The friendly, inclusive New Zealand car scene, where enthusiasts of all ages, genders and interests are welcomed with open arms: whether you’re a 16-year-old kick-starting your passion with a $2000 ‘shit-box’, a 24-year-old knee-deep in a five-year project, or a 55-year-old who occasionally indulges in a car and coffee on a Sunday morning — there’s a place for everyone!
Meet Alison Dennerly, a self-employed mum from Auckland who, in her own words, is “old enough to know better, too old to care”. Despite her carefree attitude, she’s always had a soft spot for performance cars, especially the Mitsubishi Evolution series. Unfortunately, Alison found herself in the rearview mirror of her daughter, Shannon, who beat her to it by becoming the family’s first Evo enthusiast with her Evo VII RS, later upgrading to an Evo IX. But as it turns out, this was the catalyst that prompted Alison to acquire her Evo IX, and get started with
