Vintage car enthusiasts come together for event

Cliff Wickham with his 1963 Ford Anglia. Photo/Stephen Parker

"Car buffs" came together in Rotorua to enjoy each other's company and see what "goodies" they could find at the Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club's 37th annual Central North Island Swap Meet and Car Show.

It was held last Sunday at the Stock Car Raceway Paradise Valley from 7am to 3pm.

The event is designed for collectors of vintage, veteran classic and collectable cars, as well as motorcycles, hot rods, memorabilia, old car books, old toys, model cars and trains, and anything of a collectable or antique nature.

Long-time club member Cliff Wickham says the event was very social and catching up with people from other clubs is great.

"A big part of the day is you get to see what goodies and parts you can pick up."

He says there's a great variety of things there and there is quite often things for the ladies to see as well as the men.

Cliff has been involved with the Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club for 25 years, and says he has probably only missed a couple of the swap meet and car show in that time.

"It's a big event, bringing a lot of money into Rotorua - people come and stay for the weekend."

He and other club members work on the day of the show and swap meet, manning the gate, setting up the site and directing traffic.

Club member Roger Nelson says it was a chance for "car buffs" to get together once a year in the winter.

He says there were car parts for sale and gave people the chance to find that spare part they were looking for.

Roger says he enjoys being in the club because he gets to go places he would not normally go and meet new people - "it's a great club to be a part of".

He has two vintage cars, a '65 Mark I Cortina and a 1963 Ford Anglia.

He says the show usually has between 4000 and 5000 people come through, with most being from the upper North Island, a few from the lower North Island, and one or two from the South Island.

The event has been held at the Stock Car Club for about five years now.

There was a sit-down lounge facility for the first time this year, he says.