The rumble of 420 classic cars and hotrods filled the air around Mastertonon Friday as Cruise Martinborough came to town for their annual gathering in The Farriers Bar & Eatery carpark.
The weather played its part to get convertibles in their intended natural state, with the roofs down, and made for dry conditions with the hardy taking their wheels for a drag run at Masterton Motorplex.
Participants came from as far afield as Bluff and Northland for the event, which continued over the weekend with show and shine in Martinborough Square, on Saturday, and a brunch gathering at the Copthorne yesterday.
For the first time, a Miss Cruise Martinborough pinup and rockabilly dress competition was judged on Friday.
A huge range of cars is involved.
Willy Pelzer, from Wanganui, imported his 1948 Chevrolet cabover truck from California, for the remains of it, 10 years ago.
“It was just a rusty old cab . . . it took five years to get it finished,” he said.
Pelzer has incorporated the chassis of a 1980s fire truck, and moved the engine back, allowing him to lower the cab, making it one of the more unusual vehicles in the Cruise field.
But it started life as a common workhorse.
“It was one of the big trucks of the 1940s.”
Other vehicles in the event arrived with their new owners with a little less work.
Paul Ransom got his 1937 Ford customrod coup, based on a Ford coup, as a Christmas present.
He wasn’t keen to make the drive from Rotorua due to roadworks and the likelihood of loose stones damaging the all-chrome underside of the car – “but I’ll definitely be going for a drag”.
Robyn and Mark Wilkin’s 1935 Ford Rambler, meanwhile, remains all original, with the engine and body numbers matching what came out of the factory.
They say it remains “a pretty good ride”.
