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!

NZ Classic Car magazine, January/February 2025 issue 397, on sale now

8 December, 2024

Having dominated the world motorcycle championships of the 1960s, Honda had a crucial decision to make in 1969. Would Soichiro Honda heed his engineer’s pivotal advice?
“Very few examples of the early Civic, a car that set Honda onto the path to becoming a giant of the car world, remain road registered in New Zealand.
Retired Tauranga owner of this example, Graham Inglis is thrilled with his classic little Honda Civic, the first of eleven generations built so far by the company. The Civic became a household name.
“It’s quite amazing the number of people who not only wave, but come up to me in the street and tell me how much they like the little Honda and its colour, and then they want to start talking about it. A guy in our vintage car club wants to buy it and he has been pushing me a bit. It’s not for sale,” he laughs.
Graham bought his 1977 Honda Civic from Wellington enthusiast Julian Foster, who was the instigator of its restoration.”

A star in their eyes – 1968 Ford Galaxie 500

6 December, 2024

“Everyone asks that until they take a closer look,” says its owner today, Brent Harris of Auckland. “They also ask if I’ve done the restoration myself, and I have to tell them no, it is 100 per cent original. It’s the paint listed in the handbook.”
It was the original condition of the car that won Brent over from the moment he first saw it — that and the fact “it just looks stunning”.
Brent had owned a 1968 Mark II Cortina for four years. It was in need of some work and the question arose whether to spend the money or get something different. You don’t get much more divergent than Ford’s different approaches to its markets in the UK and the USA.

Remembering Chris Amon’s motorsport career in pictures

Contact us

Sign up to New Zealand Classic Car's newseltter