Indholdsfortegnelse for No 395 September/October 2024 i NZ Classic Car

If there is one underlying factor that stands out for me as editor of New Zealand Classic Car, it is the passion evident from all involved in our car scene. It’s a force now driving what is a formidable slice of the New Zealand economy, expanding social networks. New Zealand Classic Car might be bimonthly, but a daily influx of emails and phone calls shows the level of enthusiasm. KEEP THEM COMING It’s not just the blokes. I’ve got three emails from wives and daughters about their partner’s or dad’s cars, asking if I could see if there is a story. Topping the list is a father who contacted me about his son, now apprenticed into the restoration industry. It became the background to a story. A schoolmate approached the…

Post-war America was a time of unbridled optimism. After World War II, with most of Europe and much of Asia devastated, the US emerged almost untouched as the world’s first superpower. It was an era in which America’s middle class emerged fully, powered by returning veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill to attend college (for most, the first generation of their families to do so) and to buy their first homes. Those starter homes of 100m2 or less often had attached garages. Their new owners, having suffered during the war years, were eager to park shiny new US-built automobiles in those garages. The country’s independent automakers – Studebaker, Packard, Nash, Hudson, Kaiser, Frazer, and many others – had introduced all-new post-war models before 1948. In 1949, the big three…

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Start with something good, develop it, and invariably you will emerge with something even better. That was the theory behind New Zealand’s modified Fiat 125T five decades ago – and it worked. It is, however, drawing a long bow to label this warmed-up four-door Italian sedan ‘locally inspired’, since its origins could be traced to a South African tuning kit known as ‘Scorpion’. Still, Torino Motors, the New Zealand Fiat concessionaire at the time, could see the potential of the standard 125 and how a special version could score not only with buyers but also in the country’s production saloon car races. Sales did not quite pan out as planned, but the local car market in the ’70s was always difficult to gauge, and when Kiwi knuckles were apparently smacked…

There is something serene about Donald Osborne’s long relationship with his Spider; he has always been a fan of Alfas, but this has the kind of charm of someone reunited with a high school sweetheart. Italian cars, and especially Alfas, have always had the X-factor for Donald, their style, often advanced technology, and driving spirit raising them above the other cars of his youth. But then Alfa Romeos have always had a band of especially devoted owners who have kept more than their share of them alive and going strong, even if they were even more prone to rust than most of their contemporaries. Their sheer character – their sweet lines, enthusiastic and rorty engines, odd driving position, and even their reputation for needing careful nursing just to keep them…

The Marconi is one of those amazing museums, privately owned and operated on a philanthropic basis, giving back to the community in the form of charitable endeavours. In the late 1950s, a young man called Dick Marconi, newly married and with an 18-month-old son, relocated from his native Gary, Indiana (home of the Jackson 5) to make his fortune in California. Apart from his entrepreneurial spirit, he had $500 and an MBA. He created Herbalife, which grew into the world’s largest manufacturer of custom-made vitamins, weight-loss products, and food supplements. “In the late 1950s, a young man called Dick Marconi, newly married and with an 18-month-old son, relocated from his native Gary, Indiana to make his fortune in California” “Its goal is to raise US$1M annually for various children’s charities”…

Thanks to Percy Pilcher for supplying this background on the MER – Ed.) The MER was built in 1967, by Matamata Engineering for Les Reisterer. There were a few chassis built but very few made it to complete cars. Of these, two were two-seater cars and the others single-seaters. Chassis number one is instantly recognisable, as the front bodywork is modified to allow for a forward-leaning radiator and air outlet. Chassis number two is in Matamata, owned by Kevin O’Hanlon. Ray Hawke, current president of The Historic Racing and Sports Car Club New Zealand (HRSCC), has one two-seater and his son the other two-seater. Ray’s twoseater has a brief racing history. By far the most famous of them is chassis number one. It was raced successfully by Les Reisterer and…

From a humble workshop at the back of Harry Clegg’s house, HBI Engineering has blossomed into a flourishing business, employing the latest in computerised machining technology to deliver superior products and services. Current owners Greg Smith and Scott Duncan have been instrumental in the company’s success over the years. Greg has been with the company for 34 years, while Scott has contributed 24 years, both bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE In its early days, HBI Engineering was authorised to remanufacture steering joints for cars, trucks, and buses. However, in August 1990, the company ambitiously applied to the Controller of Vehicle Standards at the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority to expand its services to all vehicles, including passenger service vehicles. Their dedication to quality…

Back in the ’50s and ’60s, the attractive flowing lines of Donald Healey’s Austin-Healey sports cars were the epitome of British open-top sports cars, competing in circuit racing and international rallying. For a number of years, BMC’s competition department fielded teams driving Austin-Healeys to memorable successes, particularly in rallying where the cars relished tough conditions. Big, noisy, and decked out with extra lights and in bright colours – the BMC team was all red – they provided a great spectacle. The later six-cylinder 100/6 and 3000 models were not only long-legged touring machines but also impressive cars on the international race and rally scene. Some appeared in motor racing meetings in New Zealand and many well-known drivers had successful outings in these cars. One such driver was George Lawton, who…

Introduced in 1955, the second-generation Buick Century, named for its 100-plus-mileper-hour capability, offered a station wagon option for the first time since the first 1936–’42 Century models. The Century coincided with the launch of the General Motors (GM) Oldsmobile 88 and 89 Holiday range, and they were the first four-door hardtops produced in the US. A booming US economy, a rapidly expanding jet age, and the space race grabbed the public’s attention. Car designers responded with styling cues such as fins, large curved glass windscreens, multiple banks of tail-lights and chrome in abundance, signalling war-time austerity was out the door. Buick styling cues such as the four portholes along the front mudguards were included in the new Century, along with the new one-piece panoramic windscreens on all GM cars. In…

A merican car shows in New Zealand often see well over 500 and sometimes more than 1000 vehicles on display, from all decades, and in original and modified form. After World War II, the New Zealand market was dominated by small British and some American vehicles. Slowly, Australian vehicles entered our market, and by the 1970s, we had a plethora of large sedans. In the 1990s, the SUV trend began in earnest, and in the 2000s the pickup truck models increased, not only in terms of product offerings but of girth too. Fast forward to today, and even with the government trying to get us to buy electric cars as fuel prices head towards gold-per-ounce-type pricing, big utes still dominate the top-10 vehicle choices, the Ford Ranger being by far…

Send your letters to editor@classiccar.co.nz Shifting from Auckland to Christchurch, Richard Waugh has wasted no time in getting in touch with local Jaguar enthusiasts. Hot on the heels of his last letter seeking out Ngaio Marsh’s elusive Mark V Jaguar, Richard contacted me again to announce another project: “A modest publication on the Mark VII, VIIM, VIII, and IX cars”. Richard explained why he was researching these cars for his book: “Next year will be 75 years since the Mark VII was introduced at the London Motor Show, in October 1950, and the anniversary gives a good focus to New Zealand owners of these cars to get together.” Dear Editor 75th anniversary of the Jaguar Mark VII I am hoping readers can help with stories and photographs of the 1950s…

“Simon has named the car ‘Louis’, after Lord Mountbatten” A delighted Simon Manning got his wish to be a Rolls-Royce owner on 6 July 2011. After looking for some time and making unsuccessful bids on several other Rolls-Royces, he won his prized 1939 Wraith in a US-based online auction. Miles Miller, who had owned the saloon from the late 1970s, supplied him with all the information that he had on the car but that didn’t include who else had owned the car in America or how and when it was purchased from the British Admiralty in Malta. The events of the Wraith’s missing years are being actively pursued by the tenacious Simon. ROYAL HISTORY “I had no idea of the royal connections until I started researching its history,” says Simon.…

Those fans of the 1980s remember La Bamba and the story of Ritchie Valens. Both he and Holly, along with the pilot, died in a small plane crash along with JP Richardson. JP was better known as ‘The Big Bopper’, a less famous singer of the time. Like The Big Bopper, Chrysler’s big Aussie coupé of the 1970s has been largely forgotten. Chrysler Australia was first established in Australia in June 1951, when Chrysler acquired Chrysler Dodge Distributors (Holdings) Pty Ltd, a company that had been formed in 1935 by 18 independent distributors. During the 1950s and 1960s, Chrysler invested significant capital in manufacturing plants in Australia, consolidating in Adelaide. THE VALIANT VALIANT The Plymouth Valiant was released in the US in 1959, and it was an instant success. Chrysler…

Jem Marsh, Trevor Wilkinson, and Colin Chapman have one thing in common: during the 1950s, they were all building clubman racing cars for themselves and other enthusiasts. For each, it was a case of a hobby turning into a business producing kits and the odd turnkey car. That morphed again into businesses building and selling only factory-built turnkey vehicles. Did you guess the companies that grew from these small beginnings? They were, of course, Marcos (1959–2007), TVR (1946–present), and Lotus (1948–present). These manufacturers represent only a handful of the companies, sole traders, and chaps in sheds that were manufacturing cars during the ’50s and ’60s. Most have faded into history, their memories kept alive mainly by ageing enthusiasts. Without these enthusiasts, cars like Buckler, Falcon, and Ashley would have been…

Just when you thought that common sense might finally prevail, another numpty comes out of the woodwork and proposes yet more nonsense that may well impact on our classic vehicles. Auckland has recently lost its congestion charge, which was included in the price per litre of fuel (can you Auckland people keep the cheering noise down a bit, please?). While I could understand the concept of a congestion charge in cities like London, UK, I didn’t think our New Zealand cities were big enough to warrant them. In Christchurch, for example, it only takes about 30 minutes to get from one side of town to the other – that was until the dopey council introduced 10kph speed limits, and footpath-sized singlelane roads in the vicinity of the new white elephant…

Capable of not only enduring everything the roughest Kiwi and Aussie roads could throw at it, the HQ was a workhorse work car; a practical family run around; and, in the guise of a GTS Monaro, even a fullyfledged street weapon. The New Zealand Police, government departments, taxi companies, and families throughout the country either owned or used an HQ Kingswood, Belmont, or Premier. LANDMARK MODEL FOR GMH According to HQ owner and Holden enthusiast Ian McDougall, the HQ was a genuine landmark car from the Red Lion. “It was the first purely Australian-built Holden, with all the components built in Australia. Holden made half a million HQs during its production run and that included all models, saloons, wagons, utes, Sandmans, etc.,” he says. Thanks to such large numbers, the…

A very happy owner received the keys to the second Mustang Shelby GT500KR 1000 Wide Body Gen III, built by Matamata Panelworks and Shelby New Zealand, at a special unveiling ceremony on Friday, 12 July in Matamata. Company owner Malcolm Sankey said that he was thrilled with the completion of the project and congratulated Penny, the new owner. “We had three allocated and one has been sold back in the States, so we are getting just the two at the moment,” Malcolm said. Invited guests were given a special treat as the car was fired up and the tarpaulin with its Shelby insignia was rolled back, revealing the ‘EVILKR’ Mustang Shelby, in gloss black. Fine red pinstriping highlighted the bonnet, and the Shelby name was prominent in red down low…

Designer Alec Issigonis’s 1964 ADO17 Austin/Morris 1800 concept, the largest of his range of three front-wheel-drive sedans that radically influenced future automotive design, might have pushed the envelope just a bit too far for conservative bigger car buyers. His Mini struggled at first then became a raging success and now enjoys cult status. The 1100/1300 likewise enjoyed strong sales. But, when it came to the third of his designs, sales of the 1800 were a disappointment. Designed in conjunction with Italian styling house Pininfarina, many critics expressed the view that perhaps Issigonis and BMC should have left the styling with Farina as they had done with successive A40, A60, and A110 models, and, of course, the MGB. Farina showed what could have been with its 1967 Aerodynamica, based on an…

The sound alone is enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Malcom Sankey, the team at Matamata Panelworks and Shelby New Zealand are celebrating the launch of only the second Mustang-Shelby GT500KR widebody Generation III to cruise our streets. The legend of Carroll Shelby and the V8 lives on, with special badges and numbered plaques adorning the spectacular, Shelby-detailed exterior. The deep gloss-black paint is highlighted with fine red pinstriping and the hint of red brake callipers glimpsed through the GT500KR forged alloy 20-inch gloss-black wheels made exclusively for Shelby by HRE. ‘EVILKR’ sports a Whipple GTKR 500 blown, intercooled, and injected 5.2-litre V8 Predator under that wide bonnet delivering 1089 horsepower or 812kW onto the road through meaty Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 345/30-20 ZR20 tyres…

Sydney Allard, set up in a Ford dealership by his father, made his name as a designer, racing enthusiast, and one of the earliest drag racing exponents in the UK using a formula that proved irresistible and virtually all-conquering. Nearly all of his creations were equipped with American V8s. The standard unit was the 21-stud Ford flat-head. However, some customers opted for the 24-stud Mercury flathead, which was bored and stroked to produce 140 horsepower (104kW). Many Allards, especially those exported to the US, were fitted with Cadillac, Oldsmobile, or Chrysler Hemi engines. Dan and Donna Thompson’s P1 has a 239-cubic-inch (ci) (3916cc) Mercury V8 Canadian truck engine in it, fitted with Edelbrock aluminium heads, three Stromberg 97 two-barrel carburettors, and performance exhaust headers. If you peer under the front…

When Peter Buckleigh discovered that his best mate Brett Riley was visiting Auckland, a lunch of motor sport minds was assembled. When Jim Palmer was a late withdrawal, I was happy to complete a table for six, along with good buddies Bob McMurray, David Oxton, and Murray Taylor. The conversation covered a range of diverse motor racing topics of the moment: when Liam Lawson will get his big break, how well Marcus Armstrong is doing in the US, what is going on with the Australian Supercar scene, whether Mercedes is really going to promote a teenager straight from Formula 2 (F2) into its 2025 team, and how excruciating we all find so many motor racing commentators on TV. All these exchanges only commenced after a round-up of respective ailments, treatments,…

“Some of the cars they raced were memorable. Havard started with a Studebaker V8–powered U2 sports car” In Part 1 of this series in New Zealand Classic Car, Issue No. 395, Gerard recalls the origins of ‘the Rothesay Bay racing mafia’ shortly after he left school, when one of his best mates, Chris Davison, went flatting with a crew of “hardwired Rothesay Bay petrolheads” in Knights Road. HAVARD DANIELS Havard Daniels was probably the leading light of this tribe. It was an exciting time, as the lads started getting involved in grass-roots motor sport. Rallying, sprints, hill-climbing, circuit racing, and rallycross were the rich feast of events on offer on the North Shore and wider Auckland regions. They all embraced it with gusto. Some of the cars they raced were…

I restored my 1968 Volkswagen a number of years ago, but kept the original windscreen because it looked OK at the time. Since then, it has been scratched by a bad windscreen wiper and has become a bit cloudy. I asked my mate Bruce Haye at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga to help me replace it, and he agreed to show me how. Pitted, scratched, or cracked windscreens are unsightly, as well as possibly dangerous. The glare off of fine pits can make it hard to see when driving into the sun, and scratches made by worn out wiper blades can be distracting as well as ugly. Also, any windscreen that is cracked – even if it is only through one layer in the case of laminated glass –…

Heading the list this issue is a 1959 Cadillac de Ville coupé that Chris Moor snapped in Wellington. A recent full restoration and a role in a family wedding are just a couple of highlights. 1: Ben Selby gets to grips with one of the World’s top supercars, the impressive-looking McLaren 675 with a fitting scenic backdrop for this exciting machine. 2: Former saloon car racer Dick Shanks of Queenstown has enjoyed Austin-Healeys, Daimler Darts, and Jaguars, so it’s no surprise his that latest acquisition is a 2002 Jaguar XKR. A regular at the annual Josephville Hillclimb run by the Eastern Southland Vintage Car Club, it will be interesting to see if Dick runs the car at this event. 3: Michael Ahie let us feature his amazing Rover V8 a…

“The first Escort I bought when I was 19, but foolishly, in hindsight, sold it after about a year to buy a Japanese import. I had long thought of buying another classic Escort and the time came to do something about it. “Twelve years ago, I was looking for another Ford Escort, so I approached the classic car guy at Avon City Ford Christchurch to help me source one. Together, we found my current Escort, named ‘Patricia’, after my mum, on the internet and went to look at it in North Canterbury. She started her life in Invercargill in 1974 and was owned by several elderly ladies until I bought her in 2012. She is a 1.3-litre with the vinyl roof and automatic gearbox. “Patricia has received a repaint, but…