The blast of noise and smoke as a tank engine fires up brings a smile to the face of Mark Cameron.
As other spectators gather round, Mr Cameron, of Port Chalmers, sits proudly in the driver's seat of his very own 1968 armoured personnel carrier.
He bought the British-built fighting vehicle in England three years ago for ''less than a Harley-Davidson'', and had it shipped to Dunedin to display at military re-enactment events around New Zealand.
But he told the Otago Daily Times the real magic only really happened when the engine roared, bringing the entire machine to life.
''A vehicle doesn't really show its true colours until it's in motion,'' he said, after gunning the engine for a small crowd of spectators.
His daughter, Isabella (6), smiled in agreement as she clutched a mounted machine gun: ''I like the noise.''
Mr Cameron's steel beast was part of a small but intimidating arsenal of military hardware on display at the Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds over the weekend.
The event was organised by the HQ44 South Military Collectors Club and featured about 40 vehicles, as well as 30 re-enactment enthusiasts in mainly World War 2-era Allied and Axis uniforms, club secretary-treasurer Darryl Brewer said.
Most were from Dunedin, but some had come from around the South Island to take part in the two-day display, which showed off the equipment in a series of re-enacted military engagements.
The event - which doubled as a fundraiser for the Mosgiel RSA - drew a small but enthusiastic crowd on Saturday to inspect the mix of World War 2, Vietnam War and more modern equipment.
Neighbours' concerns about noise meant there was no live firing at the event, but a series of re-enactments went ahead without the gunfire.
Mr Cameron, a club member, said the event was a chance to meet like-minded enthusiasts and swap stories of relatives' war exploits.
He had been coming to similar shows for up to 10 years, including Warbirds over Wanaka, and during busy summer months could attend one, somewhere in the country, every few weeks.
But his own passion for military hardware extended to preserving important pieces of history, he said.
An APC like his, in good working order, could sell for between $30,000 and $50,000. His collection also included a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun, a Bedford truck and a British-built Daimler Ferret scout car that saw active service with British forces during the first Gulf War.
Mr Cameron also managed to get a giant Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine running on Saturday afternoon, generating a blast of noise and smoke that sent some spectators scurrying away with hands over ears.
Asked what the appeal was, he said: ''I like preserving history. One vehicle at a time, I guess.''
