Hot rods rescue St Johns

17 November, 2014

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“Getting the hot rods out of the garage and out on the road for a Sunday cruise is great, but getting them out for a great cause is even better”

An impressive level of support was seen for the combined efforts of Auckland’s North Shore car club East Bay Rods and the Silverdale Business Association in hosting a charity display for St Johns at the Silverdale Shopping Centre on Sunday, November 16.

Much of the community came out to check out all the cars on display during the one-day deal, which cost just a gold coin donation to St Johns. Over fifty of East Bay Rods’ vehicles were on display with the addition of other cars, and also a preferred parking area for visiting hot rods, street machines and classics.

Local businesses also sponsored each car on display as a way of fundraising for East Bay Rods itself who are very active in hot rodding throughout New Zealand. The event was so successful it’s looking like it’s likely to become a regular thing, which sounds like great exposure for the hot rodding hobby.

Ford’s Mustang – the endlessly hip American dream machine

28 May, 2026

Fifty or so years ago, the only place in New Zealand to see a Ford Mustang was on the racetrack. In a local market severely constrained by a lack of new motor vehicles, the new North American Ford was a dreamy icon boosted by considerable motorsport success.
Import licences for cars were limited, and if Kiwis travelled abroad, the amount of currency they could take with them was restricted. What’s more, those funds could not be used to buy a car for importation back home. Yet it was OK to spend the money on heavy drinking at a London pub, Gucci shoes, sable fur coats, and excessive stays at the Hôtel Martinez at Cannes in France.
However, any rare Mustang that landed on our shores would not be destined to pose around Auckland’s then trendy Queen Street on a Friday night but would more likely be found in the care of well-known racing drivers on the starting grid at local motor racing tracks.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

22 May, 2026

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”

Hot rods rescue St Johns

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