Video by witnesses show the man reversing into a BNZ branch in Camp St, in the resort's CBD, about 11.45pm.
He can be seen driving a white hatchback into the branch’s glass front where an ATM is located.
He is then seen getting out of the vehicle in a seemingly relaxed manner to inspect the damage, before returning to the car to give it another go.
Witnesses at the neighbouring McDonald’s restaurant and other establishments including a Tank sandwich store went out to see what was going on.
A witness video shows some people confronting the man, who hopped back into the hatchback before driving off, with nothing taken.
An officer arrived at the scene just as the man drove off.
Witness Matteo Coletta told The New Zealand Herald he was drinking a beer when he heard a big bang and saw a car in “the wrong place”.
“That’s not normal so I took a video and I saw this car coming back and smashing back onto the ATM three times.
“[I’ve] never seen something like that in my life here in Queenstown."
Police later confirmed that a man had been arrested in relation to the ram-raid.
The vehicle is believed to have reversed into the storefront several times, a spokesman said.
“It left the scene without anything being taken."
Officers quickly located the vehicle and followed it at a distance along State Highway 6, heading south from Queenstown, he said. Road spikes were used to stop the car south of Kingston.
“The driver was taken into custody without incident and is facing charges in relation to the incident."
Police inquires are continuing.
Friday night's incident is thought to be Queenstown’s first attempted ram-raid.
The BNZ branch was empty and cordoned off with police tape this morning, with glass shattered and the ATM knocked about but relatively intact.
There was no other damage to neighbouring businesses.
- additional reporting NZ Herald
