Classic car club captures community

---

Words & Photos By Julia Wade

A spectacular show of brilliant colours, gleaming chrome and rumbling engines delighted tyre kickers as over a hundred classic and custom vehicles rolled into town for the inaugural outing of a new local car club. 

Around 115 stunning cars, trucks and hot rods made the Mangawhai Club their destination on a sunny September 22 for Mangawhai’s inaugural Muscle and Classic Car Club (MMCC) show, with a variety of automobiles driving in from Whangarei, Orewa and local garages. 

The display attracted a steady flow of salivating car lovers as well as the curious, and MMCC founder and show organiser Bryan May says the event was a big success. 

“It was a great day… people stayed on for food and drinks so The Club was pumping, the bowls club kitchen was very busy as was Oasis across the road,” he says. “We raised money via donations for the local volunteer lifeguards although not sure of the total yet, but everyone was very generous, and we also had a prize giving at midday.” 

Passionate about cars from a young age, May formed the club in August to bring ‘like-minded American and Australian muscle and classic car owners and enthusiasts’ together, and had over 80 members registering in just two weeks. The idea, May says, is for car enthusiasts to meet regularly and do some interesting things such as barn raids (when you go to different places and see what people have got tucked away in their sheds) car shows, and trips to little known collections. 

A member of NZ and Auckland Corvette clubs as well as serving as a National Corvette Restorers Society judge, Mays latest restoration was a 1971 Corvette roadster which now lives in the South Island. He currently owns a 2008 Z06 C6 Corvette and a 2012 Chev Camaro but has also had Mopars and Fords. Says May, “I have no bias so long as they look awesome.”

Locals and visitors will have another chance to view some of Mangawhai’s classic cars again as the MMCC has entered six vehicles in the December Santa Parade. A number of local businesses were involved in the recent show May says.

“Want to say a big thank you to Tina and the team at Mangawhai Club for hosting the show. Thanks also to Robbie and Keri from Bayleys, Jackson Brown Automotive and Marine, Mangawhai Tyres and Mangawhai Super Liquor for their support of the show.”