The Dunedin to Brighton All Veteran Vehicle Rally, the southern hemisphere’s longest continuously running event of its kind, returns to the city for the 72nd time on Saturday.
A unique fleet of vehicles owned by Colin Pearce and his family will be part of the lineup of extraordinary machines at the Dunedin to Brighton rally.
Three Wolverhampton-built Sunbeams were rescued from farms and saved from junk heaps over the years.
The oldest of the trio, a green 1911 two-seater, was bought in 1959 from a farm at Omimi where the car was being used to power a saw bench.
Restoration included rebuilding most of the bodywork and mudguards as well as recreating the upholstery and hood.
A blue 1912 Sunbeam was a complex project that required a scavenger hunt across New Zealand and the Tasman to track down missing components.
A radiator was found in the Owaka Valley, the front axle beam at Cattle Corner and a gearbox housing and petrol pressure gauge were sourced from Australia.
Other parts emerged from all corners of the country, including one headlight from Nelson and the other from Blenheim, a windscreen wiper motor from Auckland and hood bow fittings from Invercargill.
Completing the lineup is a red 1914 model with a distinguished southern history.
Bought as a derelict wreck by Mr Pearce’s brother Brian in 1959, the car was originally owned by Invercargill businessman Sir Robert Anderson.
The 3-litre vehicle later served as a stock agent’s car in Gore then later during the 1940s it was used to haul milk cans to the Edendale Dairy Factory.
Mr Pearce said, when new, these Sunbeams would have been premium upper-priced cars.
"Sunbeam cars had a history of racing and world speed records and things like that.
"They were a really well-known car up until 1939, I think it was, when the last of them were made at Wolverhampton."
All three Sunbeams have become part of Mr Pearce’s extended family, with driving duties in the run shared by various relatives.
Son George drives the blue 1912 model and daughter Carolyn and son-in-law Donald Campbell usually drive the green 1911 Sunbeam.
Mr Campbell said the green machine with its brass fittings demands significant elbow grease before setting out on the rally.
"It takes the wife and I the thick end of half a day.
"They do look good when they are polished."
Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Otago Branch rally co-organiser Nevin Gough said veteran vehicles are classified as those manufactured up to and including 1918.
Twenty eight entrants, including three motorcycles, a truck and a fire engine, will make the journey from the city centre to the coast.
The veteran vehicles will gather at First Church at 9am on Saturday.
They will travel in convoy to the Octagon just before 10am, where they will be on display for the public for one hour.
Mayor Sophie Barker will flag the entrants away as they begin their route to Brighton.
Some vehicles will follow the route directly to Brighton, while the more capable entrants will travel to Taieri Mouth, and then return to the Brighton Domain.
Mr Gough said the club was grateful to the Dunedin City Council for an events grant that helped cover traffic management costs and the use of the Octagon.
