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.

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.

CRC Speedshow: a weekend built for speed and adrenalin

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