An iconic Napier hotrod company is counting its losses and closing its doors after a fierce but short fire gutted part of its Onekawa workshop yesterday.
Pete Osborne has been making hotrods for almost 40 years and when he built his workshop more than 25 years ago he was the first
business in the Thorn Pl industrial subdivision.
But among the ruins today he said a tiff with the insurance company a year or so ago meant that, despite having never been burgled or had a fire before, he was no longer covered.
"I've probably come to the end of it," he said, rushing to leave for a holiday on which he will enjoy his 61st birthday on Wednesday, and leaving son Ryan behind to cleanup.
With some of the bodies and moulds salvageable, including a 1934 Coupe for a Christchurch client whose shed was badly damaged in the February earthquake, he hopes to complete the jobs he had on the go.
And he will be able to see through his latest pet-project, a stylised 1937 Cabriolet which he has been building for 12 years, and which - "fortunately" - was away at the paintshop when the fire started yesterday, apparently in a light switch.
Branching out after building "Pete's Sports Car" in 1973, he established an international reputation, with award-winning cars in Australia, the USA and Britain, and he estimated he had built more than 100 cars, focusing on the 1930s classics.
Mr Osborne was at home when he received the call the workshop was ablaze about 4pm, by which time smoke was pouring across Taradale Rd into the residential areas of Onekawa and Pirimai.
It was contained within the middle of three bays on the premises, separated by ceiling-high GIB board.
H.O.G.E.D. Custom Motorcycles adjoining the flaming workshop was spared any damage. The owner removed two bike frames before police asked people to move from the area.
Fire Service Napier station officer Darren Clark said about 25 firefighters from Napier and Hastings, four appliances, a hose-layer and a command vehicle, were at the scene and had the fire under control in less than half an hour.
One fire crew remained at the scene after nightfall, along with fire safety officers investigating the blaze.
Mr Clark said a large number of onlookers caused some problems for fire crews. A back-up of vehicles in Niven St at one stage blocked the only access to Thorn Place.
The call was one of 14 answered by the Fire Service in Hawke's Bay at the weekend.
An iconic Napier hotrod company is counting its losses and closing its doors after a fierce but short fire gutted part of its Onekawa workshop yesterday.
Pete Osborne has been making hotrods for almost 40 years and when he built his workshop more than 25 years ago he was the first
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