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Kiwi-built Mini dominates land-speed records

18 August, 2016

 

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“When Kiwis travel abroad to do battle, it’s a big deal, and a long way. So you may as well make the trip worthwhile, right?”

After making the decision to contest Bonneville Speed Week in Utah, the Project ’64 Mini Cooper team, based in the South Island of New Zealand, had been working extremely hard to get the Mini ready for battle. Now they’re there, though, they’ve already claimed two new land-speed records in separate classes in their 52-year old Mini Cooper. 

The first record claimed was done during a tuning session for the I/BGALT class. Their speed during the session was 144.033mph (231.799kph), miles ahead of the previous standing 133.896mph (215.485kph) record. This class only runs a standard petrol mix, so when the team decided to switch to methanol, they had to move to the I/BFALT class. 

With the switch to methanol made, the team yet again broke another record during a tuning run. The previous record was a 140.458mph (226.045kph) run, but the team beat this with a speed of 158.039mph (254.339kph). Unfortunately, an issue with a hose prevented them from backing it up, however, once the problem was repaired the team qualified with an impressive 153.710mph (247.372kph). Having to back up that run, the team went out the next morning and claimed an even more impressive 156.006mph (251.067kph). Might we remind you that this was done in an old Mini Cooper?

With a hunger for more records, the team will be switching classes yet again, so we’ll keep you updated on their progress as it comes through. 

NZ Classic Car magazine, September/October 2026 issue 407, on sale now

16 August, 2026

We love bugs!
A bit of TLC that became a major restoration
The 1302S, or ‘Super Beetle’ as it became known, was built for two years before it, too, was replaced by a further-enhanced Beetle, the 1303, continuing an amazing 65-year lineage for one of the World’s best-known shapes.
The world’s best-selling single-model vehicle, the VW Beetle, possibly established another record for the amount of controversy it has created since the inception of the Type 1.
In a meeting with Hitler in June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to build a ‘People’s Car’ that could accommodate two adults and three children, was air-cooled and simple to maintain, and could cruise economically at moderate speed along Germany’s proposed new Autobahns.
Our feature car, a 1972 1302S ‘Super Beetle’, was found by Dave and Michelle Dickie in Mosgiel a few years back. It was a runner, but like most VWs of this age, it needed a little TLC. They were looking for a daily driver for Michelle when they first came upon the VW being sold locally on behalf of its owner.
“The owner offered it to his grandchildren, and they didn’t want it, so he got the guy out at Mosgiel in the Mobil petrol station to sell it for him, and he put it on Trade Me for them. We never met the owner, and we were always dealing with the guy at the petrol station. We put a bid on it, and we were the only people that bid on it.”
Their bid was eventually successful, eight years ago. Not knowing much of the history, in situations like that, it’s always a risk buying a car, but they were in for a bit of a surprise.

The other Q car

12 August, 2026

Say the word ‘bond’ to anyone in the street and around 80 per cent straight away think of pop culture’s least-secret secret agent. The other 20 per cent may think of the wad of cash required to secure a flat or hire equipment that one gets back providing the fixtures and fittings stay much as they were.
However, mention ‘bond’ in specialist classic car circles and people will spin a very different yarn. If you dig deep enough, you will find an eccentric British carmaker that, throughout its 23 years in business, spawned some quirky and charming little cars.
The company was founded by Paul Sharp in 1922 under the name of Sharp’s Commercials Limited. However, the company did not start producing cars until 1948. The first car to carry the Bond name was the Bond Minicar. A three-wheeled, soft-top, two-cylinder eco car, the Minicar was a big hit at the time as the desire for an economical urban runabout that didn’t attract four-wheel car tax was strong in post-war Britain. All in all, 34,285 Minicars were produced over 26 years in a variety of variants.