Hotrod Show attracts interested crowd

These T-buckets stole the show.

Once again the Dannevirke Services and Citizens Club hosted its Spring Hotrod show and around 80 vehicles were on display from all over the southern North Island.

This was the sixth show in seven years organised by Michael (Scrimmy) Scrimshaw who said in the post-Covid-era he did not know what to expect. He "advertised in a couple of hot rod magazines, emailed a few clubs and social media did the rest", he said.

A real variety of rare models crowded the carpark.

Numbers were down on last year possibly because the weather in the Manawatu was not as good as Dannevirke's but still the Tararua Rodders from Levin were there and, belatedly, others arrived - held up by roadworks.

Although it is touted as a hotrod show there were many very different styles of vehicle ranging from The Beast - a 2019 Chevrolet Comaro - to Lunatc, a 1937 Chevrolet Sedan.

There were lots of American cars from the days of cheap fuel and plentiful metal in the 1970s but also American cars of the 21st century: Chevrolets and Dodges with plentiful power and attitude.

The Dannevirke Services and Citizens Club did a huge trade in lunches through the kitchen and the barbeque out at the back. A number of women went shopping in High Street or dropped into the art, floral art, handcraft and quilt exhibitions while men compared vehicles and discussed the possible results of the election and the All Black v Wallaby test. A goodly number stayed in motels and frequented local restaurants.

Club manager Peter Shaw said the weekend was great for the club with the hotrodders starting the ball rolling, the finals of the darts and election broadcasts making the evening "very noisy".

The Country and Western club attracted its usual loyal supporters on Sunday afternoon to be followed by the rugby on the big screen drawing in an even bigger and eventually happy crowd.