Oral Histories
The MTA Guild would like to preserve the history of MTA and the Automotive Industry as a whole for future generations. This will be achieved in a number of ways including gathering memorabilia and paper archives and recording oral histories.
Warren Birch »
Warren trained as an accountant and worked in franchised dealerships in Christchurch, Hamilton and Wanganui before starting his Metro Ford dealership in Porirua in the 1980s.
Roy Roker »
Roy is a former MTA National President who began his motor apprenticeship in the 1960s. He runs a repair workshop on the edge of Dunedin’s CBD.
Jack Johnstone »
Jack is an iconic Southland motor industry business leader who began his industry career in Invercargill as a parts delivery boy during World War 2.
Stephen Matthews »
Stephen has been CEO of MTA since January 1999 and began his industry career with Europa Oil in the late 1970s.
Tom Priest »
Tom is a South Taranaki-based former MVDI/MTA Branch Secretary who had a long career with the parts and accessories company, Motor Specialities Ltd.
Bob Armstrong »
Bob has boyhood memories of vehicles being requisitioned by the Armed Forces in the early World War 2 years when his father was the Hamilton Ford dealer.
Bruce Anderson »
Bruce is a retired craftsman mechanic and vintage motorcycle enthusiast whose family ran a repair workshop in the Auckland suburb of Remuera from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Graeme Paul »
Graeme served his time with the Ford dealer in Milton, South Otago and after running his own service station just outside of the town, returned to the site of his apprenticeship to run a repair workshop with his son, Scott.
Don Edmond (Deceased) »
Don was a long-time Todd Motors dealer in Hamilton who was a Dominion President of MTA in 1957/58. He's best remembered for the years he ran a Hillman, Dodge, Plymouth and Fargo dealership in the Hamilton CBD.
Fred Ericson (Deceased) »
Fred began with NZ Railways Road Services as an apprentice mechanic in Oamaru in 1941 and after serving in Dunedin, Lumsden, Kaitaia and Auckland, rose to the position of Assistant Director (Mechanical) for the Government’s bus service in Wellington.