Words Trevor Stanley-Joblin Photos Sean Craig
One of the best-known Midget cars at the Christchurch speedway in Aranui during the ’50s was the Model A B4-powered car, of Gerald Alexander, better known to the public as just ‘Jiggs’
The history of this Midget starts way back in 1945. The late Ron Roycroft found a near-perfect gravel hill climb car in a Midget he built up while he was still living in Auckland, and working for the TEAL Airline Company. It was powered by a 3016cc engine from a 1931 Ford B4 bread delivery van original acquired from Papatoetoe.
The Midget was 90 per cent completed when Ron moved to Glen Murray, where it formed part of the CR Racing Team (Chatteris-Roycroft).
Harry Chatteris ran the car at Western Springs, with three different drivers during the four years of his ownership. The first of these drivers was Warwick Lewis. Next came Bob Lucas, to whom both Harry Chatteris and Ron Roycroft give much credit for the set-up of the car.
Both men said Lucas was good at giving them driver feedback on adjustments of the front suspension settings. The final driver under Chatteris’ ownership was Leo Vercoe.
Roycroft ran the Midget at the Springs, at Sarawai Park in Newmarket and in hill climbs – entering the car as the RJR Special, one of many cars to carry that name.
In 1948, the Glen Murray driver won the Paekakariki Hillclimb in the dirt tracker, and he followed this up two years later with a victory in the New Zealand Hillclimb Championship at Patmos Road, Dunedin. He must have been a very keen man, as the roads from Auckland to Dunedin were predominantly gravel and that distance, with a trailer and Midget in tow, would have seemed a very long way indeed.
The Midget in Christchurch
Gerald ‘Jiggs’ Alexander purchased the car while he was a law student at Canterbury University in March, 1953, from Harry Chatteris in Auckland.
He originally bought the Midget for hill climbs and sprint events in the Canterbury region – there was no suggestion at the time that Aranui Speedway would allow cars to race. Jiggs entered the Midget in the Canterbury Car Club’s Kiwi Hillclimb; at that point it was complete with new front beam axle with standard camber, and a Ford Ruxell two-speed rear axle, and was registered for road use with a current warrant of fitness as required in the 1950s.
At dawn, while warming up the motor on the hill, a piston collapsed and a conrod went through the engine block
At dawn, while warming up the motor on the hill, a piston collapsed and a conrod went through the engine block. The Christchurch engineering company of Beadweld repaired the engine block, while Ernie Ransley at Motor Reconditioners reground the crankshaft, and re-metalled the main and big-end bearings. The DSIR balanced the crankshaft, pistons and conrods – at that time this was regarded as very innovative.
The motor was reassembled and installed in the Midget by the then apprentice mechanics, Warner Mauger and Bill Luxton, on the strict understanding that they would not be able to service the motor due to their vintage car commitments.
Aranui Speedway
Father of the up-and-coming speedway rider, Ronnie, Les Moore was the speedway promoter for the 1953/54 season at Aranui. He introduced Midgets on the night of December 5, 1953.
Jiggs did not make his debut until the following week, as he had insufficient time to finish preparations on the B4 Midget since he was committed to his law examinations. Always controversial, on and off the track, this car/driver combination was, no doubt, a favourite with the public. The evening newspaper in Christchurch at that time was the Christchurch Star Sun. It followed, and reported in detail, every speedway meeting and, of course, focused on any accidents, protest, management wrangle, car modification, driver and owner changes. This added to the popularity of the local speedway scene overall. One of the highlights of the 1954-’55 season was the running of the Canterbury Midget Match Race Championship and its controversial outcome.
From his hospital bed he made arrangements for that well-known race car designer builder-driver, Hec Green, to take over his driving duties
He’d won two out of three heats, but during the running of the fourth heat Jiggs collided with the Willys-powered Midget of Bill Harris from Tai Tapu. Harris was regarded as Alexander’s main local opposition at the time. The B4 Midget was tossed into the air, and landed heavily. The bonnet came up and cut Jiggs’ right ear severely, necessitating a spell in hospital for several weeks.
The secret driver affair
The Championship Final was held over to the following week on the assumption that Jiggs would have recovered by then. However, his injuries were far more serious.
Now here was where Jiggs, the law student, came into play. From his hospital bed he made arrangements for that well-known race car designer-builder-driver, Hec Green, to take over his driving duties for the Saturday night’s Championship Final. In spite of never before driving any speedway Midget, Green finished second behind Harris, thus securing enough points to beat Harris by just one point.
However, this outcome was to remain contentious for years to come. Is it the driver or the car that accumulates points? This is where the dispute arose. The promoter claims he never knew of the ‘secret’ driver switch. Hec Green drove the Midget wearing all of Jiggs Alexander’s attire to give the impression to all who watched that in fact it was Jiggs at the wheel. When the truth was revealed the Christchurch Star Sun newspaper had a ball with this story. No doubt the ever-shrewd promoter rubbed his hands together with delight, as the publicity only added to speedway’s increasing profile, popularity and attendance. Jiggs raced this Midget, always wearing number 88, until the end of the 1955-’56 season.
He had a clash over track conditions with the promoter, Christchurch car dealer Des Wilde. The consequence of this was that Jiggs was barred for the rest of the season. Again, there was much newspaper publicity and crowd reaction. Even the widely-read nationwide weekend newspaper, The Truth, was moved to say that Jiggs has received rough justice.
This was the gauge of nationwide publicity that speedway racing, both in solo motorcycles and Midgets, received during the ’50s.
The Midget was then offered for sale, and the manager of Gold Band Taxis, Charlie Saunders, purchased it with the intention of getting the ban on Jiggs lifted.
Despite all efforts he was unsuccessful, but was granted permission to have Earl Wilde, a local and fast sidecar expert, race the car for the balance of that season.
Popeye
A new owner emerged for the 1956-’57 season in the form of Merv Sloan, racing under a new number – 1. It was while under his ownership that the car gained the nickname
‘Popeye’ after the spinach-eating cartoon character, and to this day it is always referred to as such.
Even the widely-read nationwide weekend newspaper, The Truth, was moved to say that Jiggs had received rough justice
Merv retained ownership and raced the car at Aranui until this track’s demise in 1959.
The new speedway at Templeton opened in 1962, and Merv competed at it every season, finally sharing the car with Royce Clive until the end of the 1966-’67 season.
A number of other drivers have competed in Popeye over the years, until it finally became uncompetitive with the gradual introduction of more sophisticated machinery. Drivers of Popeye included Terry Turner (1967-’68), Johnny McKitterick (1968-’69 and 1969-’70), Russell Mead (1970-’71), and finally Ron Jemmet, in the 1971-’72 season.
New lease of life
The Midget’s current owner, Stephen Foster, purchased Popeye in early 1991. Just two months later he commissioned Edwin Murray, a retired panel beater, to restore the Midget to its former glory. Edwin was the New Zealand Midget Car Champion for the 1967-’68 season, driving his Raymond Mays Zephyr-powered car.
Edwin repaired the body and painted it in Permanent Red, using a two-pack Santano system. The chassis, diff housing, front axle, steering box, in-out drive ’box and other miscellaneous fittings were all sandblasted, then powder-coated in black.
Every part was assembled using new zinc-plated bolts, nuts and washers. All new bearings and seals were used throughout the entire assembly process. Alexandra Platers was instructed to polish and chrome-plate, to the highest standard, all the bright metal parts.
Edwin, more commonly known as just ‘Eddy’, carefully assembled the finished parts. This process, as any restorer would attest, is the most enjoyable part of any restoration. This aspect completed, the Midget was sent to Derrick Henson to be re-trimmed. Then came the final touch in the form of the sign writing, applied by Phil Price.
High standards
While the chassis and body was being rebuilt, Graham Fineran re-ringed the engine and modified the conrods to take shell bearings. However, on the first trial run the crankshaft, including the repair carried out by Hewitts Welding, broke. A complete rethink was necessary.
On the new motor, all machining was carried out by Robin Gibbons. Alan Roberts was employed to manufacture counterweights for the new crankshaft, after which Motor
Reconditioners in Shirley, Christchurch, ground the crank to suit the bearing sizes. Smith Regrinds also of Christchurch, then line-bored the mains, followed by a complete balance of engine components. There have been no problems with this ‘new’ old B4 motor since.
The finished product is nothing short of fantastic, typical of Edwin’s high standard of workmanship. These days Popeye is reserved for shows and the occasional demonstration run, under the care of Edwin Murray.
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