ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW

BRIGHT SUNSHINE AND THE GLEAM OF CLASSIC CARS POLISHED TO PERFECTION BROUGHT RECORD CROWDS TO THE ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW THIS YEAR

THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST FROM THE SHOW

Whether it was the pentup demand after wet weather put off many potential visitors last year or the lure of a host of newly restored or imported classics, organizers estimated that visitor numbers to the 2019 show on Sunday, 10 February were up about 10 per cent on the previous best turnouts.

Spokesman David Burke-kennedy says that it is impossible to get accurate numbers, as more than 1000 complementary tickets go to exhibitors; sponsors; and, of course, the car club members, whose cars make the event New Zealand’s biggest and best car show. Even though the event is technically an amateur affair, organized by a committee of car club representatives, David has frequently heard from others who have been to the world’s most famous concours events that the Auckland show — and the cars in competition — are absolutely world class.

Everything under the sun

More than 70 clubs take part, giving classic car buffs, and their partners, more than 700 classic cars to inspect up close and hundreds of enthusiastic owners to talk to. Surprises lurk around every corner; this year, they included a collection of SL Mercedes, not to mention half a dozen concours winners, and a contender for all-time greatest in the Mercedes 540K Special Roadster, a Peking to Paris rally car — and that was just the Mercedes display. You could also spot a couple of charabancs; a double row of Packards; flamboyant ’60s Americana paired with matching caravans; a Model A Ford truck that looked as if it hadn’t had a day off work in the past 90 years; ’50s Rileys; Armstrong Siddeleys;

Jowetts and Bradfords; family favourites like Hillmans and Zephyrs; Capris and Escorts; Alfa Romeos; Healeys; Jensens and Triumphs; Corvettes and Mustangs; and a dazzling array of Ferraris, Aston Martins, and other exotica.

For those seeking shelter from the sun, the Newmarket Room featured a different perspective on classic cars. Displays included collectable books and clothing; the New Zealand Classic Car stand, of course; a survivor E-type Jaguar that has featured in these pages; and a bare-metal Camaro being restored by Bodymods in Hamilton. Christchurch’s Upper Classics is known for its Jaguar restorations, but, this time, it showed off an MGA twincam that it had restored. A contender for most valuable car at the show was also on display in the Newmarket Room — Mortimer Motorsport’s vast, orange M8E/F Mclaren Can-am race car, sporting an 8.3-litre 615kw motor, which was campaigned by Denny Hulme in 1971.

The competition

Speaking of competition, the cars taking part in the Intermarque Concours d’elegance event were lined up in the show ring, and, after hours of close scrutiny from the experienced show judging panel, the winner finally emerged. At the top of the circle, the MG Car Club scored two of the top honours, winning the Teams Event and achieving the best score for an individual car. The club pitted a pair of 1930s roadsters against pairs of cars from the Porsche Club, the Mercedes-benz Club, and two Teams entries from the Auckland Mustang Owners Club.

The 1938 MG TA owned by John Hancock and Greg Martin’s 1935 MG PA scored first and third on the individual points tally, with 546 and 532 points, respectively — just reward for meticulous restorations that no doubt made these cars better than new.

Two cars entered the Masters Class for best individual car. Brent and Lisa Robinson’s 1972 Porsche 911S took the Masters trophy with 533 points, ahead of Murray Saywell’s 1966 Lotus Cortina with 472 points.

If you want some idea of how much work goes into preparing a car for a concours event, you could hardly do better than to ask than Wayne Marmont. He owns and prepared — no doubt with help from his various clubs — half of the top six cars in the team competition: a 1964 Mercedes

230SL (third), a 1966 Mustang Fastback GT (fourth), and a 1960 Porsche 356B (sixth).

The Survivors Class, for cars more than 35 years old in unrestored condition, is always interesting. This year’s winner, Chris Stephens’ spectacular coral-coloured Holden Special from 1962, was a popular choice, heading off an RX-7, a Morris 1300, a Porsche 912, and a Mitsubishi Mirage.

The Lamborghini Register stand caught chairman Garry Boyce’s eye and scooped his discretionary chairman’s choice award — the Gary Mccrystal Memorial Trophy — for bringing all four Lambo Countachs into the country together for the first time. As two reside in the South Island and two in the North, it could be many years before they are seen together again — an almost incredi-bull example of their interpretation of this year’s theme: ‘The Collecta-bulls’.

Counting Countachs

Lamborghini was one of a dozen clubs that entered the Best Club Display competition, which is judged primarily on how a club has evoked the designated theme — this year, The Collectables — to give it its official spelling.

When the points from three independent judges — from sponsors New Zealand Classic Car and Classic Cover Insurance — were tallied, two clubs were tied for second. The TR Register had great cars, including a rare TR5 and, even rarer, a Dove coupé and a Swallow Doretti, as well as a miniature model of each TR, handy fact sheets, and club shirts with their own theme.

The MX5 Club, on the other hand, had examples of all the different mods and styles that its owners apply to their cars but unified the display by portraying them as Hot Wheels cars. The club even created a ‘ boxed’ version of a limited-edition coupé, and had its own Hot Wheels T-shirts. As the MX5 Club went just that bit bigger on the theme, it got the nod for second.

Meanwhile, the Jaguar Drivers’ Club eschewed the flashy C-types, D-types, and E-types to feature one of each of model of the XJ Jaguar saloons, which surely qualify as collectable as well as relatively affordable classics. The XJ celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and the club display featured the first XJ to reach this part of the world, which arrived in Australia a month ahead of the official launch. This car was displayed against a backdrop featuring other icons of ’69. The owners also got into the swing of things and were fully decked out in their ’60s gear. The Jaguar Drivers’ bet the MX5 Club to top spot in the Best Club Display competition by just one point.

More than 70 clubs take part, giving classic car buffs, and their partners, more than 700 classic cars to inspect up close and hundreds of enthusiastic owners to talk to