Bid to put piece of motoring history on public display

One of the first cars imported to Christchurch is up for sale - and a motor enthusiast is revving up efforts to put it on display.

The 1899 Benz Velo looks more like a wheelchair than a modern vehicle and has an estimated value of $500,000, according to Todd Crooks from TNT Cars and Classics.

Its owner, vintage car collector Gavin Bain, died in February. His family now want to sell the Benz.

Sumner resident Jens Christensen is investigating options for public display on behalf of the Bain family and is now working with the Christchurch Cty Council to investigate options for receiving the heritage car into public ownership.

Christensen declined to speak to The Star about his plans. 

If a publicly-owned display location is secured, Christensen will then fundraise for the cost of buying the car.

Christensen’s interest in the car was sparked after buying the former home of John Monck, the car’s long-time owner.

Moncks Bay is named after Monck, who was the first to buy farmland in the bay in 1869.

City council acting head of community support and partnerships Matthew Pratt said the investigation will look into future costs for maintenance, storage and insurance.

Christensen has suggested Canterbury Museum as an ideal display location.

The museum is undergoing renovations and is not expected to reopen until late-2028.

The Velo was created in 1894 by Carl Benz, a German automotive engineer considered to be the ‘father of the automobile industry’.

The 1899 model has a 1 litre, 3-horsepower engine with a top speed of 19km/h.

After arriving in the South Island in 1900, the Benz went through several owners including the wealthy Goodwin family from Glenroy near Hororata.

In 1946, Hawkes Bay aviator Piet van Asch bought the car, and it remained with his family until Bain purchased it in 2021 and returned it to Christchurch.