Napier Porsche parade to be led by ex-Formula 1 star for club’s 50th anniversary

The Porsche Club of NZ president Ash Powell next to a rare Carrera 356 at the Napier War Memorial. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine

A Porsche parade will roll through Napier on Saturday led by ex-Formula 1 star Mark Webber.

The Porsche Club of New Zealand is holding its 50th anniversary celebration in Napier over four days concluding this weekend.

The feature event is a public parade involving about 130 Porsches driving from Perfume Point to the Soundshell (via Hardinge Rd and Marine Parade) starting at 9.30am on Saturday.

Webber will lead the procession in a rare Porsche Carrera GT valued around $2 million.

A public event will then be held at the Soundshell, from 10.30am to 1.30pm, where people can get up close to the eye-catching vehicles.

Australian motorsport legend Webber is a Porsche ambassador and will be on hand for that event and will also rub shoulders with club members during the anniversary weekend.

The Porsche Club of New Zealand president Ash Powell, who drives a Porsche 911 Turbo S, said it would be a fantastic few days.

“There are all sorts of models here right through to the early 356s, we have the Carrera GT supercar, and we also have some spectacular race cars down at the War Memorial.”

Mark Webber (left) in New Zealand in 2012. Photo / Colin Smith

Powell said Napier was a good fit for the anniversary celebration, boasting good accommodation and facilities.

“We are holding the bulk of our evening functions in the War Memorial Centre, which is right along the beach,” Powell said.

“So the facilities worked out for us and it is a gorgeous place.”

The club boasts almost 1000 members nationwide and about 250 people associated with the club will attend the anniversary.

Webber will be accompanied by Hawke’s Bay’s Ollie Eldar, 11, in the Porsche Carrera GT during the parade - as part of a partnership with Make-A-Wish.

Ollie lives with cystic fibrosis and is looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Motorsport is enjoying a rise in popularity in New Zealand particularly with the rise of F1 driver Liam Lawson, and plenty of people are expected to get along to the parade to see Webber and the cars.

Powell said other big-name Kiwi drivers were also lifting the profile of motorsport, including with Porsche, such as Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley who have both won Le Mans.

He said it was a big milestone for the club to have reached 50 years.

“Our focus has always remained on fostering camaraderie among enthusiasts and celebrating the engineering excellence that defines Porsche.”

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.