New Zealand Cars

World of Wearable Art & Collector Cars - Nelson/Richmond First up is a Buick that has seen better days, but still may be better off than many of it's mid-50s vintage brethren. For this run, I'll just list the cars, with minimal comment.

  • a three wheel Warrick
  • a three wheel Reliant - (yeh, what's with these three wheelers?)
  • a good old Studebaker
  • and the one in the background
  • a different Bentley
  • an Alvis
  • an E Jaguar
  • an XK-150 Jaguar
  • an MG
  • an Austin-Healey
  • and, swapping places with the background car, a Triumph TR-3
  • a Studebaker Hawk
  • a three wheel BMW
  • finally, outside was this Plymouth Prowler

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    Aussie Valiant - On the street at Mapua

  • It looked like a 1965-ish US Valiant, perhaps more-so from the front. According to the an side trim it had a 340 4-Barrel engine, and the coyote decal.

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    Transport and Toy Museum - Wanaka

    Unfortunately, I never take any notes (although sometimes I take pictures of the descriptive labeling), but in this museum there tends to be little identifiction except what is on the cars themselves, sooo... I'll say what I can, and if anyone knows more and wants to see it here, email me with the information and I'll make the addition.

  • a 1960 Cadillac reprise
  • a 1934 Cadillac reprise
  • a Mustang and friends
  • a 1924 McLaughlin Buick
  • a 1947 Lanchester
  • a GN4054
  • oooh, a red one
  • a Packard of blue
  • a Falcon Knight
  • a 1928 Austin
  • a an Essex Challenger and two Chevrolets
  • a 1926 Singer
  • a dark blue one
  • a black one
  • an 1939 Austin Big 7
  • a sea mist green one
  • a maroon one, but note the interesting stuff in the background - riding toy horses, telephones on the wall, pedal cars below
  • a general shot with bikes above
  • a 1956 Hillman California Coupe
  • a 1940 English Ford with a nice model of a P-51 Mustang on its top
  • a reverse of a prior shot, and also a reprise
  • a 1929 Daimler currently in use as a horse transport
  • a turquoisey blue one
  • a fuzzy fuzzy Austin(?), fuzzy for sure
  • a Fiat 500
  • a Rambler and a maroon something
  • a Hens? I can't make out the last letter, nor figure it out. Maybe first 4 aren't right?
  • a late 1940s Packard
  • a late 1930s Hudson Terraplane
  • a General Lee? (I don't think so)
  • a Ford Falcon (Aussie, looks kind of like a Torino or Mustang, 1970ish
  • a lineup of old fellows with a 1967ish Dodge stationwagon at the end of the line
  • a 1938 DeSoto coupe
  • a 1954 Chevrolet
  • a 1952 Studebaker and Plymouth in different shades of gray
  • a 1965 Chrysler 300 The labeling was not always accurate. This was identified as what would have been a 300I, but said since "I" in the letter series would have been too confusing (a point, perhaps) that it was just called the 300. In fact, the "I" letter car would have come along in 1963, but that was the 300J because it is true that the "I" was skipped. The label was also right in that the letter series 300 went through the letter "L" (in 1965). The car in question was a 1965 model year of the 300 series car that was marketed from 1962-1965.
  • a Nash Metropolitan
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    Otago Settlers Museum - Dunedin

    Cars at the Settlers Museum include these:

  • Late 1940s Buick with camping trailer
  • This one's not a car. It shows the 1925 and 1929 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The 1925 had the first tear-drop shape gas tank that became a Harley symbol, and the 1929 had a new 45 cubic inch "flathead", another long running Harley feature
  • Late 1930s Buick straight 8
  • 1952 Morgan Plus Four
  • Motor club rescue wagon, Model T?
  • I'm having trouble identifying this, but it looks like the sign says Series E Marvin Eight
  • Hmmm. 1930-ish Buick?
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    Oamaru Automobile Collection - Oamaru

    This is a small collection of cars, but they have some that are kind of interesting, considering this is a pretty small town. The more interesting are:

  • Riley race car
  • Ford GT-40 (I was surprised to see this here)
  • 1936 AC Sports Tourer
  • 1934 Morris Minor
  • 1928(?) Ford T Truck
  • Then a few other things, like this Rolls Royce Merlin engine
  • this Minneapolis- Moline tractor
  • this Farmall tractor
  • and this Chrysler classics car poster

    The Hollies Motoring and Memorabilia Collection - Waimate

    The collection here is largely of Citroens, but they have several other vehicles as well.

  • Left side showing many of the Citroens
  • Right side showing a number of other makes
  • Here's the car we took the previous two pictures over, a Citroen CX
  • Here's a closer shot down the row of (mostly) Citroen 2-CVs
  • This shot shows the versatility of the design, with roll-top models on either side of a utility model
  • Looking back the other way, we see a line of sedans, mostly with roll-tops
  • In the center row is this 1950-ish DeSoto
  • Just to the front of the previous car is this mid-1950s Rambler (note both of these cars are right-hand drive)
  • Here's a mid-1930s Chevrolet, also right-hand drive
  • Beside the Chevy was this contemporary Hudson Terraplane
  • Also in the center row was this MG Magnette, with a rear view also
  • I'm unable to remember (or figure out) what this car is. The distinctive hood ornament should identify it. Anyone?
  • Fiat 500
  • I believe this is a Ford model T
  • This does have reference to cars, but when one looks around one sees this collection is a bit like a poorer imitation of the Wanaka Toy and Transportation Museum, given the other items dispersed around the collection
  • Outside is an old Farmall tractor still exhibiting the steel wheels and lugs
  • Finally, not all of the collection is inside

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    New Zealand Charger Club meet - Akaroa

    The star car of the meet is the Australian built Chrysler Charger, most with Hemi engines. This engine is not the famous 426 Hemi V-8 well known in the US, but the Austalian built 265 Hemi straight six built during most of the 1970s. This engine was probably as famous as a racing engine in Australia (and New Zealand) as the aforementioned Hemi V-8 was (is) in the US. It came with various power ratings, but got up to 302 HP in the production model. The engine was apparently not based on the Slant 6 US engine, but rather a Chrysler engine under development for trucks that was abandoned before it was finished, later picked up by Chrysler Australia. But, to the cars:

  • An Aussie Valiant between two Chargers
  • An Aussie Valiant "Ute" (El Camino/Ranchero type "sissy" pickup)
  • An Aussie Valiant Charger
  • A lineup of Aussie Valiants
  • One of the more beautiful examples of a 265 Hemi Charger. I wish I had taken a picture of the badging on the fender
  • Here's another popular car in New Zealand, a 1938 Buick
  • Here's and older 1936 Buick with the '38 and Dick in the background