SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

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.

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.