Old Photo: Hutchinson Motors Christchurch Workshop

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Old Photo: Hutchinson Motors Christchurch Workshop
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bede Cordes, New Zealand on Saturday, October 20, 2012 - 11:35 pm:

Hi Everyone,

this photograph was in an advert for "Team Hutchinson Ford" in a newspaper supplement, one of our local Ford dealerships in Canterbury, New Zealand, recently. They were probably "Ford Motors Canterbury" or similar when this picture was taken, as outlined at http://www.teamhutchinsonford.com/?id=138

Alex or John Stokes may be able to offer some more info.

hutch

Regards,
Bede


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By wayne tomlins on Sunday, October 21, 2012 - 02:02 am:

The name change to Hutchinson Motors came in 1936 with the start up of Ford NZ. Previous to this date, they were Ford Motors Cant. & were Ford Service Dealers ;Colonial Motor Co. were Ford Distributors, sub. Dealers for Ford Canada & provided the cars to the Ford Dealers. They did minor assembly in Model A & early V8 [ pre 1936] era & full assembly of the CKD kits provided by Ford Canada in the late Model T era.
This photo looks to be in the very early '30's.
They also did work on other makes as can be seen
John will hopefully have more to say on this.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Hoshield on Sunday, October 21, 2012 - 08:53 pm:

Wow ... quite the busy shop! What is the white topped, white side-curtained deal, in the middle?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By wayne tomlins on Monday, October 22, 2012 - 02:04 am:

That looks to be a Model T. I believe there was a colour difference between US & Canadian top materials ; not sure if those side curtains are correct.Im not a T man, so may not be right.
The photo appears to be 1933 going by the number plate on the bottom '29 Model A. I have the photo from a book which shows this.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bede Cordes, New Zealand on Monday, October 22, 2012 - 03:08 am:

Unfortunately the picture I posted is a photo of a photo, and the quality is a bit poor. Our house is not fortunate enough to have a scanner, but here is a crop of the 22-25 T (?) and the vehicles behind it.

crop

I think a 1 ton truck might be parked on the far left, a nice wee delivery with W. Harris and Sons, Quality Butchers on the side, and possibly at the end on the back row (RH side) what might be T too. The crowned roof on the vehicle behind the "T" with the sidecurtains reads Service "FORD" Truck, "Ford" being in an oval.

Regards
Bede


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Alex Brown on Monday, October 22, 2012 - 03:37 am:

Great photo Bede! SO just where have all those T parts gone?

To Wayne- The side curtains are typical of a 1923 Model T. Our Family 23 has some that are almost identical. I'd have to get them out to be sure but they are very close.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stokes on Monday, October 22, 2012 - 03:48 am:

I don't think I am going to be able to shed any more light on this photo than what has been said above.

The photo was used on page 409 of Roger Gardner’s book “Ford Ahead – the history of The Colonial Motor Company”. It was one of two photos on that page, showing workshop activities at Hutchinson Motors. The accompanying caption is not descriptive of the photo, but of the activity – it says “Reconditioning engines was common: new rings, bearings and a re-bore took eight hours for a 4-cylinder, 12 hours for a V-8”.

Hutchinson Motors in Christchurch was owned by CMC. When CMC purchased the dealership in the early ‘20s they re-named it Ford Motors (Canterbury). When Ford opened in New Zealand in their own right in 1936 (taking over from CMC), all Ford dealerships were required to remove the name Ford from their name. I am yet to hear a reasonable explanation for that requirement; all I can speculate it that is was a form of brand protection. Most, if not all, CMC-owned dealerships altered their names to that of the current dealership General Manager – the well-known Orm Hutchinson was the GM at Ford Motors Christchurch, hence the name became Hutchinson Motors.

As an aside, Orm’s grandson John Hutchinson is the current GM at that dealership. He took over about 4 years ago.

Ford Sales and Service in Wellington is an interesting case to look at. It became Avery Motors (and this was recently changed to Capital City Ford). It was named after the General Manager of the past 12 years, one Lieut-Colonel H E Avery. He had retired from the military in 1924, but brought his title with him to civilian life – not an uncommon practice in those times. He retired from CMC in August, 1936.

Beginning in early 1936, advertising for the old FORD SALES & SERVICE became AVERY MOTORS LTD (FORD SALES AND SERVICE) and, as the year progressed, it changed to AVERY MOTORS LTD – for Ford Sales and Service. Quite smart marketing for the time – and I guess there was little the Ford Motor Company could do about it .

Avery Motors ran a competition based upon their name change. Anyone who purchased a used car or truck from them by 30 November, 1936 cold have a go at making as many words as they were able to out of the letters contained in the three words AVERY MOTORS LIMITED. The winner would have his or her purchase money refunded.

But the Ford Sales and Service by-line continued following the new name, Avery Motors Ltd, well after Ford began in assembly in October/November, 1936.

John Stokes
New Zealand


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration