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Aussie vs Kiwi muscle car showdown at Highlands

30 January, 2015

The battle between Australia’s Enzed Touring Car Masters (TCM) and New Zealand’s Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) is set to be one of the highlights of Highlands Festival of Speed, running from January 31–February 1 at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Otago. It will be the third time the TCM and CMC have competed for a trans-Tasman trophy, but it marks the first time the groups have raced on New Zealand soil.

Dr John Elliot, the president of CMC says, “We’re all looking forward to it enormously!” Many of the CMC cars that you know and love will be present at the event, ready to wage war on the track with their Australian cousins.

Double Australian Touring Car Champion Glenn Seton has put his expertise to good use in setting up several leading TCM cars. One such car is the 1964 Ford Mustang regularly driven by Will Vining in TCM’s ProSports class, which he will race at Highlands. Blue Oval fans will also be excited to watch the ’66 Ford Mustang Fastback, driven by 2007 TCM champ Steve Mason, as well as Wayne Mercer’s Falcon XB GT, Tony Karanfilovski’s ’69 Mustang, and Keith Kassulke’s ’74 Falcon Coupe.

That’s not to say Holden has been neglected — with noted historic racer Carey McMahon’s Holden Torana SL/R 5000, and Garry Treloar’s ’72 HQ Monaro making an appearance, Holden’s finest will be well represented by the Aussie brigade.

The event is a celebration of New Zealand motorsport through the years — including vintage and classic saloons, and open wheelers competing on the Highlands’ circuit. As a true family event, the motoring is not the sole attraction; there is also a mass of festival-style entertainment, food, and refreshments to keep every member of the family happy.

Tickets cost $39 for an adult on Saturday only, or $49 for an adult on Sunday only. Otherwise an adult can attend both days with a weekend pass costing $80. Children 16 years and younger receive free entry with a paying adult.

Put a ring around that

18 October, 2024

Provenance is a valuable part of a classic car and DKW/Auto Union collectors Brendan and Bobbette Odell have a detailed documented history of a special car in their growing collection of these little two-stroke wonders.
Brendan’s hometown of Pretoria enjoyed more than its fair share of the marque, where their reliability and performance made them popular..
“There used to be a joke going round in South Africa that there were more DKWs in Pretoria per square mile than anywhere else in the world,” Says Brendan.
The Odells redressed that balance a little when they shifted to New Zealand as they brought some of the cars with them.
One of their DKWs also accompanied them to Tonga. Brendan’s green 1959 Auto Union 1000 two-door went with them from South Africa to Tonga from 2010 to 2013 where he worked for the local airline. It then travelled on with them to New Zealand. It is one of just 10 right-hand drive cars of the two-door basic model remaining worldwide.

Stag roars again

11 October, 2024

The Triumph Stag pictured here has been lovingly restored from what was once, in the owner’s words, “a horrible, terrible job”. Owners Glynn and Alison Gaston hail from Dunedin and along with their grandchildren now enjoy cruising in the Stag after a three-and-a-half-year restoration.
In 2011, Glynn was looking for a classic car to restore. After 21 years with Air New Zealand he was working as a Super Shuttle driver, with four days on and four days off, which gave him the time to take on such a project — something he had always wanted to do.
“I’d looked at quite a few cars over the years. The idea was to restore a car as something to keep me going. I had looked at different MGs and I would have quite liked an Austin Healey or something similar but they were really expensive.
“Then I saw a Stag and I thought, Ah, this is nice. This is what I would like.