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Bangers and Ash: farewell to a legend

15 August, 2016

At about 5.30pm on Wednesday, August 3, we received the news that Chris Amon had passed away earlier that day. As the news was being relayed to me, it took me several seconds to register what I’d just heard. Just to make sure, I had to read the notice a couple of times, hoping that, somehow, the news had been misinterpreted.

Sadly, it was true — one of our greatest motor-racing legends had gone, and as a few of us stood around the editorial office in utter shock, I still found it hard to believe. 

The following morning — the day before the September 2016 issue of New Zealand Classic Car went to print — we decided to rehash the entire magazine, and put together a fitting tribute to celebrate the life of Chris Amon. 

It seemed like only yesterday that I was sitting in his lounge, interviewing him about his career, and at the same time he was reunited with the BMW 3.0CSL — dubbed the ‘Batmobile’ — after 38 years. This was the very car that he shared with Hans-Joachim Stuck during the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) series back in 1973. 

After a close examination of the car in which he and Stuck had won the 1973 Nürburgring Six Hour, I sat down with Chris, and was transported back to a time when drivers such as Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Jochen Mass, and James Hunt all vied for touring-car honours. 

It was the very first time I’d met Chris, and he treated me like I was a long-lost friend. Warm, kind, and generous with his time, he sat with me for a few hours reminiscing about his wonderful career, while remaining humble at the same time. Alas, the few hours I spent with Chris went by in a flash, leaving me with many questions that I wanted to ask. I could have easily sat listening to him for hours as he reminisced about his career, but as the old cliché goes — all good things must come to an end. 

As part of our tribute to Chris, we’ve rerun the full interview, along with special tributes from Donn Anderson and Michael Clark, who have kindly shared their own personal experiences with Chris over the years.

Chris Amon was a man much respected and admired in New Zealand and around the world — a Kiwi legend, and one of the world’s greatest ever race drivers. Rest peacefully.  

To read the latest from Ashley Webb and the New Zealand Classic Car team, pick up a print copy of the September 2016 issue here:




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NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

18 October, 2026

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

16 October, 2026

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.