“The Motor House” Preserved

The recent opening of Hotel Indigo Auckland, located in the 41-storey tower at 51 Albert Street, and photos showing parts of the old building combined with the new, prompts the rich story of those who occupied the site for more than 100 years, predominantly the motor trade in premises listed as a Category B Heritage Place.

The narrative begins with 2 immigrants, David Crozier (from Glasgow) and Reuben Arthur Dexter (from Massachusetts) setting up a bicycle importing business in Auckland in 1896. They tied their reputation to an American make, the Rambler cycle, just when cycling for business, pleasure and sport was becoming popular.

Their store, The Rambler Biclorama, was in Victoria Street West… and, as was so often quoted in their advertisements, “just 3 doors up from Queen Street”.

Dexter and Crozier, Cycle Importers, Victoria Street West – Auckland Libraries

“Rube” Dexter was a keen cyclist himself and took many local and national titles in his younger years.

Campbell and Dexter, Tandem Champions at Wanganui 1899 – Auckland Libraries

Three years later the firm imported its first motorcycle… and it was only natural that the firm would progress to latest thing on wheels, motor cars. In 1903, Crozier went to the United States and came back with the agency for Cadillac cars, the first such granted outside America. The early Cadillac cars were single-cylinder runabouts with the engine under the seat but quickly became sophisticated, and popular.

David Crozier drives one of his imported Cadillac cars

Smith and Caughey, the Auckland department store (1880 -2025), purchased a Cadillac in 1904 as its first venture into motorised deliveries, Auckland’s doctors were said to “move on Cadillacs” because so many in the profession owned one and in 1909 the Auckland Fire Brigade ordered a Thornycroft truck motor and chassis through Dexter and Crozier, the bodywork in the hands of local builders, Cousins and Cousins.

The Thornycroft served at various Auckland stations for more than 25 years – Auckland Fire Brigades Museum and Historical Society

But Cadillac starred as a fire appliance when in 1912 Thames Volunteer Brigade ordered one from Dexter and Crozier, with, again, body work entrusted to local body-builders, Cousins.

Rueben Dexter with the new Cadillac fire engine on Auckland wharves probably being shipped to Thames – Auckland Libraries

The firm opened a branch office in Christchurch in 1908 and David Crozier took charge of it, leaving Reuben Dexter in Auckland.

In 1910 Dexter added aeroplanes to the venture, manufacturing an aircraft, one of 3 being constructed in the city at the time. Rueben Dexter joined the brothers Leo and Vivian Walsh (in one document he is shown as the lead investor) importing flying-boats and establishing a training school at Mission Bay.

Curtiss seaplane from the Flying School over Auckland harbour 1916 – Auckland Libraries

Between 1915 and the end of the war this establishment supplied 110 pilots to the Royal Flying Corps: aircraft, it was found aircraft had a unique place in warfare.

The connection with Albert Street begins in January 1913 when the firm moved there, the Press of the day describing it as “a three-storey building in Albert Street which runs through to Federal Street, to be used as a motor garage, a handsome structure in brick and concrete: the garage is fitted with every modern appliance for the carrying out of repairs and the easy handling of large and small motors and there’s a machine shop with the most up-to-date electrically-driven lathes and drills”.

In February 1915 the firm started naming its premises in both Auckland and Christchurch  “The Motor House”, a moniker that lasted for decades.

Dexter and Crozier were the first New Zealand importers of V type 8 cylinder vehicles (1915) and the Cletrac (1917), the first caterpillar tractor.

1922: The Cletrac, described in the Press as a “tank type” tractor – Auckland Libraries

In 1916 the firm claimed in advertisements to be ‘The Oldest Established House in the Dominion”, presumably reflecting on the partners’ first business venture, the “House of Dexter and Crozier”, their bicycle shop which they opened in 1896.

Auckland Star 20th July 1916

Nothwithstanding the history of it, the partnership dissolved in 1920, Dexter carried on in Auckland and Crozier in Canterbury. Between them they took on other dealerships… notably Austin of England and the American Hupmobile. One advertisement advises that “the great post-war selection of Austins has arrived: come and have a look, take a trial spin if interested”!

The Albert Street premises took on a new role, post-war: much of the workshops taken over by the government’s Repatriation Department to train men who had returned from the front for civilian occupations, notably servicing and caring for motor vehicles.

Dexter Motors continued until a few years before Reuben Dexter’s death in February 1943.

Enter MacDonald Halligan Motors who in December 1938 opened a motor dealership (De Soto, Fargo and Humber) in Cook Street, moved to upper Albert Street and then took over renovated premises at 51 Albert Street (the Motor House) with the workshops accessible from Federal Street (St Patrick’s Square). Latterly the company added Sunbeam, Chrysler, Valiant, and more recently Mitsubishi and Subaru new vehicles.

Macdonald Halligan Motors Ltd showrooms Albert Street

An associate company, La Marque European, held franchises for a range of European brands including Peugeot, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Citroen and Seat.

The company traded in Albert Street until moving to Panmure and, today, Ellerslie where it offers a large selection of pre-owned vehicles for sale.

Nearly 90 years as importers of motor vehicles

The family motor business that survives today is very much part of the city’s motoring history, the company first registered in Wellington in November 1938 as “Macdonald, Halligan Motors Limited with capital of £9,000 in shares of £1 each (3,000 preference and 3,000 ordinary) with subscribers A. G. Macdonald (3,000 ordinary), F. Halligan (3000 ordinary) and H. D. Gillespie (3,000 preference) –  Motor engineers and dealers, etc”.

When I took photos of the premises from St Patrick’s Square in 2020 it  was apparent developers would have problems preserving the past.

A proud name, but the building had been allowed to run down – July 2020

History has been allowed to survive, a new lease on life.

Born again, now the entrance to the new Indigo Complex – July 2025 – IHG Hotels & Resorts

Both Dexter and Crozier and MacDonald Halligan Motors, who occupied the premises in Albert Street known so well over the decades as “The Motor Shop”, deserve recognition for their contribution as pioneers in an industry, the dimensions of which could not have been foreseen in their time. And it’s absolutely appropriate that the name Macdonald Halligan Motors remains on the new hotel building, incorporated into the design.

The link with motoring has also been kept – arriving guests are greeted with… “Hotel Indigo welcomes you to the historic “Motor House” where heritage lives in every detail”, thus retaining the name that Dexter and Crozier gave the premises more than a hundred years ago.

Indigo, first property in New Zealand for IHG Hotels & Resorts, has frontages on both Albert Street and St Patrick’s Square, with the 225-room hotel taking up the lower 27 levels, while there are 150 apartments (30 of them with luxury status, including a $16m penthouse) across the top 13 floors.

The new façade of 51 Albert Street, the old “Motor House” – Icon

The new building has been more than 20 years in the acquisition, planning and construction… “The Motor House” now welcomes guests and residents.

RCC July 2025

Sources

Papers Past

Auckland Libraries Collections

IHG Hotels & Resorts

ICON

Auckland Council Newsletter 2 August 2018

N Z Herald  July 2025