Indholdsfortegnelse for No 390 November/December 2023 i NZ Classic Car

Ever since I was a teenager, my passion for cars has centred on those from across the ditch and from across the Pacific – the good ole US of A. My taste for American cars was heightened when I started my apprenticeship in 1973. I was surrounded by workmates who thought that Tri-Five Chevs were the Holy Grail. It wasn’t long before my trusty old Morrie was turned in for a 1969 Holden Monaro GTS that my colleagues begrudgingly approved of – at least it was a General Motors–manufactured car. However, my preference was for one of the two XY Falcon GTHO Phase IIIs sitting in a car dealership in Papatoetoe, neither of which I could afford at the time – priced at $4500 from memory. Imagine! A few years…

For years now, I have written about unique cars and New Zealand cars that were produced in New Zealand as either one-offs or in small numbers. Every manufacturer’s story about how its cars came into existence is a frankly amazing triumph over the odds. All deserve credit for the struggles they endured, and difficulties they overcame in reaching the final goal, having moved nothing more than a concept through to a registered and warranted road-going car. However, when I find myself standing in Lower Hutt looking at a car designed by one of my all-time automotive heroes, a comment by George Orwell comes to mind: ‘All cars are equal, but some cars are more equal than others’ (I believe George said this about animals, but that was an allegory anyway.)…

As we approached the Idaho state border, we spied a wonderful collection of older American cars strewn on the side of the road. They weren’t for sale, they weren’t fenced off, but neither was there anyone there in any of the handful of old buildings. Some of the photos in this article show just a small percentage of the dozens of old classics, many in excellent condition and a few that were quite rare. Crossing the border on a mountain crest and cruising down into Idaho, we passed a series of old quarries. They were above the road but we could easily see hundreds of old vehicles, mostly trucks, pick-ups, and other commercial vehicles but many cars too. And just around the corner, there was another similar collection, possibly even…

Disclosure of interest: I have a specific and possibly over-inflated admiration for the first three generations of Range Rovers. Not the Sport; nor the smaller Evoque; or the more modern, super expensive, and ever-more-complicated interpretations of the brand that arrived during the last decade. No question that the first two Range Rovers, arriving in 1970 and 1994, were great designs with unique characters. Then, in 2001, along came generation three, which seemed, and proved to be, a large step into tomorrow. Initially, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the upright body styling when introduced to the newcomer in Queenstown 21 years ago, although there was no doubting the vehicle’s superb ability both on- and off-road. These attributes and the warm presence of the car were enough, almost, to persuade me to…

AND LIAM MAKES 10 Following the surprise that Pukekohe’s Liam Lawson had been drafted into the Alpha Tauri Formula 1 (F1) team part-way through practice for the Dutch Grand Prix (GP), the delight of that announcement was tinged with trepidation about the tricky wet conditions. Damon Hill, 1996 world champion, member of the commentary team, mentioned that he’d been contacted by his old Formula 3 (F3) boss Murray Taylor with news that ‘everyone in New Zealand is very excited’. Now that they knew that Lawson was the 10th Kiwi to take his place on a F1 grid, they were soon trying to list the other nine. In order of appearance, they are: Bruce McLaren (in F1 from 1958 to 1970), Tony Shelly (one start in 1962), Chris Amon (1963–’76), Denny…

Invercargill motor racing enthusiast Adrian Robertson has taken the plunge and is in the process of returning two Austins to the track. Adrian is the admin face behind the popular South Island Motorsports Facebook page, and he has decided to take steps to get back into the action on the racing track. That is also good news for a couple of Austins, one with a bit of racing history. Examples of both cars are regulars in the UK classic racing scene, competing with success at events such as the Goodwood Revival. They are rarer in New Zealand, especially the Farina A40, which were often modified with streamlined bodies and bigger, usually Ford, engines. Adrian’s example is typical of the breed. “It’s a Mk1 A40 Farina, first built in 1972 by…

The Historic Touring Cars committee has confirmed a new name for the 2023/’24 motor racing season, creating the John Fairhall Historic Touring Cars. Fairhall had a long association with touring car motor sport in New Zealand, running a BMW 635 in 1985. He also oversaw BMW’s successful campaigns in the Benson & Hedges New Zealand Touring Car Group A series and was a driving force behind the establishment of the Historic Touring Cars class, which features cars that competed in the 1980s. He bought back his BMW 635 for Trevor Crowe to race. The BMW is now owned by close friend and associate Bert Govan. Formerly named Archibalds Historic Touring Cars, the new identity recognises the long association John Fairhall had with both Archibald and Historic Touring Cars. John started…

As the interruptions due to Covid recede into the rearview mirror, thousands once again revelled in the opportunity to flock to the Goodwood Revival, held at the Goodwood motor racing circuit in West Sussex. After 25 years, the revival is firmly established as the premier classic motor racing event to see and be seen at, featuring an amazing variety of machinery from the 1940s onwards. Fashion from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s was de rigueur among the attendees and, as always, mingling with the crowd was as entertaining and eye-catching as the machinery on display. The Freddie March Spirit of Aviation concours event presented by Bonhams auctions also attracted a mouth-watering display of vintage and warbird aircraft. Three-time Formula 1 motor racing champion Sir Jackie Stewart was applauded as he…

From its humble beginnings as a South Australian saddler in 1856, the company became a motor-body builder in 1908, and a General Motors (GM) subsidiary in 1931. First christened General Motors-Holden’s Ltd – the strange possessive form of the name is correct – it became Holden Ltd in 1998. Its final iteration as GM Holden Ltd (GMH) was minted in 2005. After 164 years, the last three as a vehicle importer only, the company ceased trading in 2020. The firm’s first car, the 48-215, launched in 1948, developed into the FJ, which became a household icon. Manufacturing eventually centralised at Elizabeth, South Australia and Dandenong, Victoria until 1994, with engine manufacture at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. Assembly plants were also set up in New Zealand at Petone and later Trentham.…

The Morrari originated as a 1955 Ferrari 555 ‘Super Squalo’, so named because of its curvaceous aluminium body, which flowed gracefully around its two side-mounted fuel tanks into a sharp pointed tail. A third fuel tank plus oil tank nestled in the tail. When viewed from above, it resembled the silhouette of a shark; squalo is Italian for ‘shark’. The 555 was powered by Aurelio Lampredi’s 2497cc four-cylinder double-overhead-camshaft motor, backed by a five-speed transaxle, and a de Dion rear axle. It sported a double-rail chassis design, with larger diameter tubing on the lower rails. Wheels were 16-inch Borrani wires, and the wheelbase was 85 inches. But for a lone victory at the Monaco Grand Prix (GP), the 555 largely failed to impress, and, at season’s end, Ferrari did a…

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HEADLINE OUTCOMES The survey estimated the total historic and classic sector to comprise approximately 280,000 cars, trucks, hot rods, motorcycles, tractors, steam engines and other agricultural equipment, and military vehicles. This is a conservative estimate drawn from multiple sources, including club records, interviews with club members, surveys with the public at large, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) registration data, while noting that not all historic vehicles are registered. This conservative estimate represents six per cent of all registered vehicles in New Zealand. From the survey, it’s projected that there are around 200,000 owners – comprising 3.6 per cent of the population. The survey reported, as you’d expect, that historic and classic vehicles are used much less than the rest of the New Zealand vehicle fleet, covering only 3650km…

Hamilton’s Classics Museum’s classic car meet, which happens on the first Sunday of every month, also fell on the first Sunday of spring this September, which also happened to be Father’s Day. It was also a beautiful fine morning, which added a rare extra spice to the event’s proceedings. The turnout of cars was exceptional, with a mixture of old and new classics. There was a similar mix of old and new among the owners’ faces and, as we are always pleased to see there was a good turnout of first-time exhibitors, as is happening most months. It never ceases to amaze me how many different cars turn up each month. With summer approaching, it was nice to see some winter projects emerging, and hopefully, with more fine weather ahead,…

Attractions Exhibitions, museums and other vehicle-related curios Marlborough OMAKA CLASSIC CARS A unique collection of vehicles giving insight into New Zealand Motoring from the 50s to the 80s. 90 cars on display at any one time. omakaclassiccars.co.nz / 03 577 9419 / Aerodome Rd, Blenheim Coatings Heatproof, cosmetic, chrome, and specialist coatings & water transfer printing Auckland HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS Exhaust coatings, piston coatings, turbo coatings, and much more hpcoatings.co.nz / 09 267 1007 / Unit 0/62 Mahia Road, Manurewa, Auckland HP COATINGS New Zealand’s leading performance coating specialists, serving you over 20 years hpcoatings.co.nz / 09 267 1007 / Unit 0/62 Mahia Rd, Manurewa, Auckland Consumables Oils, additives fluids, fuels and workshop consumables Auckland RECHARGE BATTERIES Battery revitalizer and conditioner recharge.net.nz / 0800 36 66 36 / PO Box…

The Trekka Jokingly referred to by Skodaphiles as Skoda’s first SUV, the Trekka is the only mass-produced vehicle designed and built in New Zealand. The Czechs love them and grab every one! Next issue, we look at a couple of survivors. KEV comes back to the future Volkswagen is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint, and, to celebrate the arrival of the new, fully electric ID range, Volkswagen has breathed new life into an icon by revealing its fully electric 1966 Kombi, along with an Open Source ‘greenprint’ for anyone looking to revolutionise their classic. KEV, the Kombi Electric Vehicle, exudes the Kombi’s timeless charm while tapping into a hippie-friendly, greener motive technology. In next month’s issue, we take a closer look at how KEV has been restored and repowered.…

One of the hottest properties in the collectable car market continues to be Japanese performance cars from the ’90s and ’00s. And one of the brightest stars in this firmament is the Toyota Supra JZA80. Anyone who has played Gran Turismo on the Playstation, watched any of the Fast & Furious films, or who was a fan of Japanese GT racing from the ’90s, will know of its existence. By the time of its introduction, ‘Supra’ was not a new name in Toyota’s lexicon. It actually first appeared in 1978 on the Toyota Celica Liftback. While it was the ultimate Celica that money could buy at that time, the Supra didn’t really come into its own until the A70 Supra was launched in 1986. Then the Supra became its own…

Bob pushed the starter button on his British racing green Triumph roadster and the engine barked into life with a throaty growl I was out walking the other day. I tripped on a grate in the pavement and fell hard, downhill. I went to the local surgery where my doc assessed my swollen face and blackened eye and told me that I needed a scan to make sure I didn’t scramble my brains even more. Also, I was told not to drive myself to the hospital. That’s when my neighbour, Bob Birdsall, came to my aid. He voluntarily takes local people who can’t drive themselves to their medical appointments. On our way, we started talking about cars. He then told me he had a 1959 Triumph TR3A roadster that was…

On a recent trip to Auckland I met up with Stewart, a TVR enthusiast. For many years, TVR built English fibreglass sports cars composed of lightweight fibreglass bodies placed over spaceframe chassis that were powered by absolutely manic engines. TVR was an apostle of the less-weight-matched-with-plenty-of-power path to creating over-the-top sports cars. Stewart has owned many TVRs in his time, and he has more than one in his shed today. However, I did not go to see him to see his TVRs. The fact is, they remain fairly readily available. Tens of thousands of them were produced following the marque’s inception in 1946. They were sold in both turnkey and kit form until the early ’70s, and after that only as turnkey units until TVR’s demise around 2010. It is…

I have a big thing about the 1960s. I was too young at the time to appreciate the seismic shift of the era, only turning 13 in December 1968. But in hindsight, the ’60s was a magical time of change. It was also a tumultuous period of war; revolution; and protest against racism, for women’s liberation, and the overturning of many other oppressions. The pony corralled for the preceding decades well and truly bolted into the limelight in the 1960s. It’s not the purpose of this story to delve into the background to the protest movements of the period, but I think that it is important to acknowledge the forces of youth that were emerging on all fronts that were behind this renaissance. It was this new surge for change…

THE CARS OF THE 50S A HISTORY OF CARS MANUFACTURED AND ASSEMBLED IN AUSTRALIA DURING THE 1950S Gavin Farmer. Published 2022 by New Holland. ISBN 978-1-760795-252. $64.95 Review by Mark Holman Thanks to high prices for its wool and wheat in particular, Australia saw a boom in car sales in the 1950s, swiftly followed by an increasing move to assemble cars onshore and manufacture a wider range of components locally. I imagine that it resembled the situation in New Zealand in many ways but on a much larger scale and apparently without the tight foreign-exchange requirements. In this nicely produced landscape-format hardcover book, Gavin Farmer has given us a pretty full story, marque by marque, of all the cars on the Australian market during the 1950s, starting naturally enough with…

Aston Martin led the celebrations at this year’s Goodwood Revival festival in Sussex. The car made its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1963 featuring several design, technical, and equipment changes over its predecessor, most notably a major engine development delivering even more power. That justified the use of a name now synonymous with the ultimate in style and desirability: DB5. Celebrated DB5 patrons in the 1960s include The Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison and the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger. Master comedian Peter Sellers also acquired the model, while a plethora of notable names in the years since – from Robert Plant and Jay Kay to Elle McPherson and Ralph Lauren – have ensured that saloon and convertible versions of the car have rarely left…

The Roadhouse Breakfast is a monthly event held in Blenheim on the last Sunday of every month. Open to every and any mode of transport, it regularly achieves a high number of participants. Since its inception around four years ago, it has regularly supported many great causes, and this year the organising team was quickly on board to support the I Am Hope charity. With some fantastic sponsorship under their belt for this growing event, the organisers put up a fine selection of top-notch raffle prizes. From a ride with Burnout Bully in the Lolife Burnout Comp at the Kaikoura Hop to a pulse-raising hot lap with one of Marlborough’s top rally car drivers, even a full motorcycle detail and ceramic coating package from Details Blenheim, and including a host…

Supercars, in general, probably make poor daily drivers, being highly strung, expensive to repair, and hard work to drive in dense traffic. Well, Rangiora-based John Davies did not get that memo, as the Saker shown here is currently his daily driver. What’s also unusual in the supercar canon is that John built the car himself. The car was designed by Bruce Turnbull in the little town of Bunnythorpe, just down the road from Palmerston North. John Davies first discovered it on the cover of a book titled New Zealand Manufactured Cars: A Cottage Industry. At the time, he was heading towards retirement, and, having built a Mistral kit-car when he was a teenager, he thought that building a Saker would make a fitting postscript to his working career. Through contacts…