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.

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

With almost three and a half decades under its belt, Fraser Cars is one of New Zealand’s longest-surviving car manufacturers. The company first opened its doors for business in 1988, during the boom time for kit manufacturers. During the ’80s, around 40 different companies were building kits and turnkey cars for this niche market. Of those, only Fraser and Almac Cars (established 1981) are still in business today.
Most of the new kit car companies were killed off in the cradle by the threat of new legislation that never eventuated and definitively by the sudden availability of high-performance Japanese cars when the floodgates to second-hand imports were opened. The now long-retired founder of the company, Neil Fraser, first came across Lotus Seven replicas while racing Lotus Cortinas in the early ’80s. He regularly found himself racing against a little Caterham, a Lotus Seven–styled car built in England. He was very impressed by its simplicity and handling. In 1986 Fraser built his own Lotus Seven–type car, using the knowledge he had gained from several close looks at the Caterham.

2027 Star Insure Calendar Competition Terms and Conditions

2027 Star Insure Calendar Competition
We’ve partnered up with Star Insure in search for 13 outstanding classic cars to feature across the 2027 Star Insure Calendar and the December issue of NZ Classic Car Magazine. One standout entry wins the ultimate honour: cover placement on both the calendar and the magazine, with the remaining 12 featured across the monthly pages.
Email your photo to [email protected] and include your full name, postal address, phone number and vehicle details (year, make and model). Entries close Friday, 31 July 2026. *T’s & C’s apply.
Read more to find out the full details >>