Bob Turnbull Trust trustee Tracy Paterson said the sale of the cars meant it was in a "good position" to continue to fund community projects in the areas.
"This trust and the benefit it has and will have for the community is due to the selfless act of a brilliant man, the late Bob Turnbull."
The trust sold its 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff Roadster to Auckland businessman Steve Lockwood in June through Waimak Classic Cars. The trust would not comment on the price reached, but it was understood to be more than $2million.
It has also sold its 1907 Sizaire et Naudin, which showed up as a $100,000 sale in last year’s charity report returns, and its 1904 Humber Humberette, which was valued at the same price.
The trust was established in 2013 for the good of Omakau and Ophir after the death of the engineer it was named for. His cars were put in the care of the trust to be fixed up and sold.
The trust was "very pleased" all cars remained in New Zealand, Mrs Paterson said.
"The Bugatti had been on the market for a couple of years and we were very happy to engage Waimak Classic Cars to act as agent."
Those given grants have included the Omakau Squash Courts, Omakau Area School, the Ophir Welfare Committee, the Omakau and Districts Playcentre and the Central Otago A&P Show.
Central Otago district councillor and Ophir Welfare Committee spokesman Malcolm Topliss said the future of the trust was "very exciting" for the area.
"We didn’t ask them for help with the upgrade of the Ophir Hall, because they hadn’t sold the Bugatti at that point. Its future very much relied on the sale of those vehicles."
Projects were planned for the future which it could ask the trust to help fund, such as a bike track between Omakau and Ophir and better information stations around Ophir telling the village’s history.
