Don't miss the Paraparaumu pit stop

Driving into (or out of) Wellington and getting tired of playing eye spy with a car load of bored children? Or are you just a car nut who likes nothing more than drooling over some of the worlds rarest cars? Well next time you're driving along the Kapiti coast don't just grit your teeth and drive on in determination – do yourself a favour and take a pit stop at the Southward Museum!

It's just over the railway lines from State Highway 1 at Otaihanga (next stop past Waikanae heading south or Paraparaumu heading north) and has a mind boggling collection of cars, bikes, motorbikes and memorabilia. The collection includes New Zealands oldest car, an 1897 Benz, Marlene Dietrich's 1934 Cadillac, an original Indy Stutz (see above), bubble cars, electric cars, armoured cars, dragsters, a gullwing, an Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth creation, a Philippino 'Jeepney', and my favourite - an air cooled 30's Tatra V8 - what a beast!

That's the 1915 Stutz that Norwegian Gil Andersen won the Astor Cup with in 1915 above. He also claimed a 3rd at Indianapolis 1915 and a 2nd in 1919. The car was then imported to New Zealand and won the NZ Motor cup 3 years in a row with R.B. Wilson.