Welcome to Auckland’s original ‘Municipal Destructor’. Everyone, like me, know it as Victoria Park Market – a super popular open air market through the 80's to 2000's – a great place to buy your crystals and tie-dies etc! I've always known that it was originally the city rubbish dump – when the city was waaaay smaller). There is more to the story, of course. It was originally created in reaction to a bubonic plague scare in Sydney. For sanitary reasons it was built to burn Auckland’s rubbish and waste while using the heat generated to provide electricity to power the city. Sounds pretty clever eh, and I guess we were plague free. However, we must have been breathing some seriously toxic smoke fumes! That 38 metre tall chimney must have helped a little but don't forget all the horse manure and night carts, they were definitely smellier times. The municipal destructor is now a gentrified place that's home to restaurants and businesses, like the superb Milenta restau...
 |
| The mighty MG 1100 |
It's true. I have a big problem with the Brit & Euro classic car show at Lloyd Elsmore Park on the 2nd of March, 2025.
My problem is that, for the sketcher anyway, particularly one who enjoys drawing classic cars, is that there are so many incredible, sketchable cars on display that a day is nowhere enough time!
I can get 3, 4 or maybe 5 sketches done on the day (sketching flat-out and adding finishing touches at home) but ideally a few days would be better. A chance to look around a bit first would be great, it would give me some time to scope out some 'must-draws' and I'd have more time to chat with the owners and get to know the stories behind the cars and the families that have owned them over the years.
But seriously I'm just having a laugh. I have no problem with the show, whatsoever – it's a fantastic day out. It is true, there is a bit of panic initially about what to draw, but I got stuck in and soon forgot about that. This year I got a great mix of the exotic and the mundane in my sketchbook.
 |
| A super cute Ghia Ziba Fiat 500 ute! |
First stop was a superb Austin Healy Sprite – with Ashley hard top. These fastback hard tops (sometimes combined with aero noses) changed the profile of the Sprites dramatically. I've been a fan of them since seeing old photos of Stirling Moss and Bruce McLaren racing at Sebring Speed Week as a kid.
Next up was the Fiat Bambina stand, complete with an Italian tri-colour display and this wild Ghia Ziba ute complete with sunroof. I'd like to think the hoards of people stopping by where doing so to look at my sketch but the ute is so unique it was drawing a big crowd.
 |
| Austin Healey Sprite with Ashley hardtop |
Next up an exotic pair of glistening Lancia Aurelias. Equally beautiful in dark blue and black with their chrome trim dazzling in the bright sunlight. Pretty neat to see 2 of these ground breaking machines in Auckland...
 |
| Exotic Lancias |
...and finally, the mundane I mentioned earlier, an MG 1100. Although maybe I have a problem with the mundane tag? We used to see thousands of these so called 'land crabs' blatting around New Zealand, they eventually became rusty and smokey 'land crabs' as their years ticked by. But maybe these ground breaking, Pininfarina and Alec Issigonis designed, hydrolastic suspensioned beasts might start to be seen in a different light someday?
Comments