Southward Car Museum

The Southward Car Museum is a popular destination for car enthusiasts and history buffs.

Located in Otaihanga, New Zealand, the museum is about an hour's drive from Wellington and is home to over 400 automobiles and 140 motorcycles. Established by Len Southward in the 1970s, the museum is now run by a charitable trust.

The museum's core-car collection was the personal work of Sir Len Southward and his wife Vera. The couple began collecting cars in 1956 and established the largest private car collection in Australasia. In 1976, Len purchased a 6-hectare site to establish a museum open to the public. The museum officially opened in 1979 and has two showrooms displaying cars of all kinds, including vintage, classic, and modern cars, as well as motorcycles and aircraft.

Visitors to the museum can expect to see a wide range of vehicles, from early steam-powered cars to modern supercars. The museum's collection includes a 1907 Cadillac, a 1965 Shelby Cobra, a 1985 Ferrari Testarossa, and many more. In addition to the impressive collection of cars, the museum also has several aircraft on display, including a 1945 Grumman Avenger and a 1958 De Havilland Devon. The museum also has a large collection of motorcycles, including a 1912 Triumph and a 1969 Honda CB750.

Overall, the Southward Car Museum offers a unique glimpse into the evolution of transportation over the past century. With its impressive collection of vehicles and memorabilia, it is a fascinating destination for anyone interested in cars, motorcycles, or aviation history.