44 > NZ HOT ROD AUGUST 2019

T

Story by Bruce Taylor

Photos by Alastair Ritchie

Tauranga’s Bert Dove has been a “car

man” since he was a teenager living in

Hamilton. Back in the 1960s, Bert was

serving an apprenticeship at a joinery

shop in Frankton, and the hot rod

bug was fuelled by fellow workmates

Keith McQuade and Roger Wells. They

all became members of Hamilton Hot

Rod Club and in their spare time, both

at work and after hours, would make

laminated timber gear shift knobs

and wood rim steering wheels. Bert’s

daily driver back then was a Ford 10

bread van and for going out in the

evenings, a Ford Mk3 Zodiac. Friday

nights were spent cruising Victoria St

in Hamilton. Back in the day, Victoria

St was two lanes in either direction,

so it was much like a drag strip.

But as most of us know, there are

often obstacles along the way which

results in our car hobbies being put to

one side. In Bert’s case, it was a shift

to Tauranga, establishing a family and

setting himself up for life. However,

Bert did attend every race meeting at

the old Bay Park and rebuilt a Model

A pickup from a write off accident.

By the 1990s Bert was able to take

a breather and reignite his passion

for cars. A 1960 Triumph TR3A was

transformed into a race car and soon

became the fastest four-cylinder

Triumph around. Bert raced the car at

all the classic race meetings around the

country including the Southern Festival

of Speed. A 360-degree roll over at a

Taupo winter meet in 1994 resulted in

the car requiring a total rebuild. The

TR3A was sold into the South Island

in 2003 and is still campaigned by

the same gentleman he sold it to.