‘Hot rod’ Harry has been in the hot rodding car scene for over 40 years. He has got a 32 5 window coupe and model A Tudor that he built and took out to Bonneville for the festivities.
He rebuilt the original Jennings special, which was a Fiat Topelino in the 1990s which was fitted with an overhead valve 368 Lincoln engine. Harry raced it for a short time at special events like the PDL Alfa and the Waimate 50. Recently he has been resurrecting this 37 Willys Coupe, which belonged to Red Dawson, who raced it in the late 1950s and through to the mid-1960s, with great success. It has a twin four barrel 58 Corvette engine and four speed gear box.

Harry Orpwood - 1937 Willy’s Coupe

‘Hot rod’ Harry has been in the hot rodding car scene for over 40 years. He has got a 32 5 window coupe and model A Tudor that he built and took out to Bonneville for the festivities.
He rebuilt the original Jennings special, which was a Fiat Topelino in the 1990s which was fitted with an overhead valve 368 Lincoln engine. Harry raced it for a short time at special events like the PDL Alfa and the Waimate 50. Recently he has been resurrecting this 37 Willys Coupe, which belonged to Red Dawson, who raced it in the late 1950s and through to the mid-1960s, with great success. It has a twin four barrel 58 Corvette engine and four speed gear box.

1937 Willy’s Coupe:

This is Red Dawson’s Willys coupe that raced in the late 1950s until the mid-1960s. It raced at Pukekohe, Matamata street race, Ardmore and Bay Park. With its 1958 283 Corvette engine and its twin fours, it used to be very competitive. It also runs a 39 Ford diff with hydraulic brakes front and rear. The technology was very basic but very effective on the track. Red always drove the car with haste and always left a trail of smoke out of the corners.
The car was recently in the Hot Rod magazine.