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The Ayrburn Classic announces dates for 2026

7 May, 2025

The scenic landscapes of Arrowtown, nestled near Queenstown, came alive this past summer with the dazzling debut of the Ayrburn Classic.
Hosted at the luxurious hospitality precinct of Ayrburn, this three-day celebration of motoring mastery, culinary excellence, and live entertainment captured the imagination of thousands – and left them wanting more.
Now, following the overwhelming success of its inaugural event, the Ayrburn Classic is back — and it’s shifting into an even higher gear.

Save the date: Friday 20 – Sunday 22 February 2026
That’s right. The Ayrburn Classic returns next February for what promises to be another world-class celebration, scheduled slightly earlier on the calendar to bask in Central Otago’s long golden evenings and late-summer glow. This festival will once again transform Ayrburn into a playground for car enthusiasts, food lovers, and seekers of high-end hospitality alike.
The 2025 edition set an incredibly high benchmark, and is fast becoming one of the leading reasons to visit Queenstown – amongst New Zealanders and international travellers alike. With over 250 classic and contemporary luxury vehicles on display – collectively worth more than $250 million – the festival was a visual and visceral feast for attendees.
Standouts included an $8 million LaFerrari, the latest Aston Martin Vanquish, and a fleet of dream machines from Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and more. The event’s unique blend of elegance and accessibility attracted both seasoned collectors and casual admirers aplenty.

But that was just the beginning
The 2026 Ayrburn Classic will feature exciting new additions, turning the volume up on what’s fast becoming a landmark event. On Friday, the inaugural Tour d’Elegance will showcase the finest cars in motion, as they glide through the Wakatipu Basin’s breathtaking surroundings.
On Saturday, we open our gates to the public, judging begins, and the famed Ayrburn hospitality starts to flow. In the evening, a gala dinner will bring guests together for an exclusive night of fine food, conversation, and celebration.
By popular demand, Sunday sees the debut of Ladies’ Day, a most elevated celebration of women and motoring. This elegant Sunday feature will include a luxurious long lunch, Fashions in the Field, and a curated car exhibition – a nod to design, innovation, and heritage, with a distinctly feminine twist. Sunday is all about dressing up and indulging in world-class style, alongside world-class vehicles.

One of the premier reasons to visit Queenstown
More than a festival of motoring, the Ayrburn Classic is a weekend of lifestyle and entertainment for all.
For CEO Chris Meehan, the vision for the event is clear:
“This will be one of the premier reasons to visit Queenstown. The momentum is building, and we’re only just getting started.”
As an attendee of the 2025 event, you’ll be first in line when tickets go on sale and car registrations open. So keep a keen eye on your inbox – because 2026 is set to be even bigger, bolder, and more breathtaking.
The Ayrburn Classic 2026 is calling. Come along for the ride – again.

NZ Classic Car magazine, September/October 2026 issue 407, on sale now

16 August, 2026

We love bugs!
A bit of TLC that became a major restoration
The 1302S, or ‘Super Beetle’ as it became known, was built for two years before it, too, was replaced by a further-enhanced Beetle, the 1303, continuing an amazing 65-year lineage for one of the World’s best-known shapes.
The world’s best-selling single-model vehicle, the VW Beetle, possibly established another record for the amount of controversy it has created since the inception of the Type 1.
In a meeting with Hitler in June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to build a ‘People’s Car’ that could accommodate two adults and three children, was air-cooled and simple to maintain, and could cruise economically at moderate speed along Germany’s proposed new Autobahns.
Our feature car, a 1972 1302S ‘Super Beetle’, was found by Dave and Michelle Dickie in Mosgiel a few years back. It was a runner, but like most VWs of this age, it needed a little TLC. They were looking for a daily driver for Michelle when they first came upon the VW being sold locally on behalf of its owner.
“The owner offered it to his grandchildren, and they didn’t want it, so he got the guy out at Mosgiel in the Mobil petrol station to sell it for him, and he put it on Trade Me for them. We never met the owner, and we were always dealing with the guy at the petrol station. We put a bid on it, and we were the only people that bid on it.”
Their bid was eventually successful, eight years ago. Not knowing much of the history, in situations like that, it’s always a risk buying a car, but they were in for a bit of a surprise.

The other Q car

12 August, 2026

Say the word ‘bond’ to anyone in the street and around 80 per cent straight away think of pop culture’s least-secret secret agent. The other 20 per cent may think of the wad of cash required to secure a flat or hire equipment that one gets back providing the fixtures and fittings stay much as they were.
However, mention ‘bond’ in specialist classic car circles and people will spin a very different yarn. If you dig deep enough, you will find an eccentric British carmaker that, throughout its 23 years in business, spawned some quirky and charming little cars.
The company was founded by Paul Sharp in 1922 under the name of Sharp’s Commercials Limited. However, the company did not start producing cars until 1948. The first car to carry the Bond name was the Bond Minicar. A three-wheeled, soft-top, two-cylinder eco car, the Minicar was a big hit at the time as the desire for an economical urban runabout that didn’t attract four-wheel car tax was strong in post-war Britain. All in all, 34,285 Minicars were produced over 26 years in a variety of variants.