Escape to the far north for Autospectacular

9 December, 2015

Classic car enthusiasts planning to head to the top of the North Island for their summer holidays should be planning to visit this year’s Autospectacular — once again organized by the Far North Vintage Car Club. With classic and vintage cars, motorcycles, and trucks on display — plus hot rods, a swap meet, food and craft stalls — there’s enough on offer to keep the entire family happy.

And if you’re touring in your classic or vintage car, entry to the show is free — and visitors can also enter the draw to win a two-night stay at the Reia Taipa Beach Resort. The show takes place on Saturday, January 9, 2016 and will be held at the Eastern Rugby Football Grounds, East Street, Taipa. Gates are open from 8am to 2pm, public entry costs $5 per adult, and $2 per child.

Merry Christmas from NZ Classic Car magazine

The Classic Car magazine team is taking a few weeks’ holiday from the work computer and heading to the beach for some kickback time.
Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful summer holiday to all our readers, followers, and fans. Enjoy this special extra time with the family. We will be posting archive articles again in mid to late January.
Have fun, be good and be careful out there.

Two engines instead of one?

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.