Bumping along the road in an open carriage veteran vehicle amid heavy rain can be quite unpleasant for even the heartiest of car enthusiasts.
But retired firefighters Tom Churchill and Lawson Baird appeared to be relatively comfortable in their sodden seats during the Dunedin to Brighton Veteran Vehicle Run yesterday.
The duo, with nearly 80 years' firefighting experience between them, drove a 1916 Dennis fire engine from the Octagon to Brighton Domain in driving rain that soaked them from the start.
"I used to be a fireman in Dunedin for 33 years, so I'm used to being wet,'' Mr Churchill said.
"It's not altogether unpleasant for me. You can only get so wet. Once you're wet, you're wet.''
He said the engine was privately owned and was on loan to the Dunedin Fire Brigade Restoration Society for the rally.
It served in Dunedin from 1916 to the 1930s and during its heyday could travel at more than 80kmh.
But Mr Churchill said those speeds were not recommended, mainly because the brakes were not the best.
"She's a bit bumpy to ride in. You've got to be careful in the wet when you're on slick tyres - they're hard rubber tyres so they don't go well in the wet.
"I would say if you were doing 50 miles per hour, it would be very unpleasant but it could do it.''
The fire engine was one of about 50 veteran vehicles, all more than 98 years old, in the 62nd Dunedin to Brighton Veteran Vehicle Run yesterday.
Rally convener Tony Devereux was delighted 50 vehicles participated this year.
Only about five pulled out, and that was because of break-downs rather than the weather, he said.
"Most of these people haven't been on this rally before. It's the oldest in the southern hemisphere for veteran cars. There's a bit of status about it and they would all like to be able to say we did that Brighton rally.
"So come hell or high water, they were always going to do it, but I think we're really pushing the limits today.
"I've been doing this for 20 years and I've never had one quite this bad. They are very brave - they're going to be really wet.''
The steady stream of veteran cars - including Cadillac V8s, a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, a Stoddard-Dayton, a De Dion-Bouton, a Darracq, a Delage, an Alldays & Onions, an FN automobile, a Napier & Son, a Sunbeam and Clement Bayard, and a locally-owned 1907 Sizaire et Naudin - passed through Rattray St, Serpentine Ave, Hawthorne Ave, Jubilee St, Stone St, Kaikorai Valley Rd, and then through Burnside, Green Island and Waldronville to Brighton.
