Featuring an extensive show stand representing vehicles from the entire stable of Giltrap Group's premium brands, the cars were the stars as Ellerslie Car Show fans enjoyed warm autumn weather and a stroll around some of the finest machines on the road today.
Always a firm focus for visitors to the Ellerslie Car Show - still New Zealand's biggest enthusiast event and Concours competition - the Giltrap Group stand enjoyed plenty of patronage throughout a busy day. Included this year were exciting newer nameplates that have joined the stable of premium vehicles already represented on Kiwi roads by the Group, including the award-winning Polestar brand and Lotus, which is due to make an exciting return in the months ahead.
The theme for this year's event - delayed by the unfortunate arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle at the top of the North Island on the very weekend the show was originally scheduled for - was 'The World of Wheels'. This theme saw enthusiast car clubs from all over the country arrange their displays by country of manufacture. In addition, spectators had the opportunity to try international foodie treats from each region as they admired the best metal from the UK, France, Japan, the United States and beyond.
As always the Ellerslie Car Show also incorporated the Concours D'Elegance competition, showcasing some of the most pristine examples of 'like new' classic vehicles available in New Zealand. The 2023 event saw the introduction of a new '50/50/50' event too, designed to engage younger enthusiasts with more recent vehicles from the 1980s and 90s. The 25 judges are members of the Thoroughbred and Classic Car Owners Club, and many have been on the judging panel for over 30 years. Another new category for 2023 was the modified class.
Jaguar was a feature manufacturer at this year's event, as the iconic British marque celebrated 100 years. The Jaguar Drivers' Club had the run of a special larger area to showcase models from across the years, with owners proudly showing their pride and joy and picnicking on the green.
The host club for this year's running of the ever-popular show was the Porsche Club of New Zealand, with plenty of beautiful and rare machines from the German brand on show.
Despite the unforeseen delays, the 51st running of the Ellerslie Car Show proved a fantastic day out for all. Check out the extended gallery of images from the day below.
