Five bargain-priced everyday classics you could buy today

9 June, 2015

If you’re like us you tend to find yourself trawling through websites, newspapers, and sometimes even grocery store noticeboards, trying to hunt out that perfect classic car for a decent price. We’ve done the hard yards for you and have discovered five bargain-priced classics you could own today.

1. 1976 Triumph 2500 — $3950

Powered by a detuned version of the same 2.5-litre straight-six motor fitted into Triumph’s hairy-chested TR5 sports car, the 2500 saloon was a genuine businessman’s express. Endowed with good performance, excellent handling, and a well-equipped interior, these Triumphs quickly became extremely popular in New Zealand. Indeed, in one of New Zealand Classic Car’s early reader surveys, the Triumph 2500 was voted as the most popular everyday classic. The 1976 example seen here looks extremely tidy both inside and out, and everyday usable. With an asking price of only $3950, it’s a real bargain. Check it out here.

2. 1978 Austin Princess 1800HL — $4750

Built in various guises from 1975 to 1981, the wedge-shaped Princess never really caught on and, in comparison to contemporary rivals such as the Ford Cortina, it was a bit of a sales flop. However, the Princess has a certain ’70s charm about it that some find attractive and, fitted with hydragas suspension, these cars provide a smooth and comfortable ride.

We spotted this tidy-looking example in Canterbury. With only 110,400kms on the clock, this three-owner Austin looks to have been well cared for with the present owner having used it mostly on VCC rallies. From its twin headlights you can tell that this is an HL model, fitted with an 1800cc motor and a manual gearbox. The owner will consider all offers around $4750. Check it out here.

3. 1985 Lancia Beta Coupe — $6000

For those with a taste for an Italian everyday classic, how about a Lancia Beta? While these cars quickly gained a rusty reputation, survivors will usually have been dealt to and be protected against the deadly tin worm. And if style is your thing, you’ll want a two-door example — by cutting their Beta saloon’s platform down by 190mm and adding a new, Zagato-styled body, Lancia produced exactly that with their handsome Beta Coupé.

We found this bright-red 2000 IE Coupe in Auckland and it looks to be a prime example, having been extensively restored by a previous owner in 2011 — and, with an asking price of only $6000, we’d expect this stylish coupe to be snapped up very quickly. Check it out here.

4. 1952 Ford Prefect — $7000

For those looking for an older everyday classic, it’d be hard to go past one of Ford’s sit-up-and-beg Prefects. Bog-standard transportation in their day, a surprising number of these sturdy and reliable cars have survived to the present day — so Ford must’ve done something right when they built these cute saloon cars.

The example seen here hails from Rotorua and is currently in daily use having been converted to a more modern 12-volt electrical system with electric wipers, driving lights, heater, and additional gauges — all designed to make the car a more practical everyday classic. With an asking price of $7000, this fully restored Prefect is just waiting for a new owner to jump aboard and drive it away. Check it out here.

5. 1955 Vauxhall Velox — $7000

Don’t fancy a Ford Prefect? What about a Vauxhall from the same era? The Velox — one of Vauxhall’s first post-war models — debuted in 1951 and would run alongside its sister cars (the Wyvern and more upmarket Cresta) until replaced by the transatlantic-looking PA models in 1957.

The featured two-tone Velox is a three-owner car that has spent the last 12 years in storage — the car’s original registration plate being on hold. With a very straight-looking body, as well as original paint and a tidy interior, the Vauxhall is a runner and only needs a few tweaks to get it ready for the drive home. Currently in Matamata, the asking price is negotiable from a starting figure of $7000. Check it out here.

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.