That was only helped by the dress sense of drivers and passengers, who were paying homage to the classic New Zealand film 'Goodbye Pork Pie'.
As in the movie, the Minis were travelling from Kaitaia to Invercargill, but rather than being on the run from the police, the teams were on a fundraising drive to raise money for Starship Hospital in Auckland.
Talk in the Octagon yesterday was of old-time driving, with blown engines, overheating cars that drivers were nursing south with heaters on and windows open to cool engines, dodgy carburettors and bad fuel.
Event organiser Rod Harris said the fundraising, which had reached about $128,000, would go towards specialised paediatric transport stretchers used on Starship's Air Ambulance Service.
The stretchers, which cost $35,500 each, were used when critically ill or injured children around the country needed to be urgently transported to Starship.
The rally is the second to be held, with a 2009 run raising more than $100,000.
