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A Classics Museum carnival

9 December, 2015

Waikato classic car enthusiasts, and those of us who have passed through Hamilton, will have undoubtedly stopped off at Classics Museum to step back in time and reminisce about the gorgeous classics on display. 

Tiffany Curtis Photography

Now, three years on, Classics Museum celebrated their 3rd birthday on Sunday, November 29 with great fanfare. The carnival-themed atmosphere attracted car enthusiasts and families for an afternoon of great fun. Everyone got to look at all those great cars, before relaxing back and enjoying a free drive-in-movie, which was Cry Baby starring Johnny Depp.

If all this wasn’t enough, there was a live band playing to get those hips swinging, as well as carnival games and a best-dressed competition presented by Miss Pinup New Zealand. 

Tiffany Curtis Photography

All this fun created quite an appetite and The Jukebox Diner was soon crammed with families enjoying their burgers, shakes, and fries. 

Tiffany Curtis Photography

Visitors also enjoyed free admission to the museum for the day, and just when you thought you’d seen it all, the Hamilton Roller Derby team came along to show off some tricks on their skates.

For more information on the Classics Museum birthday event, visit classicsmuseum.co.nz.

A tradesman’s estate — the Cortina GT Estate

22 April, 2026

The owner of our featured car, Rod Peat, used to rally a Cortina GT back when the words ‘rally’ and ‘trial’ were interchangeable. In times after that he could also be seen beside Mal Clark in various Targa NZ rallies, getting the famous Rover V8 or Lotus Cortina in spirited fashion around and over the various special stages that make up those events. After children, houses, and career, Rod decided it was time to own a GT again.
A search on the various systems available turned up a car Rod and probably most of us didn’t even know existed: a genuine Ford factory Cortina Estate GT.

For the love of cars

20 April, 2026

Passion, Pride & Joy:
A new chapter for New Zealand’s classic car custodians
In the world of classic and collector cars, continuity matters. Not just of ownership or
provenance, but of care shaped by skilled hands, patience, and deep respect for the machines themselves.
Since 1973, Auto Restorations has existed for this purpose: to ensure these cars live
on, not as relics, but as working expressions of design and engineering. Over more than five decades, we have restored and returned countless vehicles to the road and racetrack, and in recent years expanded our service offering to keep them
performing at their best.
Today, we are proud to introduce the next step in that journey: This is not a reinvention, but a natural evolution. A name that reflects the full scope of what we now offer, while staying true to the standards and values that have always defined us.