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The January 2017 issue of New Zealand Classic Car is out now!

12 December, 2016

By the time you open the pages of the January 2017 issue of New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 313), Christmas will quite literally be just around the corner. As always, the lead-up can be a stressful time for everyone. Leaving everything to the last minute seems to be the norm — well, for most of us, anyway — despite our best intentions not to make the same mistake again the following year. As our minds clog up with last-minute work details, what Christmas presents to buy, Christmas and holiday plans, not to mention atrocious traffic build-ups, it’s probably not a bad idea to take a moment or two to take a deep breath, relax, and thumb through the pages of this special Christmas issue.

Finally, I would like to wish all our loyal readers, advertisers, and contributors a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Drive safely over the holiday season, and we hope to see you next year.

Here’s a rundown of what we’ve put together for this issue:

Daniel Armstrong took a liking to the HR station wagon from an early age, and decided that it would be his first car.

The story of our featured Lotus 22 — frame number 22/47 — is both interesting and tangled. Feast your eyes on this beauty!

It has been said that once a Mini is in the family, you never really let go. Just ask Dean Foster!

Grab a copy of the January 2017 issue of New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 313) from a store near you, or order your copy below:


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Grab a copy of the mag now!

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2026 issue 404, on sale now

22 February, 2026

BMW’s flagship techno showcase
The supermodel 1995 BMW 840Ci is simply elegant and perfectly engineered.
BMW’s 840 Ci flagship Coupe provides superb comfort and equipment packaged in a stylish body, with grand-touring performance and surprisingly competent handling for its size.
It’s the kind of machine that stands apart from the start. When BMW first unveiled its flagship Grand Tourer at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive world blinked twice. Sleek, low, and impossibly modern for its era, it combined drama with a sort of purposeful understatement. This silhouette still looks striking today, long after its peers have faded into obscurity.
Initially offered with a range of engines, the model you’re reading about is the V8 iteration, featuring a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder heart under its long bonnet and a smooth five-speed automatic at the back. It wasn’t about blistering sprint times so much as effortless velocity. There was power on tap, sure, but the way it delivered thrust felt unhurried and measured – the automotive equivalent of a deep exhale on a long drive.
Poster 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, C2