John Britten

John Britten had a rare ability to transform dreams into reality, a visionary with the handyman touch. Although he made his international mark as the designer of motorcycles, flight fascinated him. He studied the flying action of birds with the plan of building an ornithopter (a machine driven by wing action). When he was in his 20s, he built a 24ft glider that could lift a man in a 10kmh wind.
Other ideas swirling around in his ever-active mind included a lightweight commuter car made of wood and a carbon fibre pedal bike.

The wonder of it all was that he accomplished so much despite having to overcome a reading disability, which held him back while he was a student at St Andrew's College. Mr Britten's bikes have set four world speed records and hold the outright speed record for Daytona. The Britten "Super bike" is currently on display at TePapa in Wellington.