The Highlands National Motorsport Museum is one of the development's highlights and is described by its curator as hosting the best selection of historic racing cars in one place in New Zealand.
With regularly changing exhibitions, this facility will attract many motorsport enthusiasts from New Zealand and overseas.
Be among the first to explore its motoring treasures when it opens over Easter weekend, as entry is included in the ticket price. Long-time motorsport journalist and former radio talkback host Allan Dick joined the Highlands team as start-up curator for the museum.
``It was in the late '50s that I developed a love for motorsport that has never gone away. And I'll be calling on those years of involvement and the people I have met to help with this very large job,'' Allan said.
He describes the museum as ``small but perfectly formed,'' and pays tribute to Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn for making it happen. ``That an expat Scotsman has done this for New Zealand motorsport is absolutely phenomenal,'' says Allan.
BAIRD TO SET LAP RECORD
In fact, one of Tony's cars will hold pride of place, his brutally beautiful, brand-new and ``very expensive'' . The only one in the southern hemisphere, it won't be sitting idle, as superfast Kiwi race driver Craig Baird will be setting the Highlands Motorsport Park lap record in it during the opening weekend.
An older McLaren in the form of a M8 Can Am car will also take pride of place. Arriving for display from the Bruce McLaren Trust in Auckland, it will be the first time it has been seen since its complete restoration. Another supercar in its day, 1967 Formula One world champion Denis Hulme's McLaren M23 F1 racer, is sure to attract a crowd. MUST-SEE RACING CARS Other must-sees are a PDL Mustang 2 _ legendary in the sports saloons era in the hands of Kiwi racer Leo Leonard; an ex-Paul Fahey FVA Escort that won the New Zealand Saloon Car Championship in 1982 and the Wellington Street Race-winning Texaco Silvia that was ``infamously disqualified'' on a minor technicality after it won Bathurst in 1987. The breadth of history the museum encapsulates is demonstrated by the oldest car, which is the 1906 Darracq.
It was the ``sole survivor of the first ever grand prix, in 1906 at Le Mans in France,'' says Allan. Its ``thunderous performance'' can be witnessed over the weekend as its owner and driver Anne Thomson demonstrates its 100mph (160kmh) capability on Highlands Motorsport Park's track. One of the museum's rarest cars would have to be an Austin Healey 100S, which is the only one in New Zealand. And the prize for the biggest racer goes to Southland racer Inky Tulloch's C112 Freightliner supertruck.
Apart from a display of significant motorsport vehicles, the museum will also be home to the National Motorsport Hall of Fame and there will be an extensive database of photographs, books and memorabilia.
MOTORSPORT TREASURES WELCOMED
Allan Dick would like to extend an invitation to the public to contact him about any motorsport treasures they have got tucked away, with a view to loaning or gifting that material to the museum.
``This is a very special place and the museum is going to play a vital role in honouring the very proud history of motorsport in New Zealand. We're looking for significant cars of course, but also photographs, movie films, videos or DVDs, books, trophies, driver's gloves, helmets and driving suits,'' he said.
To find out how you can help with this exciting project, please contact Allan Dick at allan@highlands.co.nz