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Club
Events
COMING EVENTS:
11 February 2012 - Intermarque Concours Run.
This year's Fun Run will be different from previous events. Instead
of all starting from Ellerslie race course for different destinations,
we're leaving from FIVE places and navigating our way to Vellenoweth
Green in St Heliers. Do register soon to avoid disappointment. Check
out the full details and register at http://www.concours.org.nz/funrun.html
12 February 2012 - Concours de Elegance.
Some 700 owners representing over 70 classic car clubs will gather
at Ellerslie Race Course to share their enthusiasm, promote their
clubs, and compete in friendly competition.
The highlight of this annual event is the Intermarque Concours d'Elegance
Award for the country's best classic vehicle restoration, with awards
also for club entries, themed club displays, and motorkhana competition.
The Club display theme this year is "Power of the marque"
reflecting the influences and perceptions of marques that have contributed
to motoring history. The Club is planning an awesome (and powerful)
display. The club will have a BBQ in their display area, and also
hope to have a Jazz Band playing, so do attend this wonderful event.
26 February 2012 - Galaxy
of Cars at Western Springs Stadium
This event is a fun picnic day to
help the New Lynn Lions Club to raise money for Supporting Young
People with Cystic Fibrosis. Our club marquee will be erected with
some tables and seating. Drinking water will be supplied and our
president (chief chef) will also have the barbeque fired up. A prize
will be there to win for the best presented car.
This year has been planned to have easier access. To make
this happen please ring the Club Captain; Jack Nazer 09 378-4580
allowing him sufficient time to post you an official Site Windscreen
Card. Entrance to the stadium is via Old Mill Rd (near the top of
the Bullock Track)
Entrance is free for car and driver. Passengers: Adult $12 &
Children (5 to 15 years) $5. Gates for show cars open at 8am and
close at 10am. Late arrivals won't be allowed in.
18 March 2012 – Summer-end Gymkhana
– Midland Club has been invited to participate. Contact David
Winn 09 238 7571.
24 March 2012 - 8 April 2012 : South Island Tour.
This event will be part of our 40th anniversary celebrations.
We will start in Auckland, traveling to Palmerston North to meet
more members before going to Wellington for a 2:00 pm ferry crossing.
Then on to Nelson and a rest day. The trip to Christchurch could
go via the Otira viaduct and takes two days. We believe that the
island should have stopped rocking by this time and we will take
a break from driving before moving onwards to Dunedin and all points
south via a scenic route. We intend to meet with every Mercedes
club in the South Island - so brace yourself for a fantastic southern
experience. More details will follow in future editions of the club
magazine and at this stage registration of interest is requested.
Just phone Gordon on 07 5720060 or email gordoncadman@kinect.co.nz.
April-May – National New Zealand - Tour
of North and South Islands.
15 April 2012 - Autumn Fish and Chip Run
to Raglan beach. 10 am start at BP, Drury. Last car away at 10.30
am. Being organised by Andrew Campbell. Jack has offered to mentor/assist
Andrew with preparing the run.
21 May 2012 - Rural Run - details to follow.
5 June 2012 - Club AGM
July 2012 Winter trip to Chateau Tongariro (Raupehu)
- dates to be confirmed
5 August 2012 Overnight trip up North.
Destination : Omapere Hokianga. Details will follow
For a full list of planned events please click
here (Excel file). This schedule will be updated regularly.
Past Events:
Sunday 4th December 2011 - Christmas Luncheon
The God of Rain does not drive a Mercedes, or the weather would
have been better for the club’s annual Christmas lunch. He
did not smile on us at all, but it did not dampen spirits, as we
were all determined to have a great time.
Thomas was thanking his lucky stars that there was a large front
porch, which he could stand under to keep dry, whilst collecting
the money for lunch.
Willy had brought out all the Christmas decorations to really set
the scene. The house looked lovely, and was large enough to accommodate
the over 45 people who attended.
Lunch arrived at about 1.30, but guests lingered a good while after
that. The last ones leaving just before 4pm, with a quick good-bye
and a dash to their car, as the rain did not stop for the whole
afternoon.
It was great to see some new faces amongst the group, and we hope
the new members will come to some more events.
Thank you to Willy and Hein for inviting us to share their house
for the day. They coped magnificently with conditions made difficult
by the weather, and having their kitchen taken over by the caterers
for the day.
We can all maybe look forward to enjoying that splendid deck another
time.
Marianne
Twin Coast Fun Run 16th October 2011
16 cars and 32 members and family participated in an exhilarating
and thoroughly enjoyable ramble through the Rodney Countryside that
ended with a delicious BBQ lunch at Frank and Lyn Parker's farm
in Takahiwai. The American Hot Rod's club members also came along
to show off their wonderful wheels and to admire the turnout of
club cars, and as a final touch Elvis also made a stunning appearance
and entertained us with his velvet vocals throughout lunch. It really
was a perfect day, with a very well organised run prepared by Greame
Boot. There were the usual four pages of route instructions and
questions, and Jack and Marilyn Nazer took the first prize for the
most correct answers. To see the photos click
here.
5th August 2011 Mid-Winter Dinner and Prize Giving
28 cheerful and relaxed members and family arrived at Thai Flame
in Botany, for an excellent and very filling Thai dinner. Bill Bray
had made sure every detail had been meticulously attended to, with
a perfect choice of entrees and mains, followed by a sinful dessert,
which everyone felt they should not have but of course every one
indulged in! The Club hosted wine for the table and paid corkage
on any BYO wine brought by attendees. The Club trophies were presented
by Garry Boyce and Ken Williams with their inimitable humour and
style. It was a wonderful and relaxing evening spent chatting and
catching up with members we see only occasionally. For a list of
trophy winners, click
here.
Annual General Meeting
The Club's AGM was held on 14th June 2011 and was very well attended.
Please click here
to read the President's Report.
Garage Raid
An exciting and enjoyable Garage Raid was held on 12 June 2011,
with approximately 20 attendees. To see some wonderful photos, click
here.
Our Picnic to Wenderholm
Sunday 17 April 2011: The morning welcomed us with bright
sunshine and the wet weather of the day before was soon forgotten
as Auckland club cars converged at the Henderson Westgate Shopping
Centre.
Although we were kept in suspense about the route from Henderson
to Wenderholm, our usual Die-Hard participants were present, enthusiastic
to come together and have a casual chat before taking a drive through
the country side. By 10.30 am, we all rolled out of Westgate on
our scenic drive to the Regional Park at Wenderholm.
Once again, Jack Nazer exceeded all expectations as his route guided
us along our country roads with breathtaking panoramic views, which
many of us would never have known existed. Answering a few puzzles
on monuments, letterboxes as well as some cryptic clues kept the
passengers busy as we headed on our way past the hot springs at
Waiwera and on to Wenderholm.
Our club barbecue was brought in by Hein Vankan, while David Winn
got us the most delicious sausages. Thomas Muller and David Winn
manned the barbecue to produce a marvelous picnic lunch for all
those who sat around together and enjoyed the garden like surroundings.
I counted a total of 10 Auckland club cars at the Regional Park
while Barry Bollington was busy with his camera capturing the impressive
lineup of our cars as Rod polished his beautiful E320.
Children enjoyed the company of their parents as well as grand
parents as they played around the trees while Persees, Baji and
Thomas strolled off for a 30 minute walk along the beach after the
satisfying lunch.
A truly enjoyable day for all those who attended and I am sure
we would all love to do it again with a larger group in the near
future. So come on guys... Keep an eye out for our events in the
club magazine and on the website and we hope to see you all in larger
numbers as we meet and greet each other, time and again on these
casual events.
Baji Antia.
The Galaxy of Cars
6th February 2011: The club once again participated in the annual
Lions Club fund raising event: The Galaxy of Cars. It looks like
this event is gaining popularity with each passing year and the
Merc display surpassed last year's record turn-out with 38 cars
displayed this year. The Club hosted a barbecue at its marquee,
very ably managed by Bill Bray as head chef and ably assisted by
President, David Winn and his grandson, William. It was wonderful
seeing so many members turn up to support the event and take the
opportunity to exchange notes and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow
members. The winner of the Show and Shine competition was a 1953
170DS immaculately presented by new member Harindra Pilapitiya.
To the photos taken on the day, click here.
Grass Gymkhana
Auckland Club President once again hosted a thrilling and most enjoyable
Grass Gymkhana at his paddocks in Pukekohe on 21st November 2010.
An impressive array of Mercs turned up for the event even though
it was a wet blustery day. After several laps of spinning wheels
on the wet grass, members were ready to tuck into the scrumptious
BBQ lunch hosted by David and Kath. For a look at the photos taken
on the day, click here.
Mystery Run
A thrilling Mystery Run on 19th September 2010 was arranged by Ken
Williams and Brian Hood. Click
here for results and photos.
Annual Prize Giving Dinner
It all started as a cold and wet winter's evening on Friday the13th
of August, as the Mercedes Club members drove to the Portside Bar
at Auckland's viaduct harbour to meet and be greeted for their annual
Prize Giving Dinner. It was warm around the fire-place where the
attendees mingled and chatted with friends, familiar faces nodded
their greetings across a elegently crowded room and soon it was
a relaxing evening.
Guests later moved into the dining area where seating was comfortable
and conversations continued over wine and dinner as the annual awards
were announced by Ken Williams, while the trophies were handed out
by Garry Boyce to rounds of applause from the appreciative audience.
The complimentary wine went down well with the chef's cuisine and
over-all it was a very dignified and enjoyable event which progressed
into a very pleasent evening.
For a list of the trophy winners, click
here.
The Annual General Meeting
Of the Mercedes Benz Club Auckland was held on 22 June 2010 and
was well attended. To read the President’s Report, please click
here.
The Mid Winter Garage Raid held on Sunday 20 June 2010
Lifestyle blocks, big barns and old cars. It does not get any better
than this. A few lucky cars do not get terminated but live on in
Franklin County. 31 adventurous members sallied forth to investigate.
Starting point [after coffee] was the Rex Benn's emporium. Rex bought
a 1929 Austin 7 for 50 pounds in 1962 and still has it 2200 miles
latter. And he has all sorts of other stuff, including MGs, a very
cute Model T Ford [twist his arm and he will sell it], bicycles,
outboard motors, toys, a pair [brace? Set?] of whale bone corsets,
a 1952 English Heala Ray, that treats pimples, nerves, constipation,
asthma, varicous veins, perfidity etc scientifically, and much more.
A scenic drive on and we were at the Barry Philips [mini racer of
the 60s and 70s and trucker] collection. Saw only one mini, a moke,
many trucks, utes, Jags, a very impressive lineup of bowsers and
signage. Be very careful you don't get the museum bug Barry, Franklin
is not big enough for two Heala Rays! Next stop was at Gary Langstones,
whose wife bakes a very nice muffin. An eclectic collection of cars.
A1936 Climax powered 4 wheeler Morgan raced at Nürnberg and
Monte Carlo, a 1930 aluminium bodied Rolls Royce by Hooper [a barn
find] a 3773cc 1913 Overland, holder of the NZ speed record at 73
mph, a very sweet little Rover 9 1925 [Gary found the original numbered
oil can and horn on trade me after buying the car!] a 1949 Mk 6
4 ¼L Bentley, [another barn find]. An Alvis Grey Lady, a
1930 straight 8 Studebaker and is currently working on a Model A
Ford Phaethon [possibly his favourite, you can buy everything for
it] and a 105 year old Unic with original paint and leather upholstery!
We then popped next door to Wim LeRoys. Wim has a thing about Lancias.
He cornered the Fulvia market in Western Europe and now he and his
son is doing the same here. He is doing Zagartos too and has a very
rare aluminium bodied 2 ½ L coupe stripped down in his shed.
Just for fun he has a 4 wheel farm bike renovation underway. Every
year I have thought we must have exhausted the supply of fascinating
garages, but now I realise we never will, as long as we have garaging
we will have interesting stuff in it. Long live the motorcar! Graeme
Collie.
To see pictures click here.
18th April 2010 Grass Gymkhana
Take a glorious autumn day, a large flat pasture and a good representation
of beautiful Mercedes from across the decades, throw in a handful
of enthusiastic Club members, stir well together with plenty of
dust and you have the quintessential Grass Gymkhana. Thirteen Mercedes
Benz rolled into David Winn’s neat and tidy paddock and twenty
enthusiastic members tumbled out keen to get their instructions
and run the gauntlet of orange cones and marker sticks. Our treasurer
Brian Hood and his lovely Lyn had planned some interesting courses
for us, assisted by Graeme Collie, David Wynn and Andrew Campbell
. The courses tested both man and machine and rewarded those who
put their faith in ABS and power-steering. Thirteen Mercedes Benz,
20 attendees, 16 competitors, put their faith in their Mercs, pedals
to the metal and spun the wheel. And the winners were:
- 1st Brian Hood
- 2nd Andrew Campbell
- 3rd Ian Fletcher
- 4th David Wynn
- 5th Rod Klarwill
- 6th Lyn Hood
To see pictures of this fun filled day, click
here.
Club night - 16 March 2010
A Club Night was held at Garry Boyce's garage on 16 March 2010.
Two exceptional classic cars were displayed and presented. See
pictures here.
14th February 2010 - the Intermarque Concours D Elegance
at Ellerslie
This year’s date of the annual Concourse d’Elegance happened
to be Valentine’s Day, the dream date for any flower merchant
or flower retailer but possibly a compromise to any car enthusiast
struggling with his priorities – “should I stay (home)
or should I go….”
The weather was very uncooperative with high humidity, low clouds
and several bursts of rain, so not in favour of cars which were
honed and buffed to perfection for this day! However this did improve
as the day went on.
Our club’s display was simple yet stylish – 5 classic
190SLs in a semi-circular display decorated with a red bow and roses
matching the theme “A Valentines Gift”, which is so appropriate
for the day.
We are proud of having achieved a record first for presenting 5
classic 190SLs in one place at once, out of a total of 9 190SLs
in the club, and the club would like to thank the owners for making
the effort to achieve this result!!
The display would have looked even more astonishing with the hard-
and soft-tops down had the weather been more cooperative. The Marque
tent was a welcome shelter to socialize with lots of visitors whether
they were proud Mercedes-Benz cars owners or potential owners of
classic cars and interested in our club’s activities.
I think it is awesome that our club manages to present every year
to the public a different display with a different variety of Mercedes-Benz’s
motor cars.
To see the wonderful little cars all dressed up and looking very
pretty indeed, click here.
More past events »
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