“The locals were very interested in the open day and came out in their droves,” said rally secretary Karen Thomas.
“It was a fantastic day yesterday and exceeded all our expectations.”
Normally the event attracts around 150 cars including some from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Covid put paid to the overseas visitors but New Zealand owners came out in force.
“There were 125 Model A Fords here, so we're pretty chuffed,” Mr Bartlett said.
The open day featured an “assembly challenge,” where teams competed to disassemble then reassemble a Model A, start it up and drive it in the shortest possible time.
The fastest time yesterday was 19 minutes and 28 seconds.
The reason for the car's popularity is not just because of its style — they are also incredibly robust and plentiful.
“There's enough of them still on the road that it's worthwhile for companies and individuals to manufacture parts for them. There's enough of a market to keep them going,” Mr Bartlett said.
The fact that they have lasted so many years is indicative of the fact that Henry Ford pretty much got it right with this car, he said.
The Model As were manufactured between 1927 and 1931. Over five million were made more than half a million are still motoring around the world.
About 5700 of the cars came to New Zealand and over 1000 are still in use here, Mr Bartlett said.
A lot of people who buy a Model A often end up owning several.
“Between my son and I, we've got six of them.”
Tony and his son Gavin are third and fourth generation Model A owners, after both of Mr Bartlett's grandfathers bought Model As in 1929 and in 1930 from Bignell & Holmes, the Ford dealers here in Gisborne.
“They've been in the family since new.”
His son Gavin has been interested and involved with the old Fords since he was about eight years old, helping restore a car, Mr Bartlett said.
By the time he was 18, Gavin had built his Model A flat-deck Pickup Ford and attended the ninth national rally in 2009.
With thousands on the market, Mr Bartlett says anyone can get into the game but it can now cost a pretty penny.
A fully refurbished and pristine vehicle can fetch as much as $50,000 and the days of scoring a $500 ‘runner' are gone, he said. “Mechanical-wise they're very simple and easy to maintain and operate.”
Today, out of town drivers are swapping the road for the water and tracks, taking a ride on the Wa165 Steam Locomotive and the historic MV Takitimu Tug Boat.
On Sunday is the farewell breakfast for all the entrants before they head off — albeit sedately — to their respective towns.
The organising team of the rally thank all the Gisborne residents for their support and hospitality.
