Tony Prebensen in the Holley. Models were made for only one year, in 1903. Photo / Paul Taylor
Tony Prebensen has always had a passion for old cars, especially after acquiring a Model A Ford as a youngster.
So, when he came across the parts of an engine for a Holley motorcar in a very sad state, he decided to buy them.
Prebensen, who lives in Puketapu, will be one of several veteran car enthusiasts taking part in an event weekend being held in Dannevirke on November 19 and 20.
Organised by Dannevirke members of the Central Hawke's Bay Vintage Car Club, there will be a rally on the Saturday, starting from York Street around 9.30am and heading along High St, Dannevirke to a mystery destination.
People in Dannevirke will have an opportunity to see the cars up close on the Sunday, with a public display in Hall Street from 9am.
Prebensen's Holley is something of a rarity, as he believed there were only five left in the world.
The firm that made them was the same one that now make Holley Carburetors.
"They made cars for one year in 1903. Obviously, they were more successful making carburetors than they were making cars."
How Prebensen came to own a Holley has a bit of tale of its own.
"When I was a kid, my father and I went to an estate clearing auction just down the road in Greenmeadows.
"I can remember standing there, and he looked at this gearbox, and the guy next to him said, 'Oh, I'm going to buy that and make a boat winch out of it'. And I can remember Dad turning to me and saying, 'No, he's not'."
The gearbox turned out to be an Upton, which also made cars.
For years, Prebensen kept the gearbox, and then came across the parts of the Holley in the Faraday Centre.
"I started researching Holley cars and discovered they had Upton gearboxes in them."
Everything lined up, he said.
"So, as much as anybody could ever tell, they came out of the same car in the first place."
While the cars were no longer being made, the firm had sold the bits off in a kit along with detailed plans, which allowed Prebensen to rebuild the car around the engine and the gearbox.
The Holley was considered a bit of a luxury car, designed for "showing off" rather than for any utilitarian purpose, Prebensen said.
"It can do about 40 kilometres an hour on a good day with a tail wind."
He said the car was made right at the dawn of motoring.
"It was made for wealthy people to buy for a garden party; show off the new toy they bought."
While collecting vintage cars can be a bit expensive for those who didn't have the skills or the resources, Prebensen has been able to do most of the work himself.
"It's only time. An inordinate amount of time goes into things. I've got the setup, so I can make whatever I need to make, but if you had to pay an engineering shop to make every little thing for you, it would be horrendous."
Unlike some collectors, Prebensen doesn't believe in letting his cars sit gathering dust.
"I tend to be a driver rather than a polisher. So, they get a bit worn around the edges, but that's just part of their character."
He said he'd driven "all over the place."
When he was teaching, he used to take the car into the school and let the students have a look or a drive.
"If you do that, you're going to chip a bit of paint around the edges.
"For some of [the kids] it might be the only opportunity they have to drive in some ancient piece of equipment.
"The Holley's good for that. It's a neat, fun little car."
Prebensen said half of the fun was sharing his passion for the cars with others.
"You get all over the country for events and meet all sorts of people. You've all got a common interest in geriatric automobiles."