Colin Coombes, of Dunedin, said the ''bashed up'' pedal car was found in the Green Island landfill and subsequently restored - after he ''pulled to bits'' and restored a real Model A (pictured behind Thomas) about eight years ago.
''I didn't find the car, just the wee one,'' Mr Coombes laughed.
Both restorations included a new paint job, he said.
Charity cruise founder Andrew Hurren-Webster said more than 200 vehicles - cars, trucks and motorcyles (some pictured below) - took part, the most in the annual event's five-year history.
Mr Hurren-Webster said his favourite entries - a 1997 TVR Chimaera and a 1989 Maserati Spyder Zagato - had been entered in the cruise for the first time.
The amount of money raised for the hospice was not available last night.
However, the four previous events had raised more than $10,000 and he expected more to be raised this time than in any past year: ''It's looking like our best year yet.''
