'd love to contact either P. or R. Haskett if they are still around to clarify this point. I've uploaded a photo of the car taken about six weeks ago which might cheer up AMCO72 who so deplored its descent into scruffiness fifty years ago.

[beowulf]

What a stunning restoration, congratulations. Especially when you see the "bits" you had to start with. I would thoroughly recomend having a look at Auto Restoration's website and the work they do. A real credit to NZ craftsmen.

[SPman]

Certainly a pristine far cry from how I remember it from 50 yrs ago....

[Oldfart]

He was Peter Haskett, last I knew he was around Te Puke from memory. At one stage, around 67 he was selling cars in Auckland, and yes he was the same who raced a Formula car later. In my contacts with him, his parent and mine were across the road, he said he owned it.
You need to remember that many cars changed hands between the car dealers around Otahuhu without necessary paperwork being done. It was quite expensive. On a similar vein it lead to some off line discussion between Dave McKinney and I relating to the Northland special, except I had the ownership documents in my hand at the time, and was able to show him proof of some things he vowed were incorrect.

[Milan Fistonic]

Allan. Thought you might be interested in what your car looked like in 1988 when it was in Ron Roycroft's collection. Note the dirt floor.

[ERC]

Goodwood 2016. I hadn't realised then that this car had a NZ connection! It was certainly being driven with great gusto and I think I posted a pic a few pages ago which proves it.

[woody]

I will ask Graham McRae tomorrow morning about the HWM. Graham will remember it racing at Levin as Graham was in the same races that day. 1963.

[Ross Hollings]

Now i stand corrected here,but,i always remember it being called the HWM Corvette,remember it in the 60/70's racing at Puke,to say the least then it had so to speak a "golf ball' finish to it.Went alright though,cannot remember drivers name sorry.Probably put it on the grid a few times when i was a grid marshal.

[Milan Fistonic]

Now i stand corrected here,but,i always remember it being called the HWM Corvette,remember it in the 60/70's racing at Puke,to say the least then it had so to speak a "golf ball' finish to it.Went alright though,cannot remember drivers name sorry.Probably put it on the grid a few times when i was a grid marshal.

It was known as the HWM-Cadillac when the Avery Brothers imported it. It later used a variety of engines including a Continental aircraft engine, and both Ford and Chevrolet V8s. It was entered as the HWM-Thunderbird with the Ford engine and as a HWM-Corvette with the Chev.
After the Avery ownership a number of drivers raced the car. Roly Levis, Peter Haskett, Ron Roycroft, John Donnelly, Graeme Hallen and John Monehan all drove it with varying degrees of success.

[Milan Fistonic]

The HWM-Thunderbird driven by John Donnelly monstering the little Lola of Bill Caldwell at Matamata in 1965.

[Ray Bell]

No wonder Bill Caldwell came to Australia to race...

Though I'd think he felt he was in trouble the day Amon and Matich went each side of him during their Warwick Farm dice.

[rogered]

It was known as the HWM-Cadillac when the Avery Brothers imported it. It later used a variety of engines including a Continental aircraft engine, and both Ford and Chevrolet V8s. It was entered as the HWM-Thunderbird with the Ford engine and as a HWM-Corvette with the Chev.
After the Avery ownership a number of drivers raced the car. Roly Levis, Peter Haskett, Ron Roycroft, John Donnelly, George Hallen and John Monehan all drove it with varying degrees of success.

Graeme Hallen. The Verco book has him incorrectly noted as George.
Graeme still runs around , and was with us at Hampton downs last weekend

[John McKechnie]

Graeme Hallen gave me his story of ownership of this car....its on another thread.
He is certainly in fine health and always wanting to run a car.

[Steve Holmes]

Allan. Thought you might be interested in what your car looked like in 1988 when it was in Ron Roycroft's collection. Note the dirt floor.

Wow, these are cool photos Milan.

[Milan Fistonic]

The HWM advertised for sale in the December 1959 edition of the NSCC magazine.