Three decades strong at Hawke's Bay Show

Bay Ford dealer principal Stephen Salkeld will be showing off the latest cars at the Hawkes Bay Show for his 31st year in the a row. Photo/Warren Buckland.

After three decades of selling cars at the Hawke's Bay A&P Show, Stephen Salkeld still looks forward to the annual event and will be ticking off his 31st show this year.

Much has changed for the Bay Ford dealer principal over the years, who worked his first show as a 22-year-old salesman in 1987.

"Back in those days the show was very social. I can remember families who would come and have their [car] boots full of picnics; a few wines and beers.

"It was a real event. Mum and dad would turn up with their collar and tie on, tweed jacket. I can remember selling cars and these customers would come in specifically to the show to come buy a car."

Mr Salkeld said while the show was less social nowadays, it was still a great chance to bring all sorts of folk together.

"The show is a really unique, New Zealand thing. Every provincial town has a show and they're just a really good opportunity for the country folk to come in and mingle with the town folk. It's just a lovely connection."

The father-of-two has been at the show with Ford for 27 years, having previously worked three with Baillie Farmers Motors, and said his favourite part of the show was catching up with people.

"Nowadays I like catching up with people I haven't seen. I enjoy people walking past, someone you haven't seen for five or 10 years, mates, old customers and new customers. It's really nice and just a good catch up.

"It's an opportunity for us to have 40,000 of our clients walk past our stand at the show. These are people we don't see everyday, we see them at the show or every three or four years when they change their vehicles."

The salesman said fewer show goers bought cars at the show nowadays but, because Hastings was a primary industry-driven community, it was important to exhibit their wares as farmers and horticulturalists were customers.

"You're connecting with your customers, waving with your flag, promoting your products and having a good time doing it. We still sell cars at the show but it's not as prolific as it was."

Mr Salkeld said one of his favourite memories of his years at the show was a party the car exhibitors threw together at the end of a show.

"Early on they had the car dealerships corralled together at one end of the show. We got a band in on the Thursday night after the show locked up and we had a booze up. It was just wonderful, everyone was a bit crook the next day."

Now on the executive committee of the A&P Society, Mr Salkeld said he brought a unique perspective and set of experiences to the table as the 'salesman' of the board.