Remembering Chris Amon’s motorsport career in pictures

10 August, 2016

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris only the one time, at his home in late 2011. The occasion was rather a special one for Chris, as he got to see the BMW 3.0CSL — dubbed the ‘Batmobile’ — 38 years after he raced it with Hans-Joachim Stuck.

In our September issue of New Zealand Classic Car Michael Clark remembers his dear friend as a good old-fashioned Kiwi bloke from the sticks who loved his family, doted over his dogs, appreciated a good red, was good to his mates, and wondered what those clouds up there might bring if there was a chance of getting out on the lake.

Donn Anderson recalls watching the master at work on the racetrack as he lead the 1968 British Grand Prix, and surely en route to his first-ever Formula 1 victory.

We have lost a truly great New Zealand sportsman, a wonderful driver, and a good bloke to boot. Gone is the trio at the top — Chris Amon, Denny Hulme, and Bruce McLaren — and things will never be quite the same.

Here’s a few extra photos that couldn’t make the tribute in the September issue of New Zealand Classic Car — grab your copy here to read the full tribute.

Grab a print copy of the mag now!

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.

A diamond in the rough

24 June, 2025

Two years ago, Lew finished a thorough restoration and the impressive ute has taken on a new life and colour. Lew plays down the amount of effort required but, despite his protestations, I suspect he put a lot of time into the project. A few unwanted tenants were evicted along the way.
“It didn’t take me long. There had been mice living in the firewall, which had caused a bit of damage. It apparently broke down and was pushed into a shed. It was 20 years to the day when I pulled it out and it sat in my other shed for 3 years before I started on it. That’s why it’s in such good order — it’s been kept in a shed for so long and still is.”

Remembering Chris Amon’s motorsport career in pictures

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