Thanks to Trekka enthusiast Todd Niall, the intriguing tale of this quirky utility vehicle’s singular rise to stardom as New Zealand’s only genuine ‘mass-produced’ car, has been properly told. It’s a story of the founding dynasties of the New Zealand motor industry, political intrigue, and government manoeuvring, recounted in his book The Trekka Dynasty (Iconic Publishing, Auckland). It’s a great read.
For decades, overseas funds were really the only way you could legally bring a new car into New Zealand. That’s because after World War II, the government was becoming increasingly jittery over the worsening balance of exports payments and import licensing was restrictive and competitive.
Arthur and Noel Turner made a healthy living out of re-building and selling well and truly used cars in Auckland prior to the war. They moved into assembly of UK Jowett cars and especially the little Bradford flat twin-cylinder vans, which were less restricted, being commercial vehicles.
Returning servicemen snapped them up as their trade and business vehicles. They were cheap and the company Jowett Cars NZ Ltd did well.
Jowett ran into production difficulties when its
