Expected in town about about midday on February 7, they are part of a national MG sports cars rally which will travel the lower South Island for a week. Entrants are coming from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and the central and southern regions of the South Island.
"Many will use the opportunity to visit the heritage precinct, so take the opportunity to see them first hand," MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre president Rod Pemberton said.
"There are two entrants from the UK who will rent their vehicles in Auckland."
Classic car admirers will be thrilled at the sight of 64 MG sports cars assembled at Dunedin’s Victoria Hotel on the Saturday afternoon, and again in the Octagon the following morning.
Sunday from 8am to noon sees the Concours d'etat, a "show and shine" contest in the Octagon, which will be closed to other private vehicles for the four hours.
"Not all cars have entered the competition, and some will be there for display only," Mr Pemberton said.
"We will have a People’s Choice competition where the public can vote for their favourite MG, whether it is in the Concours d’etat or not, and we’ll distribute entry forms on the morning.
He said in the afternoon, starting at 1.30pm, there would be a run out to the Otago Peninsula and then out to the Taieri Plain before returning to Dunedin.
Throughout the rally, the 130 entrants will take in the Catlins, Invercargill, Te Anau and Cromwell and points between, as well as Dunedin and surrounds. They will spend two nights in Dunedin, Invercargill and Cromwell hotels.
"Besides providing MG entrants with a memorable journey through the south and the general public with the opportunity to inspect these beautiful classic cars, there are significant financial gains for the towns hosting the rally.
"I’ve done a ‘back-of-an-envelope’ calculation of the financial benefit to Dunedin alone and it comes in just below $100,000 for the two nights that we’re staying there and many entrants are planning an extended tour of the South Island at the end of the rally." — Allied Media
