Journey of a ‘museum’

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 19

Journey of a ‘museum’

On Sunday, March 24, 1985, a marvellous mix of motors and motorists assembled in Invercargill. Their destination — Whangarei.

As a whole, the assembly bore the rather cumbersome title of “Vintage Car Club of New Zealand and Commemorative Tour.” In practical terms it was "The Tour of The Century” and to those who took part, it became the trip of a lifetime. At first glance, it seems a bit strange that this should take place in an isolated country whose first cars did not arrive until 1898. Yet today New Zealand has the biggest concentration of vintage and veteran cars, per capita, in the world — to say nothing of the thousands

of enthusiasts who have preserved them. It also has traffic laws that do not discriminate against the “beauties” of another age. If you have the standard registration papers, you can crank up a vehicle of any year or marque and cruise along the road, highway, or motorway of your choice. “Milestones,” the Tuesday documentary on Two at 8.30 p.m., is a record of just how that “living museum” went by — not just the cars themselves but the people, a very special breed, who not only know how to drive vehicles with certain idiosyncratic tendencies, but are able to keep them driving, and get a very special thrill out of doing so.