Old school style

William Woodworth

Marlborough Vintage Car Club’s Chris Bird with Graham and Carroll Wiblin’s 1909 Schacht – one of the earliest imported vehicles to Marlborough. Photo: William Woodworth

A strong collection of some of the country’s oldest cars are coming together for this year’s national Veteran Car Club rally

An array of veteran cars and motorbikes, all dating from earlier than 1919, will be coming to Marlborough from as far as Auckland and Dunedin - including a 124-year-old Wolseley.

Marlborough Vintage Car Club’s Chris Bird says he believes it’s the first time since the 60’s or 70’s the region has hosted such an event.

“We as a club put our hand up to volunteer to host this year’s event because it’s usually alternating between North and South Island hosts, but we wanted to step up while there was no North Island club willing to,” Chris says.

“Eight months of planning programmes, getting permits, organising safe rally routes is well worthwhile.”

The Veteran definition includes vehicles originally built in between 1900 and 1919 and while most of the vehicles are being transported by trailers to Blenheim and back, all are in working order.

“However, I think we will have someone driving their 1913/14 Overland all the way down from Auckland - the Vintage Car Club’s motto is ‘Driving our History,” so we want to be using and displaying these vehicles.

“The oldest vehicle we have coming is a 1900 from Dunedin, and over the last while we’ve had two recently restored Oldsmobile’s’ from John Pauling and Rae Fairweather get close to being finished.

“We’re hoping they’ll be ready for the rally as well as display while they’re still going through road registrations.

“Owning and upkeeping a vintage vehicle is a real labour of love, money and passion by people across the country, and we want to share that passion as wide as possible.”

The rally will held by the Marlborough Vintage Car Club from the 5 to 8 of February, with Heritage Day on Waitangi Day at Brayshaw Park before a trip to and from Rarangi Beach via Thomson’s Ford Road on 7 February leaving Brayshaw Park at 10am.

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