Trekka
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Trekka was a light
utility vehicle A utility vehicle (UV) is a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more efficacy than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small truck with low sides. Types of utility vehicles Military ...
built on the basis of the Czech
Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car (C-segment) produced by the Czech Republic, Czech Automotive industry, car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an Škoda Octavia (1959–71), earlier model produced b ...
, manufactured in New Zealand between 1966 and 1972. It is the only vehicle designed and manufactured in New Zealand to have entered commercial production for an extended period.


Overview


Development

The idea for an agricultural utility vehicle based on the
Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car (C-segment) produced by the Czech Republic, Czech Automotive industry, car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an Škoda Octavia (1959–71), earlier model produced b ...
engine, drive train and separate chassis came from Philip Andrews, who had taken over the Motor Lines vehicle assembly company from his father. When Motor Lines was taken over by Noel Turner, Andrews was able to convince him of the market potential of such a vehicle. At that time in New Zealand agricultural vehicles attracted no tariffs and there was no government limit on the number of such vehicles that could be sold. Turner discovered that a prototype of a small utility vehicle had been made by an engineering company in
Kawerau Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau Distr ...
using an engine based on a British
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
. Peter Risbridge, who ran the Kawerau engineering company, allowed the prototype to be taken to Motor Lines in Auckland, expecting it to be developed in joint venture with his company. Instead, according to reference, Motor Lines developed and produced the Skoda-powered Trekka from it with no payment whatever being made to Risbridge. Overseen by Colin French, manager of Motor Lines from 1966, the Trekka project began with two hand-built prototypes using the rear-wheel drive Å koda Octavia powertrain, which was imported from
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''ÄŒesko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
and featured a 1,221 cm3, four-cylinder engine. The Trekka superficially resembled a
Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...
but with far more limited
off-road Off-roading is the act of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, dirt, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, or other natural terrain. Off-roading ranges from casual drives with regular vehicles to competitive events w ...
capability and was produced in both
van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
and
ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute people, a Native American people of the Great Basin * Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah * Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah * Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern ...
formats.


Production

The Trekka was launched on 2 December 1966 as an agricultural vehicle although it eventually became popular with both rural buyers and urban tradesmen. The first Trekkas were sold in New Zealand in 1967, by which time Motor Lines had become Motor Holdings. The first model sold was the "2-10", which cost less than a
Morris 1100 Year 1100 ( MC) was a leap year starting on Sunday in the Julian calendar. It last year of the 11th century and the first year of the 12th century. In the proleptic Gregorian calendar, it was a non-leap century year starting on Monday (like ...
at just £899. The 2-10s were all painted green with canvas tops and were offered with a tow bar as the only option. Initially, the Trekka was produced at a rate of six vehicles a day with hand-formed steel panels. Production output increased after the panel forming was contracted out to H J Ryans, an Auckland manufacturer of lawn mowers. 708 Trekkas were sold in its first year of production and by January 1968 the 1,000th had been manufactured. When production ceased in 1972, some 2,500 had been built. Buyer demand for a more weather-proof top was answered by a white fibreglass canopy, whose manufacture was outsourced to another Auckland company. These later models were also fitted with improved seats. The inability of the standard Škoda differential to cope with the frequently slippery conditions on farms and construction sites quickly became obvious. A
limited-slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the ...
was therefore developed for the Trekka by Ray Stone, who had previously developed such units for racing cars.


Exports

Motor Holdings began to look for export markets in 1968, with the first Trekkas exported going to Fiji. In subsequent months, other Pacific island states imported some Trekkas. Exports to Australia became a matter of urgency when it became known that Motokov in Czechoslovakia (holding group of Å koda) planned to build a Å koda-based vehicle in Australia. The Australia and New Zealand governments agreed that up to 720 Trekkas a year could be sold in Australia free of duty, provided New Zealand issued an equal number of extra licences for
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
vehicles to be sold in New Zealand. Australian buyers did not take to the Trekka, cheapness being less of a prerequisite in that country and more robust and powerful alternatives being readily available from local manufacturers, Holden, Ford and Chrysler. Fewer than 100 Trekkas were eventually sold in Australia. In July 1969, at the height of the American War in Vietnam, five Trekkas were flown into South Vietnam in
RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an in ...
Bristol Freighter The Bristol Type 170 Freighter is a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner. Its best known use was as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively s ...
s. These served as runabouts and sometimes as ambulances with a civilian hospital run by a New Zealand surgical team.The Trekka Dynasty, Todd Niall, Iconic Publishing, Heavy rains and poor roads led to breakdowns. The Trekka was unattractive to black market thieves, who preferred the more ubiquitous and tougher
Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...
and
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile brand, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with other assets, from its previous owner, American Motors Co ...
. A single Trekka was exported to
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
in Detroit in 1969, the purpose and outcome of which is unknown. Exports of CKD Trekkas to Indonesia began in 1971 for assembly there. Trekkas were exported to Latin America and Caribbean in 1970s. Trekkas were used as
Tap tap ''Tap taps'' (, ) are gaily painted buses or Pickup truck, pick-up trucks with metal covers
s in Haiti.


Market appeal

In New Zealand at that time, government regulation made it very difficult to purchase a new car because of restricted import numbers, high tariffs and high deposit requirements for hire purchase. Because the Trekka was 80% New Zealand sourced and sold as an "agricultural vehicle", there were no restrictions on its availability (apart from manufacturer capacity), it was relatively inexpensive and could be bought with a lower deposit than other vehicle types. It was bought in large numbers by local authorities and trades people. The Trekka is remembered for the unlikely success of its low quality manufacturing and simple design. Despite its flaws, it generally suited the purpose for which it was made. Once import restrictions were eased and as the economic situation in New Zealand improved, the marginal economics of limited production led to its commercial demise. Ultimately, a Skoda-powered two wheel drive utility vehicle could no longer meet the needs of increasingly affluent rural and construction sectors. The Trekka has since become something of a New Zealand
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
representing the "
Kiwi Kiwi most commonly refers to: * Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand * Kiwi (nickname), an informal name for New Zealanders * Kiwifruit, an edible hairy fruit with many seeds * Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of curren ...
can-do" attitude of the 1960s. It survives as a curiosity in the collections of New Zealand and Australian vehicle collectors.


References


External links

{{commons category, Trekka
Website about TrekkaTrekka information
Pickup trucks Truck manufacturers of New Zealand Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1966 New Zealand companies established in 1966 New Zealand design 1972 disestablishments in New Zealand