George Begg Classic Speedfest announced

Invercargill has a thing with wheels – and now, New Zealand’s premier destination for petrolheads is set to add another jewel to its crown.

Get ready to celebrate homegrown hero George Begg and a golden age in Kiwi motorsport history.

The team behind the world-class collections at Classic Motorcycle Mecca and Bill Richardson Transport World will bring the incredible story of George Begg to the public. Opening in 2020, the George Begg exhibit – set to be housed at Classic Motorcycle Mecca – will pay homage to a story of Kiwi ingenuity taking on the world, and coming out on top.

With vehicles built in Begg’s legendary Drummond workshop, memorabilia from his car-building and motorcycling days (including his AJS race bike) and more, the exhibit will offer visitors a fascinating insight into how the Southland engineer reached dizzying heights.

George Begg had an illustrious career racing motorcycles in Britain and, famously, on the Isle of Man, before he returned home to Southland to open an engineering business in 1957. At his workshop in rural Southland Begg built 18 racing cars that went on to challenge – and beat – the best marques in the world. Begg’s cars bested some of the finest automotive names in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and throughout Europe and he cemented his name in our nation’s automotive folklore.

Scott O’Donnell is a huge fan of racing vehicles: at Bill Richardson Transport World, the area dubbed ‘Pit Lane’ has a revolving display of them, many of which are owned by Scott himself – including one of Begg’s vehicles. O’Donnell himself is a well-known endurance and classic car racer and still actively competes, both in New Zealand and overseas.

So, it should come as no surprise that the idea to celebrate one of the greats in Kiwi motorsport history is turning into a reality.

“We think there are three great automotive personalities who have carved their names into Southland’s history books – Bill Richardson, Burt Munro and George Begg,” O’Donnell says.

“The Begg exhibit will pay homage to a story of Kiwi ingenuity taking on the world, and coming out on top.”

Get ready to be part of the ride: this is your chance to get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the work of a Kiwi automotive icon and revive New Zealand motorsport’s renaissance. Don't forget to email info@ transportworld .co .nz to subscribe to our George Begg updates today.

George Begg: coming to Classic Motorcycle Mecca in early 2020.