ELLERSLIE INTERMARQUE CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
By the beginning of February 2023, planning for the 51st Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance was complete, with no sign of a problem Covid-19 and all sights set for a record setting show over the weekend of February 11-12.
The traditional Tours d’Elegance to be run on Saturday 11 February was also filling up fast with three excellent routes being planned by John Campbell (Cammie) of MGCC’s Auckland Branch.
Winners of the 2021 Teams Event Porsche Club NZ along with Runners Up, the Auckland Mustang Owners Club along with around 100 volunteers were also well on track to manage visitors and entrants alike for what promised to be the best Ellerslie Classic Car Show yet.
30 Jaguars were prepped and ready for display to commemorate Ten Decades of Jaguar from “Sidecar to F-Type” in the prime ‘Birdcage’ winners’ circle.
The extraordinary 1938 Diamond T Texaco Streamliner Petrol Tanker was ready for its unveiling in the Newmarket Room for the first time since its meticulous restoration by Steve and Sue Keys, along with a collection of original Murawai Beach Racers and a new exhibit for 2023 of superbly modified vehicles.
Then came news of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle! Suddenly the show’s organising committee found themselves having to weigh the scales of reason for a second year in a row. Do they or don’t they hold the show when a state of emergency had been extended over the City?
Sadly on Friday 10 February the decision was taken to postpone the show until Sunday
April 23, 2023. In reality many people were grateful for the reprieve from a potentially rather damp and stormy prospect on the February 12, especially if you were one of the 34 owners of concours competition cars that you had spent the last year cleaning!
However with Gabrielle forecast not to make her disruptive appearance until the 12th, the show committee decided to run the Tours d’Elegance unaltered on Saturday 11. All entrants arrived at the Ellerslie car park by 10am to be greeted by show committee member John (Cammie) Campbell who explained the three different routes via south Auckland out to Clevedon.
A great range of different marques totalling 38 cars assembled under leaden but dry skies including several MGBs, numerous early minis, an Austin Healey 3000, several Mustangs, Mazda MX-5s, modern Jaguar XK coupés, an early Jaguar XK150 drophead, two early Porsche 911s, three Ferraris, a ‘50s Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn and a stunning prewar convertible Auburn.
By 10.30am the tour groups were on the road and headed down the Southern motorway in dry weather under grey skies on three different routes through South Auckland, out over wonderful winding rural roads and very green countryside to Clevedon and a delightful reception and excellent slider lunch at the Hallatau Pub.
A number of people who attended the tour had only decided to come at the last minute now that their “other” classic car entry on the Ellerslie concours was safely under its covers waiting for the 23rd April!
Thanks to John Campbell and his helpers from the MG Car Club Auckland for organising a great day out in Auckland’s calm before the storm.