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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!

“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.