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Five reasons to sink your teeth into New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 297

18 September, 2015

September’s New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 297) is now on sale! And there’s plenty of excellent content bound within its pages to keep you entertained.

The first thing that we think of when we hear ‘flat-six’ and ‘rear-engined’ in the same sentence is the Porsche 911. But in this issue we take a look at one of the most unique American vehicles ever created that shares the same layout — the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair. Unfairly singled out in Ralph Nader’s infamous book, Unsafe at Any Speed, we reckon that the high-performance turbocharged 1965 Corvair Corsa that adorns the cover is definitely the business.

Fit for royalty, this 1952 R-Type Bentley has lead an interesting life amongst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s rich and famous. Now residing in Christchurch, this gorgeous Bentley now leads a more quiet life, and is only brought out for special occasions — including our full feature.

If you like Italian, then read on. We feature one of the finest 1988 1.7 QV Cloverleaf Alfa Sprint’s you are ever likely to see, discovering in the process what links this car has with the lucky shamrock that’s more usually associated with Ireland, the famous Targa Florio road race, and even Enzo Ferrari.

Take a look at what we discovered hiding away in a barn on a Waikato chicken farm — you’ll be amazed at 200 classic cars, the property of a collector who once owned 75, yes 75, PA Vauxhalls.

Check out our great nationwide news section, and, if you’re in the market for a classic car or trade professional, then our cars for sale and trade directory section will also be of major interest. And don’t miss out on this month’s great subscription offers.         

Pick up Issue No. 297 of New Zealand Classic Car below, and you don’t even need to leave The Motorhood!

“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.