Porsche to headline the 2027 Ayrburn Classic
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Fifty Porsches are already registered for the Terraces display at the 2027 Ayrburn Classic, where the German brand will be the featured marque. The three-day event runs from 19 to 21 February at Ayrburn, near Arrowtown.
The entries span more than 70 years, from 356 Speedsters and a 550 Spyder recreation to a 911 Dakar that covered 12,000km across Europe before it was shipped to New Zealand. Among the cars with local history is a 1967 Porsche 912 sold new here and still in its original Tangerine Orange.
The air-cooled line-up also includes a 993-generation 911 Turbo and a 1988 911 25th Anniversary edition that Porsche says is one of just two in the country. Long-time Porsche Club member Wayne Graves will show his Carrera RSR 2.8, with a current 992-generation Cup car from the New Zealand Porsche Championship representing the modern end of the racing line-up.
One of the five 911 GT3 Touring specials built for Porsche New Zealand’s 50th anniversary will also be on show. The announcement follows the brand’s anniversary gathering in Auckland in September, which brought hundreds of owners and fans together for a Porsche parade.
“The Ayrburn Classic offers another opportunity to bring that community together, this time in the South Island,” said Greg Clarke, general manager of Porsche New Zealand.
Porsche New Zealand is planning its own display with support from Christchurch’s Archibalds Porsche. The Porsche Club of New Zealand is also backing the event, and its southern representative Andre Hopman expects up to 100 Porsches, with air-cooled cars making up most of the display.
Friday’s free community day includes the charity Tour d’Elegance. The ticketed festival runs on Saturday and Sunday, with the inaugural judged Concours on Billy’s Lawn.
Owners can still apply for the Terraces Premium Display or the Pebble Parade, priced at $300 and $200 per car respectively.
