A Tauranga-built car has been to the pinnacle of world hot rod competitions and driven away with two major prizes.
The 1933 Ford Cabriolet, built at Rods by Reid in Te Puna for Manila-based Kiwi Steve Payne, put New Zealand hot rods in the spotlight at the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) in California last weekend.
The big win for the cabriolet - called Speed 33 - came in the pre-1935 Altered Street Roadster category. Then the car picked up a second win for Outstanding Engine in a Hot Rod with its twin carburettor 8.6-litre Keith Black Hemi V8 catching the eye of the judges.
Considered the oldest hot rod show in the United States, the 63rd annual GNRS featured about 500 cars at the Pomona Fairplex.
Mr Payne had received a special invitation from the organisers after gaining a position in the winner's circle (top five cars) at the Good Guys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, California, in August last year.
"We got their attention," car builder John Reid said.
"We had never-ending comments from the Americans about the car and questions about New Zealand and hot-rodding down here."
Mr Reid said the second win for the engine was "a total surprise".
"I suppose a Keith Black alloy Hemi is unusual in a street car."
Apart from some Canadian cars, anything other than US-built cars were rare at the roadster show, he said.
"I honestly don't know if there's ever been an Australian-built car there."
The exotic cars were accompanied by a bevy of celebrities.
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Metallica's James Hetfield and Eric Clapton all had professionally built cars entered in the show.
Over three days, about 50,000 people attended the show.
Mr Reid said he went to Pomona satisfied with simply having a car invited to the show.
"To get a car into the show was a big achievement; to win a class is really special.
"We were so busy prepping the car and then looking around the show that it didn't really sink in till we jumped on the plane to come home.
"One of the amazing things is how modern communications has made the world a very small place. Within 10 minutes of the results being announced, my phone was melting and I've come home to hundreds of emails."
The success confirms the reputation of Rods by Reid as New Zealand's leading professional hot rod builder.
Owned by John and Janet Reid, the company's sole employee is 25-year-old metal fabricator Nakija Klaus who spent a week in California preparing the car ahead of Mr Reid's arrival.
The design of Speed 33 and its bodywork, chassis and suspension are the work of Rods by Reid while the "Black Plum" paintwork is by Tauranga's High Impact Auto Painters. The upholstery was completed in Auckland - the only aspect of the car not finished in Tauranga.
The car will return to New Zealand briefly for a few modifications and then Mr Payne will have the car sent to him in the Philippines.
"Now Steve is just itching to start driving it," Mr Reid said.