A battle for hearts and minds is underway in Taranaki between lovers of gas-guzzling classic American cars and the utilitarian electric-powered new kids on the block.
Americarna organiser John Rae. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
About 780 vehicles are attending the 14th Americarna festival, while rival gathering Electricarna involves a more humble gathering of enthusiastic locals.
Over the four-day Americarna festival, the distinctive rumble of a V8-powered motorcades can be heard as participants from around the country cruise to Opunake, Waitara and Inglewood form their New Plymouth base.
Organiser John Rae, the proud owner of four American muscle cars, explained the vehicles' attraction.
"For a lot of us we grew up watching you know in our younger days we watched Vanishing Point, Gone in 60 Seconds and Bullitt with Steve McQueen even some of the old Bonnie and Clyde movies.
"Plus the sound of a V8 engine. You can't beat the sound of a V8. You can't make a four or a six sound like a V8. And as we've got older a lot of people have been able to fulfil their dream of owning one of those cars as they've become easier to get."
Cars on display for Americarna in Taranaki. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
But any mention of the government's plans to phase out petrol and diesel-powered vehicles raises Rae's hackles.
"I get a little upset by all these people raving on about how we need electric vehicles, we need this and we need the other and we've got to stop our carbon footprint.
"Yeah we've got to monitor that, but where does lithium come from?
"It's dug out of the ground by diesel powered machines. Put in boats that burn diesel oil. Taken off to factories that are either nuclear or diesel or coal run and then we can't get rid of the batteries."
Turn the key on Stephen Hobo-Tuck's 2015 Nissan Leaf ... and the engine is barely audible under the radio.
He took RNZ for a spin.
Electricarna organiser Stephen Hobo-Tuck. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
"I'm the organiser of an even we call Electricarna which is kind of a cheeky middle-finger to Americarna because we are all about promoting electric vehicles and how to use them effectively in society and enjoy driving around in them."
Hobo-Tuck said it costs about $1500 a year to run his Leaf.
He reckoned the time had come for electric cars.
"More and more people will realise that an electric car is a really good fit as the second car. The round town runabout, the sports drop off, the supermarket and then you'll have another vehicle, hopefully a hybrid, and that will be the make up of a standard family transport solution."
Back at Americarna, Chris Wischnowski was firing up his pride and joy.
"It's a 1969 Chevy Corvette Stingray. It's a C3 model. Second era of the C3, 350 horsepower with a four-speed manual. I love the shape, absolutely love the shape. It's a chrome bumper car and for me that's my favourite of the C3s, so a dream car to me."
Other factors outweighed running costs to him.
Chris Wischnowski and his Corvette at Americarna. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
"I think it's a heck of an expression of your personality for me."
Which in his case meant...
"It's got some curves like me now. It's a bit sporty and it's a little bit loud so it's maybe sayings that I normally wouldn't say about myself."
Lee Jury spent $300 on gas just bringing his 1961 Impala Bubbletop over from Tauranga.
Lee Jury with his Impala. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
He could envisage a day when you might find something other than a V8 under the hood.
"They're actually doing electric conversions. So you can buy an electric motor and dump it straight under the hood of these things and it will marry up to your transmission so that is probably is the way of the future if it does go that way that's what we'd be looking at.
"Some of them are quite nice. They're all chromed up, you know, you can get them engraved and everything. Plenty of power. You'd just miss the sound I guess."
Wellingtonian Susie Bevan was polishing her 1956 Cadillac Coupe Deville.
She had a car crush.
"Oh I just love the sleekness of it, the big chrome, the big dagmars at the front. She's just a strong solid car to cruise around in and she's just a total cruiser just sit back and relax and go with it."
Susie Bevan and her Cadillac Coupe Deville. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ
You won't find an electric motor in the caddy anytime soon.
"No, sorry, no. I know there's one up in Auckland and hey cool, but no. I still like going to the petrol tank and putting it in and it goes into the back end of her tail light. You take that away then, don't you?"
Americarna wraps up tomorrow with a Show and Shine day in the New Plymouth city centre while Electricarna takes over Central School grounds between 1pm and 4pm.