SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Sheer beauty and exceptional performance in the latest New Zealand Classic Car

13 March, 2016

There is absolutely no doubt that for sheer beauty combined with exceptional performance, nothing compares with the elegant Mercedes-Benz 500K and 540K supercars of the 1930s. Chief among these is the 540K Roadster penned by Hermann Ahrens, epitomizing the company’s masterwork.

 

This month we take a look at a fabulous 540K Roadster. This massive, handcrafted, art deco sculpture was the absolute pinnacle of automotive desirability from the moment it was launched in Paris back in 1936.

We also take a look at a vehicle that was owned since new, then left unloved for many years — our featured Rover SD1 was lovingly resurrected by the grandson of the original owner. Read his story as he and other family members rally together to create something very special indeed.

We also buckle ourselves into the latest monster from across the ditch — the latest HSV Clubsport LSA R8 — and put it through its paces. Read our final verdict.  

It’s Targa time once again, so be sure to check out the Special Stage maps, itinerary, and competitor listing for this year’s Targa Bambina.

For those of you who were not able to attend the NZFMR Porsche Festival at Hampton Downs, we bring you all the action, thrills and spills in a full report plus coverage of Leadfoot Festival, the New Zealand Classic Car Show, and other events from around the country.

Plus our usual full complement of news items, along with other features such as Behind the Garage Door, Club Corner, and Editor’s Pick to keep you reading.  

Grab a print copy or a digital copy of New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 303 below:




Buy a print copy of the magazine for NZ$10


Buy a digital copy of the magazine for NZ$6.99

Range Rover CSK — the original SUV

5 June, 2026

The Range Rover, thanks to Charles Spencer King, went into production in 1970 boasting an iconic shape that would last until 1996. The vehicle that would create the SUV moniker came about because Rover decided it was time to add a bigger four-wheel-drive vehicle, one with a 100-inch wheelbase, to the model range. Land Rover made a 109-inch wheelbase model but the standard vehicle had a 88-inch wheelbase.
The new model would be more suitable for road use than the existing Land Rover, which was considered to be predominantly for rural use. To make sure it could cope on any road it came standard with the Rover 3.5-litre V8 engine. The body design was originally sketched by King and went into production with only a few minor touch-ups by the Rover styling team.
According to King, “The idea was to combine the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover saloon with the off-road ability of a Land Rover. Nobody was doing it.”

Ford’s Mustang – the endlessly hip American dream machine

28 May, 2026

Fifty or so years ago, the only place in New Zealand to see a Ford Mustang was on the racetrack. In a local market severely constrained by a lack of new motor vehicles, the new North American Ford was a dreamy icon boosted by considerable motorsport success.
Import licences for cars were limited, and if Kiwis travelled abroad, the amount of currency they could take with them was restricted. What’s more, those funds could not be used to buy a car for importation back home. Yet it was OK to spend the money on heavy drinking at a London pub, Gucci shoes, sable fur coats, and excessive stays at the Hôtel Martinez at Cannes in France.
However, any rare Mustang that landed on our shores would not be destined to pose around Auckland’s then trendy Queen Street on a Friday night but would more likely be found in the care of well-known racing drivers on the starting grid at local motor racing tracks.