Wilson Motors

Bruce Wilson

Born in Taupo on 5 November 1931, Bruce’s family moved to Hunterville when he was a small child. He developed a strong attachment to his adopted hometown and took great pride in being a Hunterville boy.

Bruce took up a mechanic’s apprenticeship at Alex Dalziell’s garage on Milne Street (State Highway One). Dalziell and foreman Roy Watson had exceptionally high work standards, a trait passed on to Bruce, ensuring that he excelled at whatever he did.

Bruce played a pivotal role in Chris Amon’s journey to Formula One, from repairing the first little Amon Cooper to a Maserati 250F to winning the Tasman Cup in 1969, and again with Graeme Lawrence in 1970, both times in the beautiful Ferrari Dino 246T. A quiet, unassuming figure. Bruce working tirelessly to get ‘his’ drivers to the grid in cars that were as good as they could be. In 1970 he left Hunterville for several months to work for March Engineering in England, where he built the first two March Group 7 (‘Can-Am’) cars for the European Interserie.

Wilson Motors in Hunterville was a centre of motor racing excellence in the 1960s and ‘70s, visited by a who’s-who of national and international motor sport personalities. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Fiat, Lancia, and Porsche were just a few of the exotic brands brought from far and wide to be serviced at Wilson Motors.

Wilson Motors garage was located at 5 Milne Street (SH1), Hunterville.