Southward Car Museum

Tucked away amongst park-like surroundings on the Kāpiti Coast is a world-class museum. It is the legacy of a vehicle-loving man.

Inside the cavernous, purpose-built exhibition hall of Southward Car Museum, chrome and steel glints in every direction. The smell of polish and leather permeates the air. Here is a remarkable private car collection, the largest in Australasia.

Southward Car Museum is the result of one man’s vision and engineering expertise. It’s a labour of love and legacy rolled into one. Sir Len Southward was a pioneering marine engineer. He, along with his wife Vera, began collecting cars in the 1950s, beginning with a Model T Ford. By the mid-1970s his collection had grown to such an extent that purchasing land and building a museum was necessary.

Today, the museum houses more than 450 rare and treasured vehicles of all descriptions, You’ll find an 1895 Benz Velo, imported to New Zealand in 1900, and a 1915 Stutz Indianapolis race car. Discover the 1934 Cadillac that was once owned by American actress Marlene Dietrich. Uncover the 1939 Mercedes-Benz that was to be a gift for Edward VIII after the planned German invasion of Britain. And locate the four-tonne, 1950 “gangster special” Cadillac complete with genuine bullet holes, owned by gangster Mickey Cohen. Rounding out the notable collection is a Back To The Future DeLorean.

Alongside these notable examples from the late Sir Len’s original core collection, there are hundreds of other vehicles of every shape, size, make, and purpose — from motorcycles to carriages, traction engines to tuk-tuks. A team of engineers care for the cars in several large on-site workshops. The museum building also houses a concert hall that regularly holds events.

The legacy Sir Len left behind is one of Kāpiti’s true treasures and a testament to the enduring fascination he had with all things vehicular.