The Nelson Motor Show has been given a Rotary engine to propel it into its next chapter.
After four years, organiser Steve Steele offered the event to a like-minded party to help take it to the next level via an article in the Nelson Weekly in June.
The show attracts thousands to Tahunanui Beach each year to check out classic and vintage cars, hotrods and even aircraft.
Steve helped start the Motor Show four years ago and since then it has grown into a major event on the car calendar.
But he didn’t have the time to give the event all it needed, so offered it up to the public and got more than 20 replies. However, the only one that stuck was Nelson West Rotary club.
“They are just a great organisation and we had worked with them before, so it will work really well,” he says.
Club president Shelz Fleming says Rotary already did things manning the entrances and doing collections, so it seemed like a logical decision.
She says that the club prides itself on being able to give out as much money as possible to as many community projects as possible. “The show is great exposure for that.”
Steve says he will stay on and help run the event but he won’t have to manage every aspect of it. He says there will be a return of a few show favourites like the “drag race”, a lawnmower race and the chance to win the privilege of leading a 250 car convoy.
“It’s going to be a great show.”
The Nelson Motor Show runs from February 9-11 at Tahunanui. More information can be found on their Facebook page.
