MG Car Club of South Australia
T
VALE - PETER ROY IVEY
he MG Car Club of SA assembled en masse at Lobethal on Friday October 27 , to support a huge gathering of Peter Ivey ’ s family and friends , in farewelling one of the Club ’ s genuine characters . We lost a foundation member on October 16 at the age of 83 years young – in fact Peter was listed as member # 31 , having attended that inaugural meeting to form the MGCC SA back in 1956 at Motors Limited in Brown St ( now named Morphett Street ). A youthful Peter developed a strong love for horses , especially jumps races ( think Oakbank ) and even trained the family cat to jump over hurdles !. He was part owner of a trotter and could often be found at Victoria Park racecourse , hanging around the stables . A fitter & turner by trade , in his late twenties he switched from four legs to four wheels , developing a love for MG cars , and over the years would have five MGTDs to his credit . Not all at once ! Being a very handy craftsman , he could build most parts himself including steering wheels , and constructed some Bacchus sports cars , amongst other automotive wizardry . The farm-lad in this man shone through when he succeeded in mastering hand milking of cows along with crafting country killed meat . Always a hills dweller , Peter and young wife Elaine alternated between Mt Pleasant and Birdwood ( where he started a family supermarket – Triple 7 ), and was well known in the Lobethal district , being part of the Lobethal Car Race Carnival ( along with Elaine who also drove the MG ) a few years ago .
From David McNabb
10
P eter died on 16th October at the age of 83 . I met him 60 years ago when he was one of our founding members . Peter had many passionate interests : Elaine and his family , MG ’ s , hourse racing and foorball were predominant . He was our third Social secretary and the ideal person for this position — always being sociable , cheerful , energetic and full of ideas . He maintained a very positive attitude which lasted throughout his life . One of his ideas was “ The Ivey ” or “ The Ivey Fuel Consumption Test .” This was a well regulated pub crawl through the streets of Adelaide a couple of weeks before Christmas . It became a tradition and lasted through the 60s 70s and 80s until we were all too old for such wild events . They were unique events and memorable . Ask any member who went on one . When he left school Peter was apprenticed as a fitter and turner . While still a young man he built about a dozen sports cars with fibreglass bodies and usually Holden motors . They were named Bacchus and were quite successful . One of these cars had a Peugeot engine and we believe stills holds the lap record for its class at Phillip Island . Peter and his mate Rex Treloar became motor wreckers running Klemzig Auto Wreckers . After a second wrecking yard , North East Auto Wreckers , they set up and ran Trelive Motors selling secondhand cars . Peter and Elaine then decided to buy a dairy farm . I don ’ t know what experience they had in this area but they both had that positive attitude and ran it scientifically and successfully . Next was a chicken farm at gawler and the same could be said of this venture .