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Quirky and classic cars cruise for charity

31 January, 2015

A convoy of classic cars and quirky vehicles will wind its way around the North Island from March 6–14, 2015, as part of the 25th Trillian Variety Bash, a rally to raise funds for Kiwi kids via Variety — the Children’s Charity.

The Bash has raised nearly $8 million since its inception, which has gone towards helping kids who are going through a rough time look forward to a brighter future. The event will see teams, accompanied by a swathe of local celebrities, travel from the Taranaki to Ohakea via Wanganui, and on to Waiouru, before heading South towards Wellington, with a pause at Parliament. From there, the convoy will travel to Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga, and then head into Auckland via Cambridge. The procession begins on March 6 in New Plymouth, winding up in Auckland on March 14, for a grand celebration at MOTAT.

Silverdale’s Kaeleb Dovey tries out the Liberty Swing which Bashers donated to his Silverdale School

Each participating team pledges thousands of dollars of fundraising to the cause, as well as collecting along the way, and every ‘Basher’ (as they’re known) believes in the charity’s core values — helping New Zealand children, whether it’s via a specialized laptop for a blind, deaf, or autistic child, sports kit for the financially disadvantaged, or books and equipment for rural schools.

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

18 October, 2026

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

16 October, 2026

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.