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Flick through the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance 2015 programme

1 February, 2015

It’s time for movie and TV show actors to take a back seat and let the cars be the stars at the 2015 Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance. They’ve appeared as part of the scenery, a prop, or getting the stars through all the action and car chases, but now it’s time to let them have centre stage. The theme for the event’s 42nd show is ‘the big screen’, so cars just like the ones you’ve seen featured in movies will be on display at Ellerslie Racecourse on Sunday, February 8 from 10am–4pm.

As well as the movie cars on display, the venue is expected to showcase vehicles from 750 owners and 70 car clubs, plenty vying for the series of best restoration trophies as well as the best unrestored everyday ‘survivor’ trophy. There will also be a splendid selection of new and exotic marques on display that will surely captivate everyone. 

We’ve created a programme for you to have a flick through to see what to expect from the event, some great information about the history and who is involved, as well as a handy map so you can find your way around the show and see everything you planned on seeing. It’s only $15, with children under 12 free, for a day out filled with beautiful classic cars.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.

A diamond in the rough

24 June, 2025

Two years ago, Lew finished a thorough restoration and the impressive ute has taken on a new life and colour. Lew plays down the amount of effort required but, despite his protestations, I suspect he put a lot of time into the project. A few unwanted tenants were evicted along the way.
“It didn’t take me long. There had been mice living in the firewall, which had caused a bit of damage. It apparently broke down and was pushed into a shed. It was 20 years to the day when I pulled it out and it sat in my other shed for 3 years before I started on it. That’s why it’s in such good order — it’s been kept in a shed for so long and still is.”