SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Rare 1934 Duesenberg Model J to grace the Hawke’s Bay

19 January, 2015

An opportunity to see the southern hemisphere’s only 1934 Duesenberg Model J in real life doesn’t come around very often, but the HB Vintage Car Club (HBVCC) have ensured you’ll get this chance.

They’ve invited the vehicle to make a special guest appearance at Tremains Art Deco Weekend in Napier throughout February 20–28. Conveniently, if you’re not already in Napier and make the trip down for the event, you can check out the iconic Municipal Theatre as the car will be on display in its Pan Pac Foyer on Friday, February 20 from 3–9pm.

Originally owned by Hollywood actress Carole Lombard, who acted in such films as Vigil in the Night and My Man Godfrey, the Duesenberg Model J has gone through many famous Hollywood hands, including being owned by Greta Garbo, Delores Del Rio, and William Hirsch, before it found its way to New Zealand in 2011 and underwent a full restoration by local Wanaka craftsmen.

The Tremains Napier Art Deco parade will feature around 250 pre-1945 cars in commemoration of the anniversaries being celebrated in 2015 — it is the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli, and 75 years since the Battle of Britain. The parade will include in excess of 20 Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles.

Steve Trott, the organizer of the ACD (Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg) Rally, said everyone was looking forward to the Art Deco and HBVCC annual events as usual, but many were particularly excited to see the 1934 Model J Duesenberg up close for the first time.

“It’s great that we have the 1934 Duesenberg as the feature car at this year’s event. It’s a really special car and looks fantastic. People will be in awe of how stunning it is.”

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2025 issue 398, on sale now

23 February, 2025

An HQ to die for
Mention the acronym HQ and most people in the northern hemisphere will assume this is an abbreviation for Head Quarters. However, for those born before the mid-’80s in Australia and New Zealand, the same two letters only mean one thing – HQ Holden!
Christchurch enthusiast Ed Beattie has a beautiful collection of Holden and Chevrolet cars. He loves the bowtie and its Aussie cousin and has a stable of beautiful, powerful cars. His collection includes everything from a modern GTSR W507 HSV through the decades to a 1960s Camaro muscle car and much in between.
In the last two Holden Nationals (run biennially in 2021 and 2023), Ed won trophies for the Best Monaro and Best Decade with his amazing 1972 Holden Monaro GTS 350 with manual transmission.
Ed is a perfectionist and loves his cars to reflect precisely how they were on ‘Day 1,’ meaning when the dealer released them to the first customer, including any extras the dealer may have added or changed.

You’re the one that I want – 1973 Datsun 240K GT

21 February, 2025

In the early 1970s, Clark Caldow was a young sales rep travelling the North Island and doing big miles annually. He loved driving. In 1975 the firm he worked for asked Clark what he wanted for his new car, and Clark chose a brand-new Datsun 240K GT. The two-door car arrived, and Clark was smitten, or in his own words, he was “pole vaulting.”
Clark drove it all over the country, racking up thousands of miles. “It had quite a bit of pep with its SOHC 128 hp (96kW) of power mated to a four-speed manual gearbox,” he says. Weighing in at 1240kg meant the power to weight ratio was good for the time and its length at almost 4.5 metres meant it had good street presence.
Clark has been a car enthusiast all his life, and decided around nine years ago to look for one of these coupes. By sheer luck he very quickly found a mint example refurbished by an aircraft engineer, but it was in Perth.