SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Book review: Hey Charger

29 December, 2016

 

By Gavin Farmer and Gary Bridger
ISBN 978-0-9805229-3-8
Available direct from co-author Gary Bridger
Price $90 plus post and packing.
Contact Gary — email [email protected] or phone 021 718 841

When the first edition of Hey Charger was released, in 2004, it received universal acclaim from those involved in developing the car, as well as devoted enthusiasts and the media. Hey Charger featured in the editorial of the April 2004 issue of New Zealand Classic Car, and was also awarded book of the month. Mark Webster wrote, “With its meticulous research, cogent interviews, detailed appendices and references, rare models, many colour plates and a wealth of detail, no Chrysler Charger or NZ racing fan should miss this one — it’s the last word”. Australian Classic Car magazine wrote, “A landmark publication about an important Australian vehicle, and definitely our book of the month”. Today, many Chrysler enthusiasts simply refer to Hey Charger as ‘the bible’, because of its historical and technical accuracy. 

Now Gary and Gavin Farmer have again joined forces to produce a completely revised and updated second edition of Hey Charger, in a hardcover full-colour format. This time, Hey Charger has been published in Australia by Gavin Farmer’s publishing company, Ilinga Books. The text has been thoroughly updated, and many new colour and black-and-white photos have been added. All the technical specs have been rigorously proofed by Charger gurus in Australia and New Zealand, and amended accordingly. The error count in the original edition was found to be very low, and only minor corrections were needed. 

Significant changes to the first edition include the complete rewrite of the chapter on the 340 V8 Chargers, as a result of newly discovered evidence on this often-controversial subject. There are also family-approved tributes to Australian motor-racing legend Leo Geoghegan and New Zealand’s Sir John Todd, who both passed away in 2015.

To quote the US’s Mopar Collectors Guide magazine, November 2004, “If you like Australian Chargers, get this book. If you don’t, your life will be filled with misery and woe until you do!”

The actual Formula One

18 September, 2026

Seeing, in a shed in Hamilton, New Zealand, the Darracq 120 racer that Louis Wagner, also a pioneer aviator, drove to victory in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race felt a little like finding a Rembrandt at a garage sale.
For historical significance, I’d say this car ranks with Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp, the first Indianapolis 500 winner. Unlike Harroun’s Wasp, which has been lovingly cared for at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum over the years, this historically pivotal machine wound up half a world away from its home in France and, to most of the motoring world, largely forgotten. Sadly, so is the story of how the car got to Aotearoa in the first place.
More often than not, a racing car that is a few years old is regarded as obsolete and relegated to a shed somewhere. As far as racing drivers and team owners at the cutting edge of the sport are concerned, the cars are virtually worthless at that point. They can’t be driven on the street; at best they can be reconfigured for lower levels of the sport, so few people care about them until their historical significance becomes more apparent.

Dad will love this!

29 August, 2026

Subscribe or gift a subscription to NZ Classic Car magazine for one year this Father’s Day, and go into the draw to win one of two luxury car care packages worth $570 from Lovecars.
The prize: Adam’s Foam Cannon Kit includes a complete pressure-washer foam cannon setup; Michelle’s Car Wash Kit takes care of everything after the foam. It includes Autostolz Premium Auto Wash, Enhanced Ceramic Spray Wax, and loads more.
Together, you’ve got the setup to foam, wash, protect and dry your car properly – using some of NZ’s top-selling car detailing products.
A seriously good prize for anyone who loves keeping their car looking its best.