Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
46 seconds ago
Aspiring automotive professionals at EIT had a unique opportunity to witness history in motion as three Bugatti classics made their way onto the Hawke’s Bay campus.
The three rare vehicles, this year’s featured French marque, travelled from around the country for the Art Deco Festival.
EIT students Tu Hawkins (left), Nathan Tobeck and Jennifer Rainham (right) with EIT Automotive Tutor Brett Cranswick and Greg McDell of Classics Museum in Hamilton.
EIT Automotive Tutor Brett Cranswick said the visit was a great learning opportunity for students.
“For our automotive students, opportunities like this are incredibly inspiring. Some already have a keen interest in classic cars, and experiences like this help reinforce their passion for the industry.”
A few years ago, about 200 hot rods visited the campus in a similar event, also organised by Brett.
Greg McDell of Classics Museum in Hamilton showing EIT students Tu Hawkins (left), Nathan Tobeck and Jennifer Rainham (right) a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux.
Among last Wednesday’s display was a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, which had finished being fully restored just five days prior by Greg McDell of Classics Museum in Hamilton.
“It is cool seeing young people interested in old cars. It is a dying trade, but there is a market out there,” McDell said.
Also on display was a Bugatti Type 37A, owned by Louise Russell and Michael Pidgeon, whose father restored it in the late 1980s.
Students had the opportunity to speak with the owners and Hawke’s Bay Vintage Car Club Art Deco Festival spokesman Steve Donovan, who also toured the EIT facilities.
Steve mentioned how impressed the car owners were with the facilities, and said they need to bring the Hawke’s Bay Vintage Car Club for a visit one day.
