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Established in 1996, we are a group of passionate car enthusiasts who live and breathe American classic cars, and are based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Our mission in life is to provide an environment for other like minded car aficionados to savour and enjoy their American classics, without the rules and restrictions that seem to dog other areas of everyday lives. If you are an American classic car owner who feels the same as we do, we invite you to take a small journey through our site to see if this sounds like you. If you like what you see, and want to be involved, then click on the membership application words as follows to open an application form, complete and email this to the address on the form. ACCCA membership application. The only hard and fast condition of membership is that prospective members must own an American classic car that is pre-2000 model year of historical interest. |
UPCOMING ACCCA EVENTS
Sunday 15 March 2026: Rosebank Car Show & Swap Meet. Rosebank Speedway, Auckland. $5 entry per vehicle. Run details TBC. American Classic Car Club members are unable to provide classic vehicles for events such as weddings, birthdays, family outings etc, as they are not licensed to undertake these activities.
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►►►►► 02/03/2026
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Franklin Hop - 1 March 2026
This year’s Franklin Pa Hop (previously Waiau Pa Hop, not sure why they don’t call it the Clarks Beach Hop) was attended by the club after we skipped last year because of the high asking car admission price, but as it was back down to a more reasonable $10 per car we thought it was worth a look as it has been a good event previously and a perennial favorite for us due to the goldilocks aspect of the run being neither too long nor too short, and it’s a pleasant spot to spend a few hours, with plenty of food and entertainment. This year we didn’t bother with pre-registration and just paid the $10 at the gate, with some trepidation of that slowing things down at the gate.
It was quite a pleasant morning in the sun at the usual Beststart Childcare Karaka, with a rather small turnout of 6 classics for the short run, including a guest of Neil and Dave in her rare and original condition 55 Ford Crown Victoria Fairlane – hopefully they will join the club so we get to see them again! We were ably escorted by Ian F. from Beststart in his immaculately restored Chev just for the run out to Clarks Beach and back again as he was unable to stay. We departed at 8.30am and arrived more or less right on 9am, to find no queues at all at the gate! After parking at our usual spot on the grassy knoll in front of the yacht club and setting up the swooper flags, the fire department arrived and decided they would rather have that spot, so we mover further up the hill alongside the yacht club, which was a more elevated position for us anyway. Not long after that it turned a bit overcast and then light rain arrived mid-morning for about 40 minutes, then cleared to a fine and very hot afternoon. Liquid refreshment in the yacht club were called for! This year all the vendor stalls were well arranged in the large field below the yacht club in a much more user-friendly layout, with a central gazebo area for sitting down in front of the truck/bandstand with a great 5 piece band playing excellent covers. Overall I thought it was very well arranged and laid out with many interesting vendors and products and a plentiful variety of food vendors of good quality. This year I thought the number of cars present was quite a bit down, there was suggestion of it being about 150 odd, the weather forecast and several other car shows around Auckland and Hamilton probably kept the numbers down. Well worth going though for only $10 entry, looking forward to next year again. Phil Officer Karaka Historic House - Sun 15 Feb 2026
It was another beautiful morning at our meeting point at the Beststart Karaka with an unusual leisurely meet time at 12.15pm, and we had a good muster of cars with about 22 members eager to get under way. Although some weather forecasts said no rain, we did get a couple of bouts of passing showers. Our destination was club members Ian and Kevin’s historic house and gardens in Karaka. After some catch up chat and coffees, 12 cars left in convoy at 12.50pm lead by Rob in the fully lunch-loaded Grand Safari. With Alex meeting us at the venue after closing up at Meguiars Coffee & Cars that morning.
From there is was a quick 15 minute run to the other side of Karaka and before we knew it, we were being ushered by Ian through a gateway into a paddock next to the house. We parked on the grass area with plenty of room for our oversized cars, and from here we were led through the grounds surrounding the house to a beautiful spot in the structured gardens shaded by some magnificent mature trees. The club marquee was all set up along with tables and chairs, with the BBQ and food ready for cooking. Once we were all gathered, Ian gave a brief history of the homestead, starting with its removal from its original location in Curran Street, Herne Bay, to its present site on part of the family farm in Karaka. An interesting fact was that this 1860’s home was built from kauri timber that had been exported from New Zealand and ended up in Chicago - yes you read that right - where it was processed and returned here as a home kitset. The original build of that time had no running water or electricity and remained it that state for many years. Ian must have had incredible vision and foresight to undertake this challenging project, and it is plain to see his passion in describing details of its relocation and rebuild. After the introduction, Ian took us all in small groups on a fully conducted tour of the house explaining in detail what has been done and what will be done in the future. Ian and Kevin have tastefully decorated the house with period fittings and antique furniture. At this point it was time for a nice BBQ lunch, cooked up by committee members with salads also provided by committee partners and helpers. From my point of view, this was a great day out and made all the better by the great hospitality from Ian and Kevin, Holly, Paddington and Willow. Morrinsville Motorama - Sun 8 February 2026
Whilst Phil Officer was rallying the troops in Auckland, for our Club display at the Ellerslie Car Show & Concourse, Mark Johnson was rallying a second group of members to take us south, for a Club Display at the Morrinsville Motorama – the very same day.
Now, these duplex events in the one day do offer up some logistical challenges and arguably could have actually negatively impacted the attendance of both – although to be fair we were really only one car shy of our ‘quota’ at Ellerslie so I doubt that would have made much difference. Nevertheless, and despite a last-minute meeting point change, from BestStart Karaka to the more southerly Mercer Landing, about sixteen of us, in eight Classics headed South to Morrinsville behind the lead mercury of Mark & Maureen. Mark had plotted a very straight forward run south, via mostly expressway until the Gordonton turnoff. The pace of the lead car on the 110kph stretch of the Waikato Expressway may have been a little um.. hot.. for Derek and Miriams 40 Ford Flathead V8 pick’em up truck, which began to trail a plume of blue smoke over the following cars, so much so Rhonda rang ahead to the lead car to ask Mark J to slow down! No harm done, the old Ford made it there – and back – with little more than higher than ideal oil consumption! The weather was mostly overcast, but we did get some rain on an off all morning. This was more a nuisance than anything, but I do believe the overall numbers of cars in attendance was down on some previous years, so perhaps that was a determining factor. Fortunately, it fined up in spectacular fashion just in time for the Miss Motorama 2026 pageant that Rhonda had signed up for, so I spent a good 90 mins or more supporting her efforts. Apologies to our members, including new members Dave & Val Campbell, for leaving everyone to their own devices whilst I was otherwise preoccupied! Sadly, no sash for Rhonda that day, but on the bright side, she did get a ride in the old thirties Ford Fire Truck kindly provided by the Morrinsville fire brigade! And in my eyes, she’s always a winner anyway. It was great to see Dave & Catherine Parker out their gorgeous Buick – hopefully we will see a little more of them as Dave’s health moderates some. I am not sure they took away any silverware on the day either, but that wagon should have, if they didn’t! Great to also catch up briefly with past members Fred & Diana Vermeulen as well, over from their Waihi residence in Freds Falcon Panelvan. By the time Rhonda and I got back from the pageant, half of our members had already departed for elsewhere – mind you, the show grounds themselves had emptied out considerably too, well before the 2pm scheduled finish… something I struggle to comprehend really. I mean, 2pm is not late even if you have say, a two-hour drive home. And if you did have a two-hour drive just to get there – as some did – why not make the most of it? Oh well, each to their own, I guess. We were last of the ACCCA members to leave, after I had done a walk around the remaining display cars, chatting with folk and taking the occasional pic. And I must say, doing shows such as this one, outside of Auckland, is a great way to see some fantastic cars that you otherwise might not. There were some very cool rides there! So on our way home we dropped in to the Garden Grove Café at Woodlands Historic Estate, just out from Gordonton for a late lunch, and whilst enjoying my beer I began to fondly reminisce of our ‘Kick Start the Car Club’ massive luncheon we put on in the February after Covid restrictions were lifted once and for all. What an event that was! Ands what a place Woodlands is – an all-time favorite haunt of mine. It might be time we think about bringing the Club back down to Woodlands, such a special place deserves to be enjoyed by such special people as those of the ACCCA. Rob Milligan |
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