Words: Andrew Sluys
Published 23 March 2026
Over $4 million worth of precious metal is set to be sold in Whangamatā this weekend as the Beach Hop rolls into town for another year.
Sunday Drive is holding a live auction, where 40 lots will be sold, with each vehicle more impressive than the last.
The headline lots include a custom 1969 Holden Monaro HK with only 1,754 miles on the clock. It has also reportedly had more than $500,000 spent on it.
There’s also a 1965 Cadillac DeVille which was once displayed at SEMA, now residing in New Zealand.
Other interesting lots include a fully custom patina 1966 Chevrolet C10, a no-reserve 1966 Ford Mustang 289 Convertible, a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette N2A.
While it isn’t tipped to fetch the most on the day, arguably the most interesting lot in the auction is a 2004 Toyota Tundra NASCAR Truck.
According to the listing, it’s a genuine 2004 Toyota Tundra NASCAR Truck Series chassis, originally campaigned in the US with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) backing and driven by NASCAR race winner Mike Skinner.
To add to the atmosphere for the event, Sunday Drive will be conducting this auction in a full circus-style marquee at the heart of the festival.
This marquee will be open to the public from Wednesday through to Saturday, giving festivalgoers the chance to get up close with the collection before the auction begins.
The auction will take place at 1:00pm on Saturday 28 March.
More than 120,000 people are expected to make their way to Whangamatā this weekend, with the auction set to draw significant attention both locally and internationally.
