CRC Speedshow: a weekend built for speed and adrenalin

14 July, 2016

Year after year, the CRC Speedshow never fails to disappoint. It’s a motorsport enthusiast’s dream event in which they can get up close and personal with their favourite motorsport drivers and race cars. Based at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, this year’s CRC Speedshow will be held on July 16–17 and will showcase what everyone loved last year, and more.

This year, alongside the Teng Tools Grand National Rod & Custom Show that we really enjoyed last year, there will be an area called ‘Memory Lane’, where HRC has teamed up with CRC Speedshow to showcase 20 unique race cars and bikes of yesteryear.

For the Japanese performance car enthusiasts, Auto Mania will be putting on a mega display, including 30 hand-picked performance machines, parts displays, and more, which will be in their very own hall. Also for the turbo-fuelled petrolheads out there, Ross Honor from Dobsons Dyno Tuning will be explaining the fundamentals of the dyno itself and dyno tuning, adding a technical element to the event you don’t want to miss.

For the hot rod and custom crowd, you’ll be pleased to know your favourite segment — the Teng Tools Grand National Rod & Custom Show — will be back with its 2016 edition, featuring a huge line-up of modified classics.

If you’re into getting a great deal, or having the chance to talk to trade experts face-to-face, you’ll be pleased to know that there will be more trade stands at the CRC Speedshow than ever before. Car wraps, car care, lubricants, memorabilia, motorsport art, insurance, brakes, gearboxes, wheels and tyres, automotive web design, vehicle grooming, tools, workshop equipment, GPS tracking, hydrographics, ECU tuning, go-fast speed parts, clothing, and much more!

There’s actually far too much for us to rave on about why you should head to the show this coming weekend. For more information, and to see what you can expect at this weekend’s show, head to the CRC Speedshow website here.

Range Rover CSK — the original SUV

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

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.