FIVE DAYS OF COVERAGE IN ONE ISSUE
Despite the wild weather calling off the cruises to Pauanui and Onemana, it didn’t stop you all from having a bloody good time and rocking your socks off across Whangamatā, with this year’s official magazine coverage proving just that.
We were there to capture all the highlights, from the Waihi Warm-Up to the Meguiar’s Grand Parade, as well as other fan favourite activities like the Slamfest ’26 Lo-Rider Show, Repco Pre-49 Hot Rod Show, JCD Customs & Marine Classic Pickup Truck Show, your stories from the street, and much more.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Beach Hop without the cars. So, we made sure to feature as many as we possibly could in this issue, including Rex Moyle’s freshly-built 1948 Packard Coupe, Kim Murray’s period-correct modified 1971 Holden Kingswood HQ wagon, and Paul Ransom’s one-of-a-kind 1937 Ford Coupe, to name a few.
MEGUAIR'S GRAND PARADE
One of the biggest spectacles of Repco Beach Hop is Saturday’s Meguair’s Grand Parade, and this year’s was one to behold.
If there’s one part of Beach Hop week you don’t want to miss, it’s this. The Meguiar’s Grand Parade is the kind of thing you plan your day around — find your spot early, lock it in, and don’t move for the next few hours. Port Road shuts down, the whole town shows up, and what follows is a rolling showcase of chrome, nostalgia, and rock ’n’ roll culture that you just can’t replicate anywhere else. The sun even decided to show up properly this year too — sunscreen out in full force — which, after a week of mixed weather, felt well earned. Saturday’s when Whangamatā really comes alive, and this year it delivered.
CARS, EVENTS, AND YARNS GALORE
The NZV8 Repco Beach Hop 2026 Official Annual is your front-row ticket to the full story — packed with stunning photography and in-depth coverage of everything that made this year’s Hop one to remember.
Available now at retailers across New Zealand — hit your local bookstore or supermarket and grab your copy before they sell out. Entrants, keep an eye on your letterbox, as your copy will arrive in the coming days if it hasn’t already!
THE FEATURES
10 — Warm Up Party
44 — Meguiar’s Grand Parade
56 — Repco Pre-49 Hot Rod Show
70 — Slamfest ’26 Lo-Rider Show
82 — JCD Customs & Marine Classic Pickup Truck Show
94 — MainStream Top 10 Shoot Out
THE OTHER STUFF
4 — Editorial
8 — President’s Message
14 — Word on the Street
32 — Night cruising
42 — Pub Quiz
104 — Killer Shot
THE CARS
24 — Wild at Heart — 1948 Packard Custom Coupe
30 — Wave Catcher — 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
38 — Pink With Attitude — 1971 Ford Falcon
52 — Haulin’ to the Hop — 1972 Ford F-5
54 — Hooked at Hop — 1962 Ford Thunderbird
60 — Welcome to Paradise — 1947 Chevrolet Pickup
66 — Sam Taxi — 1972 Holden Kingswood
74 — Taranaki Torque — 1972 Holden Monaro GTS
78 — Drop Everything — 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
86 — Along for the Ride — 1937 Ford Coupe
90 — Prolific in Orange — 1973 Holden Torana SL
91 — Ahead of Its Time — 1981 DMC DeLorean
92 — The People Mover — Mazda Parkway
