Omaka Classic Cars

Omaka Classic Cars sits on the Omaka aerodrome in Blenheim, right beside the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, and collects the cars New Zealanders actually owned: a trust held collection of around 115 NZ market vehicles from the 1950s through the 1980s, with roughly 60 on display at a time and the rest rotating through.

These are not concours trailer queens: the collection is kept as a living, working display in running order, full of right hand drive family metal like a 1966 Jaguar 3.8 S-Type, a 1967 Wolseley 16/60, a 1968 HK Holden Premier and a 1974 Leyland P76. If your family had one, it is probably here, and that nostalgia is the point.

The pairing makes the trip: the aviation centre next door holds one of the world's great WWI aircraft collections, and together they turn Omaka into a half day.

An honest, nostalgic hall of NZ motoring, best done with the aviation centre next door.

Look out for:

• Around 60 cars on display from a 115 strong collection, rotating over time.

• New Zealand market survivors: the 1966 Jaguar 3.8 S-Type, 1967 Wolseley 16/60, 1968 HK Holden Premier and 1974 Leyland P76 among them.

• Cars kept in running order rather than sealed behind ropes.

• The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre next door; do both.

Best way to experience it: check open days before travelling, allow about an hour, and swap car spotting stories with the volunteers; most of these models carry family memories.

• Hours vary seasonally and the venue is volunteer run: open daily in the warmer months and reduced days over winter, with published sources conflicting, so check the official site or call +64 3 577 9419 before travelling.

• Entry NZ$20 adult; children under 14 free (one per adult).

• On Aerodrome Road at the Omaka aerodrome, Blenheim, beside the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre; drive, easy parking.

• Groups of 10 or more can arrange visits outside normal times.

Last updated: 3 September 2026