Bay display: 25 years of the Marineland Hot Rod & Classic Car Festival

12 May, 2017

For those who don’t count duck shooting among their list of hobbies, the Sunday of May 7 may still have held a reason to load the boys into the car and go for a drive. Marineland Street Rod & Kustom Klub hold their Marineland Hot Rod & Classic Car Festival annually at the Meeanee Speedway just out of Napier, and it’s a show that is well worth your time.

Marking 25 years since the first ever Marineland show, this year’s show was a bit of a special one, which also paid tribute to the Ford Model T with a dedicated display to the original people’s car and hot rod base.

As soon as the gates opened at 7am, over 100 cars were ready to pass through the gates, with another 600 soon to join them. In fact, the gates had to be shut at 10am due to the Meeanee Speedway grounds being full to capacity!

In addition to the massive show and shine, the show also hosts its famous swap meet at which bargains abound for the keen treasure hunter, and a number of other entertaining side shows serve to keep everyone entertained. From engine fire-ups through to the spectacular crane-drops, and kids’ entertainment that also kept some of the bigger kids enthralled, the Marineland Hot Rod & Classic Car Festival is always a good time.

Just have a look through the photo gallery below to see what went on, or what you missed out on, and keep your eyes peeled for a full event report in an upcoming issue of NZV8 magazine.

Pinnacle Porsche

15 May, 2025

We were stopped at the side of the road, setting up the next photograph, when a faded Toyota slowed alongside and stopped. The window was already down to give the driver a good look.
“That’s my dream car,” he said, speaking for more than a few of us.
He drank in the gleaming red paint, shining in the sun, and the car’s purposeful swoops and curves. He exhaled half a lungful of cigarette smoke, gave a hang 10–style thumbs up and drove off.
On the side of the road, against a clear blue background, the Porsche stood out in all its stark red glory. It’s the classic 911 shape on steroids. It has the fat, even pouty, front lip of the G series 911s, added to comply with 5mph bumper restrictions in the US. It also has the oversized haunches to accommodate the wider rear wheels and tyres – a first for Porsche, which also confirmed its supercar credentials – and, most noticeably of all, that enormous whale-tail spoiler. They made it look as if Porsche had abandoned its restraint.

Motorman: When the top trio took to the road

9 May, 2025

What sort of cars did Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drive when they weren’t on the race track? Motorman knows
Most top racing drivers do care about safety levels of road-going cars for everyday motorists and their all-round abilities behind the wheel. Jackie Stewart for one denied finding everyday driving boring. He took pride in giving his passengers the smoothest possible ride, and encouraged all drivers to actively engage in the task. They also make interesting choices for their transport away from competitive motoring.
Thirty years ago I spent a day with Chris Amon driving on lower North Island roads and I can remember those informative few hours as vividly as if they were yesterday. In 1983 Chris accepted a challenge from Toyota New Zealand to improve its locally assembled cars in a relationship that extended well beyond the end of New Zealand-built Toyota vehicles in 1997.

Bay display: 25 years of the Marineland Hot Rod & Classic Car Festival

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