A Sunday morning dose of Caffeine and Classics

1 December, 2014

It hasn’t even been two years yet since the inception of the monthly Caffeine and Classics event, but in that time it has become quite possibly the biggest regular car meet on the calendar. Taking place at Smales Farm business park, just a few minutes north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the event is open to all types of classic and custom vehicles — and they tend to arrive by the hundreds.

Taking place on the last Sunday of every month, the event held on Sunday, November 30 was, in theory, the second to last of the year — although with the next one scheduled to fall between Christmas and New Years it will no doubt have a smaller turnout. With that in mind we decided to check out Sunday’s event and from the moment we laid eyes on the car park we were blown away. Not only was it the sheer volume of cars that was impressive, but the variety also. From classic Japanese imports through to the latest of Detroit’s muscle cars, and everything in-between, there was something to suit every taste.

The event ‘officially’ runs from 10am–1pm, but in reality the car park was packed by 9am and started to empty out around 11.30am, with many spectators taking the chance to witness the mass exodus up close, cameras in hand.

If you’re ever looking for something to do on a Sunday morning, and it happens to fall on the last Sunday of the month, regardless of if you’ve got a classic of your own or not, we recommend you head along to Smales Farm, grab yourself a coffee, and have a look at some of the best machines you’ll ever lay your eyes on.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2025 issue 399, on sale now

Who would have thought it would become such a worldwide motorsport star when Ford introduced the humble Escort in 1967?
Its popularity, particularly in Mark 1 form, is now of iconic status. Our cover story for this issue is on a 1968 Ford Escort Mark 1, Alan Mann Racing Tribute. We talked with the owner of this very special Escort, finished in tribute also to the owner’s father.
“Most children love speed, and motorsport typically comes courtesy of a parent, and Elliott is no different. His engineer father, Mark, had a love for motorcycles and going fast; however, when children came along, he swapped two wheels for four, in the form of two Ford Escorts.
Little did Mark know it at the time, but the humble Escort was about to weave its way into the family fabric once and for all.
After emigrating from London to New Zealand, Elliott recalled one evening when he was 14 being invited to tag along by his father, helping a friend convert an Escort road car into a racing car. This was the pivotal moment when Elliott remembers the motorsport bug taking over. He knew he had to have his own one.”