Ian Hope's NZ Junkyard Museum

Photography by: Luis Guarch

Date: 09.07.2013

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Backyard

Rarities from across the ditch

Ian's Backyard

Ian's Hope's NZ Backyard

Kiwis have always had lots of affection for pommy shitboxes, as this museum shows...

If you’re anywhere near Napier, one of the world’s greatest Art Deco towns, in the North Island of New Zealand, then we reckon you should head here.

Proud owner Ian Hope has gathered a collection of more than 360 British cars. He also has a huge collection of vintage NZ number plates, a large number of old car badges, petrol pumps and vintage pianos from the early 1900s.

Ian will give you a tour around his amazing collection, much of which was assembled in New Zealand. It’s located at 63 East Road, Te Awanga.

Check out his website at www.britishcarmuseum.co.nz.

It’s hard to visually capture 360 cars worth of trash-and-treasure, but it goes on and on, here's some...

• An attractive 1932 Austin 10/4 was first registered in Nelson, on the tip of NZ’s South Island. It appears to be rust-free, which is either remarkable or the result of extensive restoration

• Humber 80: Poms will tell you it doesn’t exist, but a creamy yellow thing featured is a Kiwi creation called Humber 80 – a Hillman Minx in drag. Sitting next to it in the display is a posh Sunbeam Rapier and less-posh Singer Gazelle

• Hard to say exactly how old the plates would be (see photo), but judging by the other cars featured, early-’50s onwards. If only they could talk...

• A lovable 1953 Morris J-Type van, as championed by local photographer Peter Bateman. Pete’s is Cadbury purple, but in any colour, it’s so huggable.

• A Bedford CA van looks like it may have been exposed to radiation as a child, but it was a load-lugging stalwart between 1952 and ’69. The mustardy one sports a onepiece windscreen (post ‘58); the green one’s a late-’60s.

• A collection of Herbert Austin’s finest motors from the 1930s, like a 1937 Austin 10 Sherbourne – Austin’s best-selling car of the ‘30s and predecessor to the A40. Also, a lastof-the-line 1947 Austin 8, and another in a rather fetching blue

• As far as the eye can see, a row of Humbers (Hawk, followed by Super Snipe), with a Rootes Group crew

• British commercials have never been known for their looks, and one of the most homely is the Commer - this knockkneed slogger was once very popular...

• A battle-scarred Austin A30 Countryman sits atop good wagon company. Also a ’70s-brown Morris 1300 Traveller and a Hillman Husky.

• A glorius Dennis fire truck dwarfs the Minors next to it, and the Triumph 2000 behind it

• Plus, the Ford wall – MkII Cortina, Prefect, Escort

• Lollipop-coloured Morris Minors are the poster-child of Ian’s Pom car collection. Most appear to be 1000s but who’s to say what’s in there!

For more details, visit his website at www.britishcarmuseum.co.nz.

Unique Cars magazine Value Guides

Sell your car for free right here