A drive-by tonight involving many of the vintage and classic cars here for the international rally will be the visitors' way of saying thanks to Wanganui city.
The organisers of the 2012 International Vintage Car Club Rally decided on the weekend that sending the cars out to as many residential streets as possible was a suitable way of thanking the city and its people for the way they have embraced the event.
Bruce Hutton, the VCC Rally director, said the organisers and entrants had been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of Wanganui "so we decided to have a 'thank you' to the city".
Mr Hutton said tonight was the only night available in what has been a very tight 10-day rally programme.
The drive-by would involve as many of the 700 cars in the rally as can be mustered on three different routes, to take in as much of the city's residential areas as possible.
"We'd encourage Wanganui folk to get friends and family around to their front yards to watch the cars go past," he said.
All the routes would start and finish at Springvale Park with one heading to Wanganui East, another through to Aramoho and back, and the other out to Castlecliff and back.
Mr Hutton said the sad thing was that this would probably be the last time Wanganui would see a rally of this duration. "That's because it's costing more to run, some of the vehicles aren't cheap to run and on top of that we've got an ageing number of people taking part," he said.
In the coming months, there would be decisions made on what changes would have to be made for the next rally.
Mr Hutton said the VCC rally had delivered Wanganui an opportunity to see a future of heritage-themed events.
"When we leave, we're not coming back again but a large number of us will if there's something to come back for.
"I've said all along that if they look at Anniversary Weekend next year and a programme was out early so people could see what was planned, then you'll see a large number of people coming back."
He said this rally should not be "a nine-day wonder".
"It has to be here to stay but throwing money at it is not the answer. Wanganui has to come up with innovative ways of actually promoting things like the Caboodle.
"The district council doesn't have to do everything. It may have given this rally $100,000, and without that we would not have been here. But there has to be something come out of what's happened here in future.
"We've come here and shown what can be done so now it's up to the city and people of Wanganui to build on this opportunity," Mr Hutton said.
Meanwhile Whanganui Police Senior Sergeant Lance Kennedy said they were very happy with the way the event had
Vintage
cars say
'thanks'
been run.
"It has really looked after itself thanks to the organisers. Communication between police and the organisers has also been very good," Mr Kennedy said.
"We've been happy with Wanganui driver behaviour throughout the time the cars were here and we'd encourage drivers to keep up the more tolerant approach on a permanent basis to sharing the road that we have seen during the week," he said.
Mr Kennedy said with the rally cars taking part in tonight's city-wide drive there was a need for people to continue the safe approach while on the road between 6pm-8pm, as well as at roadsides when cars travel past in procession.
"Keeping a watch out for children should obviously be a priority.
"We've received next to no complaints from the public about the vintage cars and from our perspective, the organisers have done a great job running the event," he said.
See Page 7 for route maps for tonight's 'thank you' drive around Wanganui