After visiting John and Carolyn Brough last year to celebrate 60 years of the Citroën 2CV with their 2CV Sahara, we couldn’t wait to go back for a better look at the rest of their collection. Fifteen Citroëns and a lone Maserati make a very impressive shed-full
The Broughs’ car-owning career is long and varied. Carolyn all but wrote off their first car, a brand new Fiat 500. Soon after it was repaired John rang her to announce they were the proud owners of a 1927 Austin 12/4. They covered a lot of kilometres in the Austin and still owned it when they were able to afford something more modern. They went from one extreme to another — from the staid, upright Austin to a Sunbeam Tiger.
The Sunbeam was their daily car, and Carolyn told me a delightful story of how they once towed the Austin to Wellington with her driving the Tiger and John steering the Austin. The Tiger was handling the job so well that she forgot about the Austin when they were descending the Ngauranga Gorge, a very different road to the present one, and a pale, shaking John Brough emerged from the Austin at the bottom of the Gorge.
The Austin went to Carolyn’s brother for university transport and later the Sunbeam was sold. They can’t remember why, but it may have been a temporary cash flow problem, and it’s a car they regret selling.
An Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti and a practical Mini van were followed by their first D Series Citroën, bought in 1970. In the early 1970s they bought a Jaguar XJ6, and John decided to re-power it with a 5.7-litre (350ci) Chevrolet engine. Obviously he was a little ahead of his time.
Then it was back to Citroëns with a white DS21 that was the NZ Classic Car cover car in May 1997, and was later sold to Japan. Apart from their Maserati Biturbo and a Jeep Grand Cherokee to tow the boat, it has been Citroëns ever since.
French Passion
Their current 1920s car is a 1926 Citroën B12. They have owned this New Zealand-new car for about 10 years, and bought it in pretty much its present condition. John was keen to buy it because this model was one of the world’s first all-steel cars, and it’s rear wheel drive. The car was bought from a friend in Blenheim who was moving house, and couldn’t take the car with him. It needs a little upholstery work, a new hood, repairs to the instrument panel and a paint touch up to be ready for the road. John knows of one other B12 in New Zealand.
Their 1938 Light 15 spent its life with two owners in the Auckland area until John and Carolyn bought it over 15 years ago. It’s a Slough (UK) built Lux model, identifiable by its wooden dashboard and a few other features. The 1938 English models were the only ones without the trademark Citroën double chevrons on the grille.
They bought the car because it was so original, and used it for a while before deciding to have a small amount of rust removed and the engine and gearbox overhauled. New carpet and hood lining will see the car returned to its former glory. John had hoped to have the work finished in time for the national Citroën rally in January 2009, but ran out of time — something to do with dabbling in old aircraft and building a hangar at New Plymouth Airport to house their Gardan GY-20 Mini Cab (French of course) and two gyrocopters.
Their DS21 EFI is the second very original, one-owner DS they have bought from Tauranga. Its paint was tired and there were a couple of small rust spots, so it was stripped to bare metal and re-sprayed in its original golden sand colour. The engine was removed and checked over, but only the timing chain needed to be replaced. That was over 20 years ago.
To own a Citroën SM is a rare pleasure. To own a pair is almost unheard of, but the Broughs have ‘his and hers’ SMs. Carolyn’s 1973 automatic model was imported to New Zealand early in its life by a Kiwi who had been teaching in America. He traded it on a new Citroën CX at Adlam European in New Plymouth. The Adlam brothers owned it for some time before selling it to Carolyn in about 1992. She used the car frequently for some years, and still drives it occasionally.
John’s car is a 1974 five-speed manual. Both cars have the later 3.0-litre carburetted engines, and these are relatively rare in manual form. An unusual feature of John’s car is the carbon fibre wheels made by Michelin specifically for SMs. They bought it in America in about 1990. It was a one-owner Los Angeles car in very good condition. They used the car around LA before shipping it back to New Zealand. Its paint was a bit scratched so it has been fully repainted. Carolyn’s SM is still in its original paint.
Italian Interloper
The 1987 Maserati Biturbo S is the foreigner in this French collection, although it’s related to the SMs through its V6 engine. John and Carolyn bought it brand new when they were living in Los Angeles, and this low-kilometre example is in beautiful original condition. Being a Biturbo S, it has a slightly different grille, a Torsen differential, an intercooler and more power. John enjoys the fact it is possible to drive this special but ordinary-looking car without being noticed.
The 1979 CX Prestige was an embassy car in Singapore. One of just over 300 ‘high top’ models that Citroën made, it was imported by a New Plymouth car dealer. It had three more owners before being offered to the Broughs in 1992. They didn’t especially want it for their collection, but its rarity made it impossible to refuse. They drove it for about two years, and have collected up a few new parts for it. It has a 2.4-litre engine and a C-Matic clutchless manual gearbox.
John’s 1998 Xantia Exclusive was his daily car when they lived in Auckland. With its 24-valve 3.0-litre V6 engine it is a bit of a rocket ship, and its adaptive automatic transmission reacts to the driver’s mood — it will change from ‘Sport’ to ‘Economy’ just by sensing how the car is being driven, and has a manual shift capability as well.
Their other Xantia is a very unusual car, and the only Series II Activa in New Zealand. Its active suspension eliminates body roll and tyre squeal in corners.
John particularly wanted a Series II because they were fitted with a slightly ‘toned down’ version of the active suspension. The early ones could catch a driver out in the wet by letting go with no warning, whereas the Series II ensures the driver can’t generate those cornering forces. It took him two years of searching to find this 1999 turbocharged 2.0-litre model in Britain. He would have liked a 3.0-litre V6 version, but they are left hand drive only. He says the Activa handles unbelievably well, and there is no need to slow down for corners.
Tucked in a corner of the large shed was a blue Citroën GSA. Its first owner was former Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, who put 200,000km on the odometer. The engine has since been overhauled, and it has now covered 320,000km.
Their 1990 BX GTi 4×4 is another unusual car. This four-wheel drive model was only made for the one year, presumably because of poor demand. As far as John knows, there is one other in New Zealand.
This one was bought in the UK in 1998, and it appealed to him because it was rare. They also have a 1988 BX GTi 16 Valve, a genuine 230kph car with handling to match, in superb condition. It was bought about 10 years ago, and had two prior Auckland owners.
A cute little 1990 AX GT is one of John’s favourites. Its 1400cc fuel injected engine gives it a great turn of speed with excellent economy, and John said it’s comfortable and a lot of fun. It looks the part with its plastic wheel arch extensions, skirts and spoilers. The car was first owned by Norton Moller, the Citroën importer, who used it to commute between New Plymouth and Auckland. He sold it to a doctor who commuted from New Plymouth to Hawera for a time, and the Broughs bought it from him. It attends every national Citroën rally, always driven by their friend Jenny, from Wellington, who happily forsakes her Mercedes Sportline to drive the AX.
Three to Four
For something completely different, the Broughs also have a bright yellow Lomax. This one was bought in the UK in 1998 and seems to be Carolyn’s favourite. Most 2CVs were seen as work horses, and were parked in the streets with little care or maintenance. In Britain the weather would eventually take its toll, and the Lomax was dreamed up by two Birmingham lads who pondered the question of what to do with the rusting 2CVs littering the streets. Their answer was a minimalist fibreglass body that evokes the style of 1930s to ’50s roadsters with a hint of three-wheeler Morgan. The formula was very successful, and Lomax 2CVs are relatively common on the roads of Britain and Europe.
Many Lomax cars were three-wheelers because of Britain’s tax laws. Adding a fourth wheel was relatively easy, a job that John undertook before they brought their car back to New Zealand. Carolyn drives the Lomax quite frequently. The car was away for some minor repairs on the day we visited, and she offered to drive it to me on another day, obviously happy to take any opportunity to get behind its wheel.
Probably the rarest car in their collection is the 2CV Sahara that we covered in detail in NZ Classic Car in November 2008.
Chapron Jewel
The jewel of the Brough collection is undoubtedly the 1965 DS Decapotable. This Chapron-built car was an incredibly lucky find. It was one of four bought in France and exported to America as investments. It never turned a wheel on the road in the US and, when the four cars were later sold, the proceeds were donated to a charity. The agent who arranged the deal was the founder of Rent-a-Wreck.
Chapron Citroëns suffer the ravages of time and weather more than most cars, which seems surprising considering they are the pinnacle for Citroën collectors. However, John pointed out that the early ones were only painted where the paint could be seen, so it’s no wonder they rust. He knows of two others in New Zealand, and both are in very poor condition. One is the car that Penn MacKay is keeping an eye on as it undergoes a major restoration, and the other is stored in South Taranaki.
The Broughs were fortunate to find a Chapron DS in good driveable condition. They bought it 10 years ago, and drove it to Long Beach to be shipped home. When John collected it he found the exhaust system lying on the ground because someone had dragged the car out of the container without lifting the suspension.
All hydraulic seals and the timing chain were replaced. A small amount of body work was required, including fitting two brand new front mudguards, before the body was repainted in its original colour. The interior was re-trimmed in leather to the original pattern and colour, and new carpets were fitted.
Since then the Chapron has done two trips to Auckland and two to Napier, plus numerous shorter trips. With 39,000km on the odometer, John says it drives like a new car. It starts instantly and the engine purrs. I imagine it would be a delight to drive.
With a large shed full of Citroëns it is unlikely that the Broughs would drive average cars on a daily basis. They have his and hers wagons — a Xantia for John and a BX for Carolyn.
At one time the collection numbered over 20 Citroëns, but they have been slowly whittling down the numbers. The ID Safari, H Van, AK400, Visa Club and 2CV have gone, sold by word of mouth or when a visitor decided they simply had to have a particular car. There are still a few they would sell, to have just one of each model, so an SM, a Xantia and a BX could be bought if you are interested.
Which one of the duplicates is sold would depend on the potential buyer’s preference. For example, if he or she wanted a manual SM, they would keep Carolyn’s automatic version or vice versa. The CX, GS and Maserati could also be bought, but whether the others are for sale might depend on how they feel on the day. One that is definitely not for sale is the Decapotable.
John is a retired airline pilot who started on DC3s and ended his career with 15 years as a Boeing 747 captain. Consequently he and Carolyn have been lucky enough to travel the world and spend some years living in Britain and America. They have lived life to the full and still do so. During that time they have gathered up a wealth of experiences, fascinating friends and some special cars from around the world.
It was an absolute pleasure to spend a few hours with John and Carolyn and their wonderful cars.
Words: Gordon Campbell Photos: Robin Campbell
