CROMWELL CLASSIC CAR AND HOT ROD SHOW

THE LOCAL VINEYARDS AND ORCHARDS WEREN’T THE ONLY THINGS THAT HAD A BUMPER CROP IN CENTRAL OTAGO THIS YEAR

Those of us living in the South Island really are spoilt for choice when it comes to exploring some of the most stunning scenic regions of the country, if not the world. From the Catlins in the deep south, to the wonders of Fiordland, to the rugged West Coast, the beauty of this country is undeniable. Another area that has grown in popularity over recent years is Central Otago. With the discovery of gold in the 1860s, people have been visiting the area not only for its beauty but also what it has to offer, with Cromwell and Lake Dunstan being a massive drawcard. After the construction of the Clyde Dam, completed in 1993, the lake has not only provided irrigation for the nearby stone-fruit orchards and vineyards but also been a major asset for the area, offering facilities for boating, waterskiing, fishing, paraponting, and rowing. This year, on 18 January, the massive Gibbston Valley Summer Concert took place. This event attracts huge numbers wanting to enjoy a day of music while seated in a

vineyard nestled among the rugged mountains, but you won’t find any car folk there — they’ll be down the road at the annual Cromwell Classic Car and Hot Rod Show hosted by the Southland Ford Falcon Club. With great organization, a perfect location, and perfect weather, the event always attracts huge crowds of entrants and spectators. So while a crowd of people further up State Highway 6 were rocking out to the sounds of Billy Idol and George Thorogood, throngs of motorheads at Alpha Street Recreational Reserve in Cromwell were enjoying their own sounds while walking the rows of stunning classics and hot rods that had travelled from all over the South Island to attend.

Under the trees near the registration caravan was a great place to sit for those who had turned up early, as it meant they could watch all the cars arrive, almost like a mini parade of entrants. This year saw a large number of new cars, or, at least, new for us mainlanders from further up north, to view. With so many interesting vehicles on display, it’s always hard to pick a favourite, but, right from the start of the day, one vehicle stood out a little more than the rest: the ’67 Galaxie 500XL of Leigh Jackson, a Cromwell local who was

displaying the car for the first time. From its beautiful paint and blacked-out chrome to its absolutely stunning two-tone leather interior, this car received plenty of attention throughout the day, which explains why it made the Top 10 and took home the People’s Choice award.

There were so many other standout cars, too, like Shane Lark’s 1960 Buick LeSabre, as well as Brian and Lyn Hughes’ 1972 XY Ford Falcon GT. Their stunning, low mileage, bronze wine beauty was simply an awesome-looking ride. There were also, of course, other cars that stood out, but for a completely different reason. Drew Riorden brought along his ’82 XE Fairmont ESP barn-find, complete with a thick covering of dust and bird crap. Not something you see every day, but most of the older generation could look past the ugly and remember a bygone era when you’d see these cars everywhere. Once again, there were plenty of food venders on hand to help feed the hungry, and with the mercury hitting 29°C, a cold beverage was always close at hand.

A great touch throughout the day was the giving away of prizes to lucky entrants. If your name was called out, you headed on up to the stage where you could pick a prize from the table of items kindly supplied by the many sponsors of the event. The early afternoon saw prizegiving taking place on the stage (or ‘truck deck’ as we call it in the south) where the Top 10 were selected and Judges’ and People’s Choice awards were given out. With the show wrapping up, most headed back to their accommodation for some cold refreshments, which were well earned after the day in the heat.

Well done to the Southland Ford Falcon Club for hosting another great event; we look forward to catching up again next year.

This beautiful 1926 Chrysler Roadster, named ‘Walter’, has been painstakingly restored to pristine condition and had a for sale sign on it. It would certainly fill the garage! Shane and Sue Bingham are from the local club, Alpine Street Machines, and had their ’58 Chev parked up. With its low stance, it certainly sports some serious attitude

Keith and Diana Holland came all the way from Ashburton for the show in their ’68 Cortina 1600E. Restored in 1989 and still looking remarkable, the car sports a Kent four-cylinder crossflow engine that’s been bored to 85mm, making it 1760cc

Evan and Vadim Pascoe have one hell of a Datsun. Originally started by their good mate Reuben, the couple, along with family and friends, took on the project and saw it through to completion. With its unmistakable roof chop of three inches, the factory two-door has had enough mods to fill this entire page. Shaved bumpers and flush-mounted tail lights give it a clean look; custom glass has been fitted all round, and up front sits an FJ20 turbo engine under a hornet bonnet scoop; a five-speed helps get the power down, with four-wheel disc brakes off a Nissan Fairlady helping to whoa the go; and the custom seating inside looks awesome in black suede. The couple wishes to give special thanks to the Summers family and everyone who helped finish Reuben’s project

We have seen a number of ’57 Fairlane 500s around over the years, but none sporting a paint job like Bill Fowler’s example. We guess that when you want to stand out from the crowd, covering a large panel in Protec blood orange and others in champagne gold will achieve the goal. The Fairlane is sitting on 18x8-inch SSA Cobra wheels while motivation comes from a 408ci Cleveland and C4 trans, which sends power to the nine-inch diff out back