The Southside Streeters celebrated 50 years of hot rodding and camaraderie recently with a special weekend of events.
Planning for the fifth decade anniversary celebration commenced 18 months ago, with members determined to make it a memorable event.
The festivities unfolded in a World War II hangar, boasting nine airplanes, nine cars and a guest list of 170 individuals.
The hangar transformed into a vibrant space adorned with dazzling lights and featured a full-scale garage facade constructed from rusty metal, spanning 12 meters in width and four meters in height.
Club president Kerry Earl was heavily involved in the planning of celebrations, saying it meant a lot to the club.
With just under 65 members and a long waiting list of people, the club continues to thrive.
“We organise numerous runs, but it’s predominantly built around fostering camaraderie and friendship,” Earl says.
The club is prevalent in the east Auckland community and very willing to give back.
It actively participates in local parades and contributes to organisations like St John and the Harlequins Juniors.
The club’s longest standing member, Steve Keys, has been affiliated for 48 years but Earl says there’s a lot of members who have dedicated more than 40 years.
“Just recently we’ve seen a number of older members coming back to the club and I think that shows strength in community,” Earl says.
