Special feature: Sturgeon Amusements

By: Steve Atkinson, Photography by: Supplied

Date: 22.03.2022

Deals on Wheels tracked down the owner of five old-school Detroit Diesel-powered KM Bedfords that are used to haul fairground equipment in the South Island

Truck line-up

A few weeks back, a video popped up on my social media newsfeed, showing some old-school KM-model Bedfords cracking through a gorge in the South Island. What piqued my interest was the noise blaring from the Detroit-powered beasts, so I went in search of the owner.

Blue Thunder Hope Saddle

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, it didn’t take long to track down Motueka-based owner George Sturgeon of Sturgeon Amusements, who kindly filled me in on the background of the family-owned business and their crowd-pleasing rigs.

A true family business

Brad George Scott Mark

The amusement business was started by George and cousin Wayne’s grandfather George (Pa) Senior in 1937. The first attraction was a sideshow, and a merry-go-round was added around 1945, which incidentally, is still in use today and one of five merry-go-rounds the business owns.

Pa Don Neil

Same as now, the business was a family-run affair that prospered, eventually finding its way to the founder’s sons Don and Neil’s hands after Pa died. As the years progressed, more attractions were added, with George’s father and uncle borrowing a decent chunk of money in 1963 to purchase a large Ferris wheel.

500 Rolls and Ferris Wheel

"Back then, they were able to pay it off in six months," says George. "The go-karts were bought from Tasmania in 1971, so with the increasingly bigger equipment, we needed more powerful trucks that could reliably get us to and from events."

By the time 1988 rolled around, George and Wayne had purchased the business and today operate it with their sons Brad, Scott, and Mark, as well as grandsons and granddaughters.

Along with amusement rides and huge inflatable attractions, the business also has food stands and sideshows; essentially, it’s a one-stop-shop for clients looking to put on large or smaller fairground events.

Wayne’s fleet

The business operates at weekends and for about six months of the year, being slotted in between the primary family business, Motueka Farm Machinery, which was founded in 1983. "The family comes together when we need to hit the road," says George.

"We operate the amusement business under one name with two lots of gear and a circuit each. Wayne looks after the bottom half of the South Island, and I take care of the top half. If something big is on, then we will combine crews. We’ve been into the North Island a couple of times over the years but prefer to stick to the South Island."

Trucks that haul the gear

Blue Thunder Culverden

While Wayne runs ERFs, Isuzu, and Nissan on his circuit, George’s fleet consists of the five KM Bedfords. Four are powered by 6V71 Detroit Diesels, and one has a 6V91 engine, which George’s son Brad uses to haul the go-karts.

Fleet line-up Culverden

"There were 92 of these trucks built here, and we’ve owned 15 of them," says George. "We also have the only original eight-wheeler cab and chassis they made, which we will restore.

"There aren’t many of these models still around. I know of two of these types of trucks in Geraldine and an immaculate example in Reefton, but other than that, I’d say we’re the last to use them as working trucks—certainly as a group anyway."

Servicing for the trucks is carried out by Brad, a qualified diesel mechanic, with TransDiesel supplying the engine parts. "All of our machinery, trucks, and amusement equipment are always well-maintained, and it is the highest priority for us—to always be ahead on this," says George.

Roaring through Reefton

Blue Thunder and McCormick tractors

According to online specs, output for the 6V71 is said to be 200hp@2100rpm and 550lb/ft(746Nm)@1200 rpm. The 6V71 Detroit Diesel is a V6 configuration and is known
for its high power to weight ratio due to its two-stroke design that delivers power on every downstroke.

It’s what’s responsible for the distinctive Detroit growl—or Screaming Jimmy (Jimmy = GM aka manufacturer General Motors) as the engines are sometimes called.

Blue Thunder go-kart trailer

However, for the less technically inclined, it’s the sound of a roaring Detroit Diesel engine that really gets people’s attention, and George says Reefton is a popular town to travel through, where locals often gather in groups around a barbecue waiting for his convoy of Bedford’s to pass through.

"It’s not unusual to see people hanging out of their house windows or sitting in groups around barbecues listening out for us. Our rumble can be heard from far away."

"We usually head through there around 8pm, but we got in trouble last year because we went through town a few hours earlier—there was hell to pay. One lady phoned me up and tore a few strips off my hide because we were early and ruined her get-together," he laughs.

Blast from the past

But don’t think it’s only small-town folk that get a kick out of hearing a five-deep Detroit Diesel inspired symphony blast past them. Modern-day truckers also appreciate listening to what some say is a true truck engine hard at work.

"Brad had a powerpuff (George’s terminology for a modern truck driver) following in a fancy blinged-out rig one night and when they reached a clear spot, he called the driver on the CB and said it was okay to pass," says George.

"The driver replied: ‘you just keep doing what you’re doing; my windows are down and I’m loving the sound from back here’." It’s probably also fair to say that the KM Bedford’s of Sturgeon Amusements are an attraction in themselves whenever they are out on the road.

"Virtually everywhere we go around the South Island, people will gather around and admire the trucks," says George. "At one show, I thought something had happened down the other end of the fairground, as a bunch of people were clustered in a group, but it turned out they were only admiring the parked-up trucks."

Into the future

Blue Thunder and Landini tractors Port Nelson

The business is still a family-run enterprise that’s well into its fourth generation with a fifth bringing up the rear, so it looks like the KM Bedfords will form a big part of the Sturgeon Amusements transport fleet for a long time.

"I think most of Motueka has worked for us at some stage, but we’re more of a family-reliant operation, and it’s what all of us have been brought up with; it’s what we do," says George.

"The trucks usually do about 6000km a year, although, the cancellation of events due to COVID has reduced that. Once that’s behind us, we’ll be running the Detroits again, and everyone will be happy."

For more information, visit sturgeons.co.nz.

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