60 years for annual Canterbury car club swap meet

A Christchurch man will be one of many vintage car enthusiasts heading to the annual Canterbury Swap Meet next weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Canterbury Vintage Car Club.

Papanui man Tom Clements went to his first Vintage Car Club event in 1949 driving his 1923 Fiat 501s.

Now, the 86-year-old recalls his ‘‘lovely memories’’ restoring his rare 1940 Vauxhall coloured ‘‘cream with a touch of green’’, which he bought sometime in the 1970s.

‘‘It’s very rare, it’s the only one in New Zealand of this type. It was a wreck when I got it — a pile of junk,’’ he said.

‘‘It was 1984 before I actually got it on the road. It’s come out quite well.’’

He said although modern cars were reliable and had a long life, they lacked the character which vintage cars have.

Clements has owned eight vintage Fiats since joining the club.

‘‘There are all these memories which are all very nice, aren’t they?’’

Having taken his Vauxhall to club events for the last 15 years, Clements said he has had a tremendous history with the club.

‘‘It started with 50 university blokes.

‘‘It was 15 shillings a year when I first started,’’ he said.

Thousands of enthusiasts like Clements will be heading to the Canterbury Swap Meet event at McLeans Island next weekend.

‘‘It’s 40 years of the swap meet and the 60th anniversary of the car club too, so we’re celebrating two milestones,’’ said swap meet organiser and club member for 25 years Colin Hey.

Hey said the swap meet was the perfect opportunity to share spare parts ‘‘to keep some of these cars going’’.

‘‘Parts aren’t getting any easier to find.

‘‘People come from all over New Zealand for it. It’s the biggest one in New Zealand because it’s been going for so long, because the local branch is so big.

‘‘It’s all go out there. It’s a thriving club, really,’’ he said.

Thriving, it is, with more than 1200 members – mainly from Christchurch.

Hey said there was a strong social element to the club.

‘‘Personally it’s really good belonging to the club. I’ve met a lot of friends over the years that’s what it’s all about.’’