02 Nov The Bangers of Ophir
One of the benefits of life in a dry climate is that it is very kind to old metal objects, which might help explain the high ratio of classic cars to residents in Ophir.
Another might be the legacy left by Bob Turnbull, an ex engineer with the Hamilton Jet company who has been variously described as a genius and a legend. Bob lived in a house at the top end of Ophir and had a shed with an amazing array of classics, from a 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster, to a 1904 Humber Humberette and a 1907 Sizaire et Nardin.
Bob Turnbull has been variously described as a genius and a legend, on par with the late John Britten. Bob passed in 2012. Bob’s legacy lives on with the Bob Turnbull Charitable Trust.
With great driving roads that go in every direction and weather that permits old bangers getting out more than their city cousins, Ophir has become a prime destination for car and motorcycle enthusiasts, many of whom might be astounded by what sits in some of the garages in town, sitting next to a bbq and old ski gear.
Bob Turnbull in 1966, at the start of the Dunedin / Brighton Rally. Image courtesy of the ODT
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