Venerable vehicles have their day again

At least some of the hordes who converged on Taipa's Eastern United Rugby Club field on a blisteringly-hot Saturday for the Far North's Vintage Car Club's 2014 Autospectacular might have known they were in a good space when they heard Dean Martin's dulcet tones over the sound system.

Even those who weren't fans of the legendary crooner would not have been disappointed though. Once again the club attracted an extraordinary collection of vehicles, vintage, classic and modern, boasting two, three and four wheels or more.

The 12th annual event was a little lighter on stalls than in the past year or two, but there were just as many vehicles to ooh and aah over, and perhaps to bring back memories of days gone by.

Kerikeri couple Peter and Pam Scahill brought their memories with them. Their 1962 Vauxhall Velox was just the thing for Bay of Plenty beach hops, they said, unashamedly confessing that they were now, in that aspect at least, reliving their past, and enjoying it immensely.

The car looked a touch spartan by modern standards, but with a top speed of 94mph (a tick over 150kmh) the fluffy dice would no doubt take on a life of their own.

Meanwhile, the motorcycle collection included a 1928 Raleigh Model 21 Deluxe, displayed by Kaikohe man Bruce Auger, who found the "remains" of the machine in 1964 and spent the next 25 years restoring it, a process that included the manufacturing of some parts.

A 1937 Morgan Supersport proved that three-wheeled cars can have considerable class, and that not a great deal has visibly changed between the time of its manufacture and the rolling out of the 2012 model, one of which was parked alongside it.

Don Woodcock, formerly of Great Barrier Island but now living at Houhora, was there with the now beautifully restored 1929 Model A truck he bought in Auckland in 1977.

The 28-horsepower truck continued to earn its keep, carting hay, bikes and other loads, and getting its owner from A to B, and while its body could not be said to be totally original the standard bore engine is the real thing, and according to the mechanic who installed it the sweetest-sounding Model A engine he had ever heard.

Former Houhora policeman Chris Yarnton was at the other end of the spectrum with his 2011 Alfa Romeo, a former demonstration model that had 42 kilometres on the clock when he bought it.

It was a powerful magnet for members of the fairer sex, he said, although, having lured them, he was no longer sure what to do.

And it would have been one of the faster sets of wheels there, reputedly boasting a top speed of 240kmh, although that was achieved, apparently, before Chris got his hands on thekeys.