Chasing the lineage of the Ford Focus RS

10 August, 2016

Ford has released the latest in a long line of gravel- and track-bred monsters in the form of the brand-new Focus RS. The Focus has been built up by the PlayStation generation more than any car in recent history. One of the reasons for this may be Ford’s relationship with YouTube star, driving genius, and all-round good guy Mr Ken Block. If you’re unfamiliar with Block’s work, check out our coverage of the guy here. I guarantee you’ll be in awe of his skill. It will also give you some understanding as to what this new Focus is all about.

We were put in touch with the New Zealand RS Owners Club and pitched the idea of exploring the lineage of the RS, and suggested a few of its members might be able to come and meet us for a photo shoot and a chat about their cars. Instead, the club kindly put us in touch with a Ford collector who fit the bill perfectly and we jumped at the chance to spend some time with these cars. Here’s an RS gallery to explore, but to get the full review, check out the September issue of New Zealand Classic Car.

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Lunch with … Rodger Anderson

22 November, 2024

At first, I wondered if I’d driven up the wrong driveway. The car in the garage was an early Mustang resplendent in royal blue with two broad gold stripes, which was not what I was expecting. I knew that Rodger Anderson, who made his name in Minis and a BMW 2002, was a Porsche man these days — the other end of the spectrum from American muscle. I had no idea of his affection for Detroit iron. It didn’t take long to discover just how passionate this former Saloon Car Champion is about cars, as long as they’re interesting.

Back from the brink – 1968 MGB GT

15 November, 2024

Auckland classic car enthusiast Kerry Bowman soon realised he had a massive job on his hands in restoring his classic 1968 MGB GT. When Kerry and his MGB first appeared in New Zealand Classic Car in March 2021, in “Behind The Garage Door”, the stripped-out shell had revealed some nasty surprises. Once the true extent of the hidden damage was discovered, the work would normally have been handed over to a professional fabricator. However, with the assistance of experts such as MG specialist restorer, Paul Walbran, Kerry has completed an impressive restoration and saved this car from the scrapheap.

Chasing the lineage of the Ford Focus RS

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