Cullen Norton

Jim Cullen built the car as a 500, initially using a JAP single, later various Nortons. It used a two-tube chassis with wishbone front suspension, swing axle rear, and Cullen's own alloy bodywork and cast alloy wheel centres. In the mid-'50s he hillclimbed the car, and raced it at Waimate, Oamaru and Wigram. Bill Ingle in Dunedin bought the car in 1962 less engine, modified it, and had some hillclimb and sprint successes with it.

Chris Cullen, son of Jim, has been in touch to share some photos and additional information:

"I would like to share of a New Zealand built special the Cullen 500 my father built in the 50s......I'm sending most of the photos I have and a photo of some trophies and a wheel rim off the original car....the trophies are from the 50s Otago Hill climbs and the Oamaru street races, the wheel centers were designed by my father and cast out of aluminum the photo with my father driving was at wigram around 1955 Christchurch.Regards Chris"

Sadly the car no longer exists.

Much later Kevin Telford built a new car in the spirit of the original.and called it the K T Cullen to be eligible for historic racing. Just by compering the photos you will see This car is very different It has a much wilder frame with quite different body work triumph heard front and rear suspension rear is independent with half shafts and it has a 70s Harley Daverson sportster engine The wheel centres.are cast of the same style My sister brought that car from Kevin thinking it was our fathers car I have driven it and worked on it and its a nice wee car but that car was built in the 80s and are two totally different cars.

Kevin installed its present overhead-valve 1000cc Harley Davidson engine and gearbox. The car now also has new wheel centres, made by Phil Ingles from patterns made by Trevor Timms. Chris Cullen of Christchurch and his sister Denise Dymand, children of Jim Cullen, bought the car in the mid-'90s and since 1995 it has appeared in Classic events.

Chris Cullen at the wheel. Photo courtesy of Terry Wright.

Thanks to Rob Young and Terry Wright.

If anyone has any more details or photos, please get in touch.