Flat to the Boards: A History of Motor Car Sport in New Zealand From 1901 to 1940 Dick Messenger and Douglas E. Woods Published by Craigs, 1985 First edition Hardcover with dust jacket. 186 pages Brown h/c with gilt titles to spine, illustrated with early b&w photographs throughout this copy, Illustrated on end papers, jacket has light wear and top right corner of front endpaper has been neatly excised. Otherwise a very good copy.

In the years leading up to the outbreak of World War Two, when motor sport in New Zealand did not receive the massive sponsorship of today and when crash helmets were not obligatory headgear, there existed a large and happy band of enthusiasts whose efforts made possible a wide variety of frequent car races, trials, speed record attempts and hill climbs. one of these dedicated sportsmen was the late Dick Messenger, who competed in noteworthy European cars and in his own handbuilt Special. He believed that the chronicling of these early events was a worthy cause, but he was unable to complete his memoirs and writing. Douglas Wood, after some years of careful research, has finished the task for the Vintage and Veteran Car Club, and the people of New Zealand. Weight 0.8 g Size 309 mm by 221 mm.