Photos: A tour through Packard Motor Museum in Northland

The Packard Motor Museum at Maungatapere is so much more than just Packards. Photo / Tania Whyte

People whizzing along State Highway 14 may not realise that an impressive retelling of the Industrial Revolution sits within the Packard Motor Museum in Maungatapere.

Museum founder, the late Graeme Craw, spent 60 years indulging his fascination with the development of the motorcar in the 20th century by collecting more than 50 Packard cars, 65 classic motorcycles, English cars, trucks, army vehicles, fire engines, machinery and more.

The vast collection is housed in the “Old Dairy Factory” and offers museum-goers a hands-on opportunity to explore how technology has advanced.

Advocate photographer Tania Whyte takes a tour through time at the museum.

Part of the fire pump truck exhibition is a 1924 Chevrolet.

Martin Allen is fascinated with a 1904 Peugeot racing motorcycle.

The oldest car in the collection is a 1906 Humber.

Some of the Packards and Studebakers on show.

The world's largest potato masher collection, as stated in a French guidebook.

Image 1 of 6: Early typewriters are also on show. This Underwood shows how far they have come.

The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Entry is $20 for adults and $10 for children.