Members celebrated 50 years of the Far North Vintage Classic Car Club with a display of vintage cars and memories.
Members celebrated 50 years of the Far North Vintage Classic Car Club with a display of vintage cars and memories.
Far North Vintage and Classic Car Club members marked 50 years of camaraderie, classic cars and motoring memories in a celebration that brought together the club’s earliest pioneers and latest recruits.
With the shared love of classic motoring current members and invited guests, who were previously connected to the branch,gathered at the clubrooms with a great display of old vehicles.
It all started earlier in 1962 when Vic McCready and his mates formed the 15th Branch of the New Zealand Vintage Car Club based in Kaikohe and covering Whangārei.
In 1964 Whangārei membership had grown enough to justify forming their own branch, followed in 1967 by the closure of the Kaikohe branch.
In 1972 Far North residents Gordon, Winston and Peter Matthews joined the Whangārei Branch. They regularly met in club members’ homes, supported by their womenfolk, and the numbers grew until in November 1975 this little band from Kawakawa and further north became a sub-branch of the Whangārei club, continuing to meet in one another’s homes until a shed on a California Hill property became the base, followed by the purchasing of a shed from Kaitāia Tractors in 1981, which was located on Gordon Matthews’ farm at Aurere.
An old classroom was offered in 1984 with the proviso it had to be taken smartly, so it was dismantled, transported and reassembled at the current site as the club “shed”. By 1987 after many working bees, it became the clubrooms, with power and basic cooking facilities. Over the years the kitchen was upgraded, ablution facilities were added and a well-stocked parts shed and library established, making a substantial base from which many activities were organised.
It was the base for monthly meetings, road rallies, restoration sessions, social functions and a home for vintage enthusiasts, with membership growing to about 100.
Long-standing member Dave Duirs said the club grew from small beginnings, even being involved with the 1977 reenactment of the 1917 parliamentary tour.
In more recent times the club has run a very successful car show, the Autospectacular, which continues to be a major fundraiser for the club.
Duirs said the 50th anniversary celebrations were a hit.
A special 50th cake was cut by founding members Winston and Peter Matthews.
“A small group did the planning with huge energy and enthusiasm and a larger group joined the working bees to prepare the clubrooms. Windows were cleaned, the deck restained, the parts shed tidied up, old pictures coordinated for a continuous slide show, the flagpole restored and given a 50th flag.”
“The tables were set with white linen freshly ironed at the club and a gold runner and real flowers added a professional touch. Balloons were blown up by three old fellows with some difficulty (yes we had a pump) and a display of old newsletters showed how production technology has advanced from photocopying to digital. To top it off, a beautiful 50th cake looked too good to eat.”
He added that there was a hive of activity on the day, which included the annual prizegiving, “with perhaps the highlight being the presentation of the Clubman of the Year to Margaret Ilton for her outstanding energy and sense of duty in doing so much, particularly for the celebration”.
Guests arrived from all over the land, including as far south as Rangiora, sharing memories and catching up before founding members Winston and Peter Matthews cut the celebratory cake.
“Like many clubs we are in the situation where participating membership is an issue. But in the last few years we have been fortunate to gain a good number of, dare I say younger, but very positive and active folk who contributed hugely to our celebration but also participate with the general running of the club and its activities. Hopefully we have many more years of historic motoring and camaraderie.”
