Car enthusiasts mingled with mountain bikers in Queenstown yesterday at Coronet Peak’s Car-nival.
The event, which kicked off several summer events at Coronet Peak, saw more than 30 classic, race and electric cars and motorbikes arrive at the base building before lunchtime.
In the mix were cars from different decades including a 1956 Chevrolet pickup, a 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS coupe, a 1974 Madza RX3, and a 1938 Ford Tudor.
Heads turned as Shirlie Pullar arrived in her 1923 Ford T-bucket — named Lucille — followed by her partner Dennis Deavoll in his 1950 Buick Straight 8.
Ms Pullar, who is a Queenstown local, bought her car about five years ago at Whangamata’s Beach Hop.
"I wanted something that was fun," she said.
"I said to her, ‘that’s the most impractical shopping trolley a girl would ever want’," Mr Deavoll said, but Ms Pullar disagreed.
Mr Deavoll’s Buick came from Lone Pine in California, and he spent 12 years restoring it.
"The car was made in 1942 and then the Second World War came along, so it was never finished — factory-wise.
"They went into producing stuff for the war and then after the war, they completed all the bodies and some of them came out with straight-8s and some with V8s."
Mr Deavoll had since replaced the straight-8 engine because it was not "peppy" enough.
"[I] got sick of being passed by little Japanese cars ... [so I] put in a 350 Chev."
A Queenstown car meet would not be complete without the resort’s resident pink lady, Mary Keith.
Stepping out of her hot pink hot rod, dressed entirely in pink, Ms Keith said she loved the colour "because it makes everybody smile".
"[The car] was made in America, all done out for a man’s wife," Ms Keith said.
"She had an affair so ... he sent the car out of the country.
"My son said, ‘Ma, you better have that’."
- Cass Marrett
