Vintage cars on show in Napier for Tremains Art Deco Festival

Thousands of people lined Napier's inner city streets to witness some of New Zealand's best pre-1946 cars for Saturday's Vintage Car Parade. Photo/Warren Buckland

Some of New Zealand's best vintage cars were on display during the annual Vintage Car Parade in Napier on Saturday.

As part of Tremains Art Deco Festival's 30th year, this year's parade showcased 30 of "simply the best" pre-1946 cars from around New Zealand and the world.

Thousands of people, sometimes three rows deep, lined Napier's inner city streets for the procession.

Led by the Royal New Zealand Navy Band, the parade featured many interesting vehicles including New Zealand's oldest car, the 1895 Benz; 1934 Cadillac V16 Town Cabriolet, first owned by Marlene Dietrich; 1935 Duesenberg J Phaeton, previously owned by Carole Lombard; and the 1935 Packard S8 3 window Coupe, previously owned by Amelia Earhart.

Among the drivers was Tony Campbell, from Queenstown, in a 1929 Delage D8S which had been in his family for most of its life.

His father had bought it from his second cousin Major Sir Malcolm Campbell (who had purchased it new for £5000) in 1933 for £50 and brought it to New Zealand in 1938.

Major Sir Malcolm Campbell was a British racing motorist and motoring journalist.

The same year it was made it held world endurance records at L'autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France.

Tony Campbell takes a nap in his 1929 Delage D8S after the parade. Photo/Warren Buckland

His father sold it 1941 due to having other expenses he needed to pay for.

However, Mr Campbell said he spotted the car on the street 12 years later in Auckland in 1953 after four different owners in a dilapidated state.

"I just happened to see it."

He knew it was his old family car instantly, there is only one other of the same model in the country, and managed to convince the reluctant owners to sell it back to him for £100.

Once the car was finally back where it belonged, Mr Campbell restored it and now drives it whenever he can to get coffee, to the Art Deco Festival and to vintage car rallies around the country.

New Zealand's other 1929 Delage D8S sold recently for about $200,000 and Mr Campbell's is in better condition with a better history, he said.

The crowd snapping photos of some of New Zealand's best vintage cars. Photo/Warren Buckland

Te Puke resident Daryl Nitschke watched the parade with interest alongside his mother's 1924 Douglas motorcycle which he had previously entered.

"I love the variety of vehicles and seeing people dressed up in the crowd," he said.

"This is the nearest you'll ever get to stepping back in time."

The Art Deco costumes he saw on Saturday showed how much effort people must have put into what they wore in the 1920s and 1930s, he said.

"It makes me realise how much standards have slipped over the years with people going into town in their pyjamas and slippers nowadays."

The parade included seven Bentleys which came over especially for the festival with their owners who make up the Gloucester Bentley Drivers group.

The Vintage Car Parade with about 300 vehicles started at Clive Square at 12.30pm and ended at Napier Sound Shell at 2.30pm.