Napier Art Deco Vintage & Classic Car Tours
Vintage & Classic Car Tours Napier Art Deco
Napier’s Art Deco Vintage Car Tour is a great way to learn about Napier’s dramatic past and architecturally arty present, as well as a chance to luxuriate in the automotive splendours of yesteryear.
Climb into a vintage or classic car and see the Art Deco buildings of Napier, New Zealand on a private sightseeing tour. A novel and fun to be chauffeured around in a vintage car by an enthusiastic and well-informed local guide who is dressed in genuine 1930s clothing, from shoes to hat who does an awesome job of telling the fascinating story of Napier’s destruction in 1931 and its 7.8 earthquake and subsequent fire, and its reincarnation as the world’s most complete Art Deco city.
We can customise the tour to your interests with your driver-guide and learn about the history of this city. Drive along the coast, stop at a local winery for a tasting, and more over the course of your chosen tour.
Napier Vintage Car Tour (60 mins to 90 mins)
Price: From $170 per car (Private Tour upto three persons per car)
Tour Departs: 9:30am, 11:30am & 1:30pm
Duration: 60 to 90 minutes
Tour the world-famous Art Deco City in an authentic vintage car – by-standers wave and smile as you tootle past in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Choose the length of tour you prefer – 60, 75 or 90 minute tours are available – just select your chosen tour duration.
Longer tours allow more time to explore the city – the itinerary will be adjusted accordingly on the day by your driver/guide.
What’s included? Friendly local Driver/Guide
Napier Vintage Car Sightseeing Tour (2 or 3 hours)
Price: From $281.25 per car (Private Tour upto three persons per car)
Tour Departs: 9:30am & 1:30pm
Duration: 2 or 3 Hour Tour
Tour the world-famous Art Deco City in an authentic vintage car – by-standers wave and smile as you tootle past in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Choose either morning or afternoon departure then select the length of tour you prefer – 2 or 3 hour tours are available.
Longer tours allow more time to explore beyond the city limits into the beautiful countryside around Napier – there are many wineries in the area offering tastings (fees apply) and even a chocolate company within easy reach.
Our Vintage & Classic Cars in Napier
Ford Model A (1928) ‘Buttercup’
Buttercup was originally built in late 1928 for the Right-Hand Drive export market in Ford’s Canadian plant before being imported to New Zealand in CKD form. (CKD cars / bikes / vehicles are assembled in the target country where all the parts of the vehicles are assembled and then sold to the end customers).
At one stage, Buttercup was a flat-bed truck and was used around farms in New Zealand. Eventually she was broken up and her parts were scattered around various locations. Years later, it was decided to rebuild her and first there was the laborious job of locating all the scattered parts, restoring and reassembling them.
As you can see, Buttercup turned out beautifully and is now a sweet-running 2-door saloon licenced to carry up to four passengers. Buttercup’s rear seat width is 120cm/47 inches
Daimler Conquest (1954) ‘Queenie’
Now you can truly travel like royalty. Back in 1954, ‘Queenie’ was one of the official cars used for the Royal Tour of New Zealand – less than a year after the young Princess Elizabeth became Queen.
Onlookers will watch enviously as you regally waft by. They may not guess at the car’s royal history, but the registration plate ‘I HRH I’ is sure to turn a few heads! Let the chauffeur take the strain as you sink back, relax and enjoy the Daimler’s classic interior resplendent with quality leather seats and genuine walnut interior trim.
Chevrolet Independence (1931) “Millie”
Built in 1931 – the year of the Hawkes Bay Earthquake disaster – ‘Millie’ is the latest addition to the Napier Classic Cars fleet; she is perfectly in tune with Napier’s Art Deco vibe and is ideal for touring Napier’s world-famous Art Deco City & surrounds.
Millie was originally built at Chevrolet’s Lower Hutt plant near Wellington, New Zealand and was fully restored ‘from the ground up’ after her rediscovery in 2004. She is now in mint condition and is an absolute joy to drive and ride in.
What is the difference between a Classic Car and a Vintage Car
There is a lot of confusion on what exactly a classic car is, and what sets it apart from vintage and antique cars. We have heard the term “classic” used interchangeably when describing any old car that looks as if doesn’t belong on the roads with the modern daily drivers.
Usually, the classic car moniker applies to vehicles over 20 years old. Antique cars are over 45 years old, and vintage cars are built between 1919 and 1930. But as with many subjects in the motoring world, not everyone can agree on a single definition
