Intermarque Concours

THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST

Mustangs and Mazdas stole the show at the annual Intermarque Concours d’elegance this year.

A 1969 Mustang Boss 302, owned by Paul Hildebrand, won the premier Masters Class competition with 548 points out of a possible 590. Two more ’69ers, both Acapulco Blue Sportsroof models, won the other main event — the Teams category.

You would think turning up with two cars from the same year in the same colour is taking the Teams category to the next level but concours judges are not so easily swayed. They judge each car on its presentation, faithfulness to originality and individuality, and tot the scores up for a team total. Mark Pritchard’s car scored 536 points — just six more than Chris Dwen’s car which has more road miles under its wheels.

The team prize for a two-car entry could be considered the big one, as the club winning this event becomes the host club for the following year’s event, meaning it provides all the volunteers that run the show on the day. And next year is a big one; it will be the 50th running of this car show. As chairman of the organizing committee, Garry Boyce said: “that makes the Ellerslie Car Show the longest-running — as well as the most prestigious — car show in New Zealand.”

WHO’S COUNTING?

Some people have queried the committee’s counting as the logo on the programme proclaims the show has been running since 1972, so surely the 50th anniversary would be in 2022, not next year?

Thoroughbred and Classic Car Owners’ Club representative on the committee Stan Edwards explains the difference. The first show was held in 1972. Events like this, unlike human birthdays, start at one, not zero, making this 2020 event the 49th and next year, 2021, the 50th show. “The first and last years must be included,” says Stan. He would know — Stan has been involved with the show since it began.

While people may fret about the future of the classic car movement as owners grow older, attendance appeared to be up on last year at more than 3000 (final numbers weren’t available), even though other car events were

While people may fret about the future of the classic car movement as owners grow older, attendance appeared to be up on last year

happening on the same weekend. However, the number of clubs taking part and showing off their cars, which is really the heart of the show, increased from 67 last year to 70 for this year’s running. Joining the roster this year were the Auckland Car Club, the Bugatti Owners’ Club, the Riley Car Club, the Thunderbird Owners’ Club, and the Production Race Series.

That diversity only added to the spectacular variety of cars at the show, which was the standout feature for Garry this year. The Ellerslie veteran said he was also delighted to see two Mazdas in the show ring as a burgeoning Japanese car presence crosses the 30-year classic threshold, bringing with them many younger classic car enthusiasts. One of them, Myles Hicks’ silver 1980 Mazda RX-7, won the increasingly popular Survivors Class competition and the other, Tony Markovina’s gorgeous Mazda Cosmo Sports 110S, took second in the Masters Class. This original rotary was clearly one of the most popular cars at the show on the day.

Mazda owners were back in the winners’ circle again, clinching the Best Club Display award by evoking the show’s theme, ‘Carnival’

MORE FOR MAZDA

Mazda owners were back in winners’ circle again, clinching the Best Club Display award by evoking the show’s theme, ‘Carnival’. They were runners-up to Jaguar last year and went one better this year. The club set out their site as a colourful big top, complete with a ringmaster, clown costumes and a great variety of cars. Land Rover, despite the olive drab of their mostly-military vehicles, had put a lot of thought into carnival sideshows. Games like ‘pin the tail on the Landy’ and ‘fish the Jeep out of the mud’ with a Land Rover fishing rod pushed them close, taking second. The Stag Owners’ Club came third with a bunch of British characters in costume among their Union Jack bunting — and they had the best joke. Their Sherlock Holmes character, gazing through his magnifying glass, said he was ... “looking for a win.” Badoom, tish.

Other winners included Derek Goddard, the owner of a ‘Woody’ Morris Traveller, to whom Garry awarded his Chairman’s award, the Gary Mccrystal Memorial Trophy as best representing the spirit of the show. It wasn’t a competition car; it was part of the Morris Minor club display but Garry said it was “a very cute little car, in good condition, and extremely well presented”.

The Meguiar’s People’s Choice award went to Rodney Holland’s ’66 Hemi Dodge Charger while a 1972 Austin Mini 850 was judged the prizewinner in the new Heritage Hotels Park and Polish competition, ahead of a 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo, and an Mk3 Ford Zodiac.