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Flick through the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance 2015 programme

1 February, 2015

It’s time for movie and TV show actors to take a back seat and let the cars be the stars at the 2015 Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance. They’ve appeared as part of the scenery, a prop, or getting the stars through all the action and car chases, but now it’s time to let them have centre stage. The theme for the event’s 42nd show is ‘the big screen’, so cars just like the ones you’ve seen featured in movies will be on display at Ellerslie Racecourse on Sunday, February 8 from 10am–4pm.

As well as the movie cars on display, the venue is expected to showcase vehicles from 750 owners and 70 car clubs, plenty vying for the series of best restoration trophies as well as the best unrestored everyday ‘survivor’ trophy. There will also be a splendid selection of new and exotic marques on display that will surely captivate everyone. 

We’ve created a programme for you to have a flick through to see what to expect from the event, some great information about the history and who is involved, as well as a handy map so you can find your way around the show and see everything you planned on seeing. It’s only $15, with children under 12 free, for a day out filled with beautiful classic cars.

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2026 issue 404, on sale now

22 February, 2026

BMW’s flagship techno showcase
The supermodel 1995 BMW 840Ci is simply elegant and perfectly engineered.
BMW’s 840 Ci flagship Coupe provides superb comfort and equipment packaged in a stylish body, with grand-touring performance and surprisingly competent handling for its size.
It’s the kind of machine that stands apart from the start. When BMW first unveiled its flagship Grand Tourer at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive world blinked twice. Sleek, low, and impossibly modern for its era, it combined drama with a sort of purposeful understatement. This silhouette still looks striking today, long after its peers have faded into obscurity.
Initially offered with a range of engines, the model you’re reading about is the V8 iteration, featuring a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder heart under its long bonnet and a smooth five-speed automatic at the back. It wasn’t about blistering sprint times so much as effortless velocity. There was power on tap, sure, but the way it delivered thrust felt unhurried and measured – the automotive equivalent of a deep exhale on a long drive.
Poster 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, C2