Got room for a 1936 Ford Sedan in your garage?

8 December, 2014

If you’ve ever wanted to own a hot rod, but never had the cash, then this may be your chance. The New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA) in conjunction with The Mount Shop are running a raffle with the prize being a 1936 Ford Sedan.

After running previous lotteries, with the prizes being two-seater vehicles, NZHRA have listened to the overwhelming call for a family car this time around and have responded with the purchase of the Ford.

The car has a lot of history being previously owned by Nelson’s Wayne Gardiner for around 35 years. When Wayne was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2011, his fellow members at Golden Bay Rodders hot rod club pulled together to get it back on the road. Wayne had the pleasure of driving the car for about eight months before he passed away and the car was left to his daughters.

Since being purchased by NZHRA, the car has been bought back to top condition, as well as having new wheels fitted, which were provided by Auckland-based wheel wholesalers BG Marketing.

A few more custom touches are set to be added and NZHRA are aiming to showcase the completed vehicle at the Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival on January 17, 2015. It’s at this event that tickets will go on sale for the first time.

The vehicle will also be on display at Hibiscus Rodders’ Beach Festival in Orewa on January 23–25, at Leadfoot Festival in Hahei on February 6–8, and Repco Beach Hop in Whangamata in the last week of March. Hot rod clubs nationwide will have tickets for sale during this time, as will the NZHRA office via their website, hotrod.org.nz.

 

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.