Automobile Import A South Island First – 1899
In 1899, Charles Nicholas Oates, a Christchurch business owner, imported the first automobile to the South Island. It had solid tyres, two gears and the top speed of 14kmph. At the time of this import, seven other automobiles were already turning heads in the North Island. Oates was the founder of the ‘Zealandia Cycle Works’ …
