Waikanae Wanderings: Southward Car Museum

Today we’re wandering a little further afield to Southward Car Museum, one of Kāpiti’s most iconic destinations and home to one of the most dramatic cars you’ll ever see up close: the Mickey Cohen “Gangster Cadillac”.

This 1950 Cadillac is the kind of exhibit that stops you in your tracks. Built for notorious L.A. mobster Mickey Cohen, the car was designed for survival as much as style, with 1½-inch plate-glass windows, bullet-proof tyres, 8-inch armoured doors, hidden seat-back armour and a hinged windshield.

And yes, you can still see the bullet holes.

The car survived an ambush outside Sherry’s Nightclub in 1949, when a spray of gunfire left Cohen wounded and his bodyguard fatally injured. Standing in front of it, you can feel the weight of that moment in every detail. It’s part glamour, part danger, part true-crime history, and completely unforgettable.

Of course, the Gangster Cadillac is just one piece of the Southward collection. The museum is full of rare, unusual and beautifully preserved vehicles, from early motoring treasures to luxury cars, motorcycles, movie favourites and historic machines with extraordinary stories behind them.

Whether you’re a car lover, a history fan, a curious local, or looking for something different to do with visitors or family, Southward is well worth the short trip.

Come and see this incredible piece of history for yourself at Southward Car Museum, open daily from 9am.

Southward Car Museum — 250 Otaihanga Road, Paraparaumu