The American car that came with an American mate
John Campbell bought his dream car and made a good friend in the process.
Aucklander Campbell and Rick Fleischer from California met when Fleischer sold Campbell a 1974 AMC Javelin 10 years ago.
They kept in touch and finally got to meet in person when Fleischer came down to New Zealand to attend Americarna in the Javelin with Campbell.
The four-day festival, which pumps an estimated $4 million into Taranaki, began in 2007 and this year has around 800 cars.
Yesterday, the carnival was in Waitara and Inglewood. At Waitara, the band played, sausages and people sizzled, and young and old came out to admire the cars.
And the number of people lining the roads to watch the convoy arrive impressed Fleischer.
“We have car shows that are somewhat similar, but the most important thing about this has been the spectators along the road and the school kids. That is something I’ve not experienced before. The enthusiasm of all the people along the parade route is fantastic.“
He bought the Javelin in 2007 for his teenage son thinking it would make him popular at school. It didn’t work, he said.
When his son went off to university Fleischer didn’t think the car was suitable for a university car park and put it up for sale on ebay. Which is where Campbell comes in.
The Javelin had been his dream car since he was young, Campbell said.
“Back in the 70s AMC owned the Jeep brand and I had a love of Jeeps. I bought a Jeep when I was 18 and I’ve still got that.”
Through loving the Jeep brand and learning about AMC (American Motors Corporation) he came across the Javelin.
In 2014 he saw the exact car he wanted for sale on ebay, Campbell said.
“Watching the auction on the final day, I thought I’ll time it right to place my bid. No-one was bidding on it and it got really close to the last minute of the auction.”
He went to make a bid only to realise he wasn’t logged in, and by the time he was, the auction was over.
“So I sent Rick an email through ebay and he got in touch with me. He shipped it out and kept in touch. In 10 years, all we’ve done is message.”
But when Fleischer saw pictures of Campbell at Americarna last year, he decided to come out and visit Campbell and his family in Auckland, and attend Americarna, Campbell said.
“He keeps telling everyone he’s here to repossess the car.”
One car in no danger of being repossessed is a 1965 Ford Fairlane owned by Robin and Sharon Clarry from Egmont Village. The couple have owned the car, nicknamed “The Pig”, for 34 years, Sharon Clarry said.
“When we first got it, we used it as our car with two children and to tow the boat to go water skiing every year. We’ve kept it and redone it.”
The couple were with three friends, Annette Hoyle, Coral Stevens and Michelle James.
The four women were dressed to the nines and they accessorised their outfits with water pistols that they used to cool down innocent passers-by.
Kids love it, Clarry said.
“We don’t even have to squirt them. We just point it.”
Americarna heads south to Hāwera and Stratford today before returning to New Plymouth for the night cruise through the city.