Chrome gleamed, motors growled and owners glowed with pride at a display of historic Ford motorcars in Masterton over the weekend.
The Horowhenua-Kapiti Zephyr Zodiac Consul Club hosted about 90 cars and their owners from around New Zealand on a Wairarapa tour that included a display on Saturday in Masterton's Horseshoe
car park.
The vehicles ranged in vintage from 1938 the oldest known working Zephyr in the country to the 1970s.
Decked out in traditional two-tone paint jobs or pimped with modern metallic hues, the cars were a popular attraction as passersby stopped for a trip down memory lane.
While many of the number plates were newly registered or personalised, it was pleasing to see what must be some of the earliest plates still on the road including a BK and a BY.
As the cars rolled up in procession at the Queen Street entrance, committee member Garry Tofts introduced some of the vehicles to the Wairarapa Times-Age.
First up were the Mark Is, clearly different in shape to any of the newer vehicles.
As one graunched gears at the tricky dip in the driveway, its owner chuckled self-consciously.
"Oops-a-daisy; it's only a Mark I."
A few of the Mark IIs scraped a tailpipe driving in, and Mr Tofts pointed out a distinctive yellow 1954 Mark II coupe utility.
"He's just built that from scratch; it was only a rust bucket when he got it."
"He" is Russell Frew of Picton, who modified the small ute with a V-8 motor, disk brakes all round, upgraded suspension and power steering, getting it registered on Thursday just in time to drive it up for the convention.
Bob Wilton, of Petrol Heaven in Carterton, was invited to participate and brought three vehicles along, including a ute, a convertible, and the only Zephyr stationwagon present.
Mr Wilton, too, was impressed with Mr Frew's 12-year labour of love.
"That's pretty cool, ay. Even a Holden owner would like that one."
Club members were to take in some of the sights of Wairarapa while in the region, including Paua World in Carterton and, and also planned a trek to the Tui brewery in Mangatainoka.
