This car was probably the third to arrive in New Zealand, and the first to land in Auckland. It was delivered to Percy Skeates and E. Bockaert in 1900. (Two Benz cars were already in Wellington.) Called The Star, it was made by the Star Engineering Company of Wolverhampton, England. The driver had to peer around any passengers seated opposite to steer the vehicle. It featured a 3.5-horsepower engine, had one cylinder and was belt-driven. These early cars were limited by law to 12 miles (19 kilometres) per hour. They had a limited range and were generally only seen in city streets.
Using this item
Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference:
Graham Hawkes. On the road: the car in New Zealand. Wellington: G.P Books, 1990
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Comments
Is Auckland first car still
Donald Scott (not verified)
02 May 2018
This car has on occasions
Neale Lawon (not verified)
09 February 2018
Add new comment