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Bangers and Ash: Monaro memories

2 June, 2016

This New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 306 cover car sparked many fond memories of these big Aussie coupés, as I remember my first ‘real’ car was an HK GTS Monaro, which I proudly owned back in the early to mid ’70s. 

It was never my intention to own such an iconic car, but, after my trusty puke green 1960 Morris Minor 1000 decided enough was enough as I entered the car park of my then employer, Lamson Paragon, by refusing to change out of first gear, I decided it was a good time to find a more suitable ride. 

As I worked with several petrolheads who drove a range of different cars, from Vauxhall Crestas and Veloxs to Triumph 2000s, a variety of Holdens, and a couple of Tri-Five Chevs — remember, this was about 1973/’74 — my mind was fairly well made up: my new car had to be a V8. 

The problem was that, in those days, the minimum deposit required to purchase a car from any reputable dealer was 50 per cent, and, as I had managed to beg, scrape, save, and borrow what I thought was a reasonable deposit, the search was on in earnest for a V8 anything. 
My first stop, and all-time favourite place to look at cars and dream, was Monaco Motors in Greenlane. Rows of gleaming muscle cars — Corvettes, Mustangs, Pontiac Firebirds, and Dodge Challengers, to name but a few — beckoned, but, alas, my funds weren’t anywhere near sufficient for me to park one of these LHD monsters in our driveway, which indeed posed another slight problem — my father. 

My dad was somewhat of a Morris Minor fan — I’d had three by this stage — and he knew that I’d be safe, or as safe as any teenage lad can be, driving a Morrie. I wasn’t quite sure how to broach the subject of buying a V8, but thought that I’d cross that bridge when I got to it. 
The next stop, and again one of my regular car-spotting haunts, was Otahuhu. Car yards, one after the other, as far as the eye could see, along Great South Road, and what did I spot? Not one, but two XY GT-HO Falcons parked side by side, and, again, I knew that my budget wouldn’t allow me to park either one of these tyre-shredding beasts in our driveway either. And, although my mind worked overtime for a couple of days trying to figure out ways to buy one, it just wasn’t going to happen, short of me robbing a bank.

I’m not sure when, but sometime shortly after, I spotted a shiny blue Holden Monaro HK GTS sitting in a car yard in Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe. Its sleek lines were mesmerizing indeed, to say the least, and I knew instantly that this was the car for me. And I could afford the deposit — just. 

Even though I knew my father wouldn’t be exactly thrilled about the idea, I couldn’t wait to tell him about the stunning blue Monaro, and he was surprisingly supportive of the fact that I had found a car which I really wanted. His only provisos were that I looked after it, not speed — who, me? — and didn’t drink alcohol — not a problem. 

In hindsight, I know I should have kept it, as I watch the prices of Aussie muscle cars rocket skywards, virtually out of control like their Yankee counterparts. 

These cars were built tough. As an 18-year-old, I must admit that I wasn’t exactly kind to the bright metallic blue Aussie, and I took every chance I could to test its every limit — within the speed limit, of course.

To read more from Ashley Webb, pick up a print copy or a digital copy of New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 306 below:




Buy a print copy of the magazine for NZ$10


Buy a digital copy of the magazine for NZ$6.99

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.