After decades of labour – one of the rarest cars in the world, a recreated 1937 Bugatti Atlantic, has been remade and unveiled in Hawke’s Bay.
It’s all part of the Art Deco Festival which made vintage lovers flock to the region.
Napier’s streets were packed with dazzling vintage rides, people coming from across the country to get into the 1920’s swing at the Art Deco Capital.
It was all about trains, planes, and automobiles for the year’s festivities.
The first-time post Covid-19, train day trips have been on offer, some enthusiasts making a 9-hour trip from Wellington.
“Was great going through the countryside and seeing all the spectators,” one passenger said.
However, all eyes were on the vintage Bugatti, which was shown off during the weekend.
Classics Museum owner Tom Andrews said the car was the “pinnacle” for collectors.
“It’s one of the rarest cars in the world, four originally made, three left, the one that went missing which is the black car, the Bugatti family never sold, it’s the recreation of that, so to find all the parts and components to rebuild it was years and years of research,” said Andrews.
“The nuts and bults were made in France, the wooden frame was made in Germany.”
Andrews has over 200 cars in the Hamilton based car museum, the latest Bugatti was bought down by a closed trailer, to avoid the flying chips of the Napier-Taupo road.
The value of the Atlantic is “priceless” – Andrews keeping tight lipped on estimations, with his team’s up-to 18,000 hours’ work over seven years.
“The ‘nuts and bolts’ alone cost about $25,000.”
“We will never let the car leave New Zealand I’ve already been asked to take the car to Pebble Beach and also asked to take it to Paris car show, they’d fly it there in a plane and I said no, it’s not leaving home.”
1930s plane up for auction
In the skies, a 1930s de Havilland DH.84 dragon stole the spotlight. Used in World War II and one of the country’s first commercial planes, the heritage item is now up for sale.
Auckland based pilot Michael Bach said the plane was a unique piece of aviation history.
“It’s a very unique airplane, only four of them flying in the world so three others overseas and this one, something that is graced New Zealand skies for many years, so there is a real wish to keep such a lovely plan in New Zealand and be available for people to see for the future,” Bach said.
With two cruise ships docking over the weekend, international travellers were left impressed.
“We’re from Sydney Australia and we absolutely love it, we just think we’re in 1930s Napier, this could be the top of the trip,” one traveller told 1News.
