Matamata Panelworks Open Day
Words and photos:
FAshley Webb
rom rather humble beginnings, Matamata Panelworks has grown to become one of New Zealand’s leading restorers of all things Mustang, from high-end customs to concours restorations. Malcolm Sankey and his talented team also extend their creative expertise to other marques, and are definitely not afraid to tackle anything when it comes to restoration projects, including the likes of exotics such as De Tomaso Panteras and Ferraris.
On Sunday March 13, Matamata Panelworks opened its doors for all to see for its 10th annual open day to showcase its state-of-the-art facilities and workmanship.
The Matamata Panelworks Open Day has become a popular must-do event for many, and, judging by the impressive line-up of muscle cars and other machinery, this year’s event was another success.
Those who attended undoubtedly saw plenty of impressive projects under way, as well as many completed award-winning cars — all testament to Matamata Panelworks’ high quality, attention to detail, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
The inaugural Auckland Brit and Euro Classic Car Show was held at East Auckland’s Lloyd Elsmore Park by the Howick Historical Village on Sunday March 6, 2016.
About 490 cars, and some motorcycles, were on display at this superb venue, mostly from Auckland car clubs, but with many non-members also displaying interesting vehicles. Most British and European marques were represented, with a range of interesting cars in attendance, including a new Mclaren, a World War II Volkswagen, an East German Trabant, and a Jaguar D-type replica and Jaguar VIIM dressed to represent the winning cars of the Le Mans Race and Monte Carlo Rally of 60 years ago, in 1956.
The bigger car clubs like Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, MG, and Mini had large displays — the biggest coming from the Jaguar Drivers Club Auckland, with an incredible 51 cars.
Crowd estimates (based on rough counts of people on site every hour) indicate that about 5000 people attended the free event.
Voluntary organizers were from several prominent Auckland car clubs: Jaguar (Laurie Hayward and Richard Waugh), MG (Darryl Bretherton and Rex Benns), Mercedes Benz (Ken Williams and Graham Collie), BMW (Paul Bradley) and Triumph Stag (Marion and Mike Clements).
Key sponsorship came from the Howick Local Board, Protecta Insurance, Jo Clements Graphic Designer, and Times Newspapers. Many other local organizations and individuals gave generous support.
Chairman Rev. Dr Richard Waugh commented, “The excellent support of Auckland car clubs was so encouraging after the hard work of our volunteers. The weather was good, and with the nearby Howick Historical Village giving gold-coin entry to its award-winning village, we had a very large public attendance. We are presently processing all the evaluation forms, and, thanks to the success of this inaugural car show, are determined to make this new car show an annual Auckland regional event, complementary to other existing car shows.”
For further information, check out briteurocarshow.nz.