Peugeot Type 54 'Bebe' car

This two-seater, open carriage, Peugeot Type 54 'Bebe' was imported by Wellington pharmacist R.M. Green in 1903. It has the original 5 horse power, monocylindrical engine, although other parts of the vehicle have been modified. The pneumatic tyres are not original, the paint finish was once blue with a yellow stripe, and a brass and rubber bulb horn has been added to the steering column.

This ‘Bebe’, serial number 3283, left the Peugeot factory on the 14^th of August, 1903, and was sent to London importer Freswell Limited for distribution. Green paid £195 for the vehicle, plus £50 freight and duty, making a total purchase price of £245.

The market for cars in the early twentieth century was largely restricted to professionals and wealthy farmers, and although this ‘Bebe’ model was not as expensive as a large touring car, it would still have been beyond the means of most people.

Nevertheless, for those who could afford it motor transport was an exciting new way of travelling, and in a number of major cities car enthusiasts established automotive clubs (forerunners of the AA). The Wellington club, of which Green was a keen member, had its first ‘run’ in December 1905, and thirteen cars journeyed from the post office to the Oaks, Taita, for afternoon tea.

The Motor Registration Act of 1905 gave councils the authority to enforce vehicle registration, and this car was registered on the 26^th of September, 1906. It was only the thirteenth car to have been registered in Wellington, and has its original registration plate – W.1013.