The 2011 National Hot Rod Show took place last weekend at the TSB Arena in Hawera, Taranaki. It was a large event for the hot rodding community and many of the finest hot rods in the land made the trip to go on show. A show was a success thanks to the event organisers Egmont Rod and Custom Club who put on what has to be one of the highest quality hot rod events in many years.

To see all the results from the Hot Rod competition, click here.

View the gallery below for photos from the National Hot Rod Show.

The annual Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags took place on Sunday and was bigger than ever. Crowds lined the hills around the track to watch some of the fastest street cars and classic muscle cars in the country battle for bragging rights on the strip.

View 230 photos from the days racing in the gallery below.

The Pukekohe Lions club hosted its first “Wheels of Fortune” vehicle display event last weekend at the Pukekohe racecourse. In attendance was a large selection of vehicles including classics, muscle cars, hot rods and more modern fare. It was a broad range of machines and plenty of entertainment away from the car show too.

More than 1200 cars and special interest vehicles parked around the track and in the pit area with unique displays from car clubs and organisations including Franklin Street Rodders, the American Muscle Car Club, Iron Sands Rod & Custom, HSV Club, Zephyr and Zodiac, Mini, MG, Military vehicles, Coast Guard, Fire Service, St John and many more. There was also part of Dave Parkers huge car collection, with 11 of his 18 classic cars on display.

For the hungry there was a good selection of food and beverages, there was also live music by Tuakau country variety music club and the Sunset coast big band. Some famous folk were doing the rounds including Auckland mayor Len Brown, TVNZ’s Mark Sainbury, and local MP Paul Hutchison. The police were in attendance but not to look for trouble, instead they were offering rides around the track in their cruisers. St John also had several promotional vehicles taking the kids for a spin.

There was a military vehicle club which wowed the crowds by demonstrating a 50 calibre machine gun. Overhead the ‘Roaring Forties’ flight display team, who are the ‘Flag bearers’ of New Zealand War Birds, flyed ex-RNZAF Harvard trainers and performed some precision aerobatics.

All up, the day was a massive success with over 5000 people attending and more than $35,000 raised for local emergency services including the Pukekohe Volunteer Fire Brigade, Police, Coast Guard, Westpac Rescue Helicopter and St John Ambulance service.

Check out a whole bunch of images from the day in the gallery below.

It may only happen once every three years, but the American Muscle Car Club show is well worth the wait.

This years Easter-long event was sponsored by Plumbing World and took place at the Te Pai Event Center in Henderson, Auckland. As we’ve come to expect from the AMCC shows, the level of vehicles present really raised the bar. Over 75 of the best presented, rarest and most powerful American made muscle cars in the country were displayed, making it well worth the measly $10 spectator entrants fee.

NZ Classic Car was lucky enough to be invited along to the prize giving dinner, which outlined just what a great bunch of guys and girls AMCC is made up of.

Check out a full gallery of images below to see some of the fine metal on display at the show.

The Cars and Bikes for Canterbury show held in Hamilton last weekend went off very well even with some last minute changes due to the wet weather.

Whilst the wet weather resulted in a number of exhibitors cancelling at the last moment, and had an effect on public numbers, the spirit of the dedicated crew was far from dampened.

The team effort resulted in a fantastic show which featured cars and motorcycles from all disciplines of motorsport, – Drag Cars and Bikes, Hot Rods. Classic and Custom Cars, Classic Bikes, Trikes, Modern and Classic Road Race Bikes, Speedway Bikes/Sidecars, Speedway Saloon and Stock Cars, Vintage Cars, Sports cars, street machines, motorcycles, along with Trade stands, and great entertainment.

The rumble brought together a number of  well know Motorsport people including NZ’s Superbike Champion Andrew Stroud, who was one of the celebrities at the Rumble with his Suzuki having just recently celebrated his 9th win in the NZ Superbike series Title.

Cars and Bikes for Canterbury was the brainchild of Tracey Sherwin (New Plymouth) and Alan Thoresen (Hamilton).  Both are members of the New Zealand Drag Racing Association (NZDRA) and have friends and colleagues in the quake devastated region of Christchurch. 

“Watching the earthquake devastation on the news was just heartbreaking, and we feel so helpless being so far away” says Tracey.  A few phone calls were made, and the idea of a car and bike show encompassing all aspects of New Zealand Motorsport, Hot Rodding and Classic and Vintage cars took hold.

Email’s then went out to the New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA) and the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) for their assistance. This was be the first time in all three Associations history that they have all worked together for a common cause.

Alan Thoresen has been the man on the ground in Hamilton, emailing, handing out flyers, putting up posters and getting local businesses involved.

“Many of the members of these associations had family, friends, or business associates affected by the devastating earthquake in Christchurch and wanted to do something to help out the people of Christchurch, and by becoming involved in the show showing a car or bike which they had a great passion for, this passion could be shared with the public for a great cause.”

Whilst the date selected for the event was during the V8 Weekend in Hamilton, it was felt the show would compliment the other activities in the area and also attract those who wanted a break from the days racing. – Hamilton was certainly a place to be for Petrol heads that weekend with various activities being promoted around the city.

Whilst it could be said Alan and Tracey and their great team of volunteers and supporters. have run a great show for a great cause……..there are already murmurs about plans for some thing bigger and better for another charitable “Rumble” for next year.

Check out some images from the Cars and Bikes for Canterbury show in the gallery below.

It was a huge day on Sunday at the annual Nostalgia Drags held at Fram Autolite Dragway in Meremere. There was an eclectic mix of dragsters, muscle cars and vintage speed machines.

NZ Classic Car was there to snap off a couple of hundred photos, so if you want to get all nostalgic then check them out in the gallery below.

Whangamata again played host to the 11th annual Beach Hop last weekend and saw hundreds of stunning machines head along to the Coromandel holiday town. There was crusing, car shows and even beauty pageants at the 2011 event. Naturally NZ Classic Car was there to take it all in and bring you back over 300 images of some fine classic metal and general festivities.

Relive the epic weekend by clicking into the gallery below to check out the photos.

Last weekend the Scroungers Car Club celebrated the 10th Anniversary of The Hot Rod Blow Out at Rosebank Speedway on Auckland’s North Western Motorway.

It was a relaxed and entertaining event that celebrated NZ’s rich history of hot rodding, drag racing and land speed racing as well as the pioneers or individuals who truly made their mark.

NZ Classic Car was in attendance and took some great photos on the day, to view them click on the gallery below.

The NZ Festival of Motor Racing celebrating Chris Amon took place in January, 2011 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. NZ Classic Car was there to take in all the action and bring you back hundreds of images from the day’s racing.

Check them out in the gallery below.

Americarna came to the Hutt in March 2011. NZ Classic Car was there to take in the action and bring you back 400 hundred photos of the finest classic American metal on display.

Click on the gallery below and enjoy.

The inaugural Sounds of Chrome Festival proved that not all car shows are created equal, there are car shows and then there are car events, this was definitely the later. Celebrating all things V8, this two day event at Hampton Downs is a must, with hundreds of hot rods, street machines and muscle cars lined up for what seemed like miles there was plenty to see. Chev’s, Cadi’s, Fords, Mopar’s, Holdens and pretty much every other make of V8 was there to be appreciated, whatever your taste chances are there was something there for you.

Cars started arriving early Saturday morning and they continued throughout the weekend. Then there were those cruising in out and around the track, it was at times an automotive show in motion. With so much to see I felt a bit like a kid in a candy store, so many cars to see with seemingly so little time. This fluid exhibition of cars was complimented by the numerous trade displays, a stunt ute display, Mothers bikini girls offering car washes, and even cheerleader displays. There was so much happening I was scared I was going to miss something, which combined with the scorching weather was enough to drive some to drink. Fortunately Hampton Downs is also a licensed venue!

The skid pad was put to good use for the Metalman burnout competition. Ten brave owners put their cars to the test on the glass smooth skid pad. While some found the lack of traction a problem, pushing the locked front wheels across the pad with little discernable smoke from the back most eventually got the smoke pumping to the joy of the crowd. The hot day combined with the tortured engines put the cooling systems to the test and most left the pad with radiators puking coolant. A couple pushed things a little too hard, with minor engine bay fires the result. Unfortunately one needed to be towed  off the pad and while it was being hooked up a spectator put on a little display of his own, much to the amusement of the crowd. While his wheelchair may have failed to spin the tyres the crowd appreciated the humour in his effort!

The top four were the chosen and after a cool down period went out for their final skid. Shane Brown took the win and the $1000 prize in his 32 Ford sedan, edging out a fellow Franklin club mate in his newly acquired (2 days before) chopped 38 Chev. Anyone who thinks hot rodders are soft on their cars and are scared to thrash them should have seen these two in action showing off their tyre frying prowess!

Kicker Car Audio kicked of the musical side of thing with an attempt at orchestrate some “music” from the collection of fifteen supercharged V8′s.

After a few minutes of trying to co-ordinate the revving engines the conductor gave up and just let them do their thing. The sound of the fifteen supercharged engines doing their thing was music to the ears of many. More music was on its way with the Sounds of Chrome Hauraki live classic rock concert on Saturday evening with The Jordan Luck Band leading into the timeless rockers Dragon.

For an inaugural event the Mothers V8 Auto Festival at Sounds of Chrome was a top weekend out and once again the team at Hampton Downs have proved they know how to host more than just a car show, they have created a real event to be proud of. Roll on 2012!

Check out all the photos from the Sounds of Chrome festival in the gallery below.

Kevin Shaw

The Americarna series of car events continues to increase in popularity with an awesome range of Yankee metal touring in last week’s Hutt City event. The Americarna Hutt City events kicked off last Thursday and ran through to Sunday seeing the participating cars cruise right through the Wairarapa area.

The cars toured Paraparaumu, the Kapiti Coast, Masterton and Carterton before returning to Hutt City for a night cruise. The cars put on an epic display at the Country Fair in Hutt City and everyone rocked out at a Rock n Roll festival last Sunday.

If you couldn’t make it or just want to see what it was all about and some of the awesome machines that took part then check out the image gallery below for hundreds of photos.

It was last weekend that Auckland’s Ellerslie Racecourse played host to the NZ Classic Car Show where the annual Intermarque Concours d’Elegance was the main event.

It wasn’t all about the big V8s either, there was a massive turnout with a wide range of different makes from various eras on display.

NZV8 was there to walk among all the chrome, flared fenders and wire wheels to bring back loads of photos to share.

If you couldn’t make it along or want to relive the day then click into the gallery below to see the second of two galleries of images from this classic weekend.

Last weekend Auckland’s Ellerslie Racecourse played host to the NZ Classic Car Show where the annual Intermarque Concours d’Elegance was the main event.

It wasn’t all about the big V8s either, there was a massive turnout with a wide range of different makes from various eras on display.

NZV8 was there to walk among all the chrome, flared fenders and wire wheels to bring back loads of photos to share.

If you couldn’t make it along or want to relive the day then click into the gallery below to see the first of two galleries of images from this classic weekend.

The 17^th annual Kumeu Classic Car and Hotrod Festival was held last weekend, and it was an absolute scorcher.

Despite crowd numbers and swap site numbers being down on previous years, the event was a huge success. The new Retro area being the highlight for many. With stands such as Rita Sue vintage boutique and the Teaser Lounge amongst a mix of cool old style cars, the area was packed out both days.

Traders had a mixed response, with some saying sales were slow and others struggling to keep up with demand.

The show shed, which should feature the pinnacle of local cars was again a little disappointing, with many better cars being found outside in the outdoor display area, but Kumeu isn’t all about top level show cars, it’s about all cars and having a great time.

To see some of the beautiful metal on display at the show, click on the photo gallery below.

On Sunday 24th October the Early Holden Club held a small show at the North Harbour Stadium carpark in Albany.

Entry was via a gold coin donation and all makes of Holden got preferential parking.

Most models of early Holden were on display from FJ to HZ and there were raffles and food onsite.

Hope you enjoy these pics as many of your families have probably had at least one of these cars at some stage.

Check out the images in the gallery below.

Last Sunday was the annual charity event the SPCA Auckland Trueform Spa Pools Renegade Rod & Custom Open Day! The name may be a bit of a mouthful, but it is without doubt one of the coolest events on the hot rodding calendar. Held at SPCA’s Auckland Animal Village in Mangere the event saw a massive turnout of people, pets and cars all raising money for a good cause. With live music on stage as well as a Charity Auction there was something for everyone.

Check out the images from the day in the gallery below.

Renegade Rod & Custom would like to thank the event’s sponsors:

NZV8 Magazine, Monier Bricks, IJ & HJ Day Carriers, Sony Music, Animates Albany, North Harbour Ford, Albany Timber, Rubens Cruises, Sandspit Holiday Park, Trueform Spa Pools, Urgent Couriers, Orica Chemnet, Bird Barn, Auckland Raceway, Mitre 10 Mega Henderson, Wattle Paints, Gerry, High Performance Models, HSV Apparel, Petrolhead Productions, Super Liquor Browns Bay, Repco Browns Bay, Appliance Shed, Bar B Que Factory, Carters, Pop In On Pickering, Car Colours, Auto 1 Whangaparaoroa, Stirling Sports Whangaporoa, Pet Planet, Golf Centre, Eddie Law Appliances, Kayaks Direct, Yvonne Morman, Suwann Thai, Beachside Gym, Repco Whangaporoa, Plaza Liquor, Super Liquor, Hibiscus Coast WOF Centre, Beds R Us, Hoyts Cinemas, Liquorland Whangaporoa, Samantha Day, National Mini Storage Henderson, Wilorys, Magoos, South Pacific Pictures, Cadbury Holdsons Toys, Face & Body Blockhouse Bay, Warehouse Stationary Lincoln Rd, Crutial Colour, Hydro Tech Drainage, Carters Whangaporoa, Bunnings Silverdale, La Mode Beauty, GMV Electrical, J R Russels, Arrowhead, Kustom Tattoo & Airbrush, Nor West & Kumeu Glass, Heletranz, Castlemania, Palamino DVD Cafe, Urgent Couriers, Omni Graphics, Ambius.

The World Rally Championship came to town last weekend for the Rally of New Zealand and part of the action took place at the Hampton Downs racing circuit. The Rally competitors ran two special stages around Hampton Downs’ 2.8km circuit throughout the day and spectators could also watch the servicing of the highly tuned Rally machines. It made for some exciting on track action as the competitors tackled the tarmac course on gravel-spec tyres.

Complementing the two WRC super special stages,  was a whole day of exciting motorsport action that included drifting, freestyle motocross, speed comparisons, handicap saloon car races, WRC driving demonstrations, tyre changing competitions and driver autograph sessions. NZPC was there to take it all in and bring back hundreds of photos for you to check out.

Click on any image in the gallery below and scroll through using the arrow buttons.

The WRC Rally cars took a bite into their first taste of Kiwi tarmac in the official shakedown at Auckland’s Domain yesterday morning. It was a chance for competitors to test out their machines before the Rally kicks off today. The field will return to the Domain tonight (May 7) for a Super Special Stage with gates opening at 5pm and the first cars launching from 6:45.

We were at the shakedown to capture all the action and bring it to you. To check out the photos click on any image below and scroll through the gallery using the arrow buttons.

To find out more about this weekend’s WRC events click here to visit the Rally New Zealand website.

It was a huge day at the Nostalgia drag racing, held last weekend, with the event getting bigger and the cars getting faster. There was some close racing and a much wider variety of cars than ever before. Classic Car couldn’t resist heading along, taking in all the action and bringing back 200 photos for you to enjoy.

Well done Bay Rodders for putting on such a great event.

To check out all the photos from the days action, click on the link below.