Local Focus: Crossroads for Rotorua Motors

Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club chairman David Tomlinson is working hard to ensure a future for historic cars.

"We've got to find somewhere to move our cars on to so another generation looks after them and keeps them going."

Tomlinson is particularly concerned that new mechanical apprentices aren't being taught how to maintain older vehicles.

"People who are going to polytech to learn how to fix cars are being taught how to fix modern cars. Really we need more people to be trained to fix old cars."

But Academic Leader of Mechanics at Toi Ohomai, Joe Nathan is certain the future is in safe hands.

"Traditional mechanics will still be here," he said.

"It's only the engine that's electric. The rest of it is still a car."

Both men have their own future predictions. For Nathan, it is geared to new technology, specifically hydrogen engines.

"It's the next thing that everyone's putting technology into. Probably even more than EV at the moment."

But for Tomlinson the future still lies in the past. He predicts that Japanese cars will be the next vintage craze.

"They've been so spurned and looked down on by car aficionados over the years, I think we're coming up to that age where Japanese cars are going to be more and more popular."