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Bangers and Ash: the 22nd annual Targa New Zealand

19 September, 2016

 It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. New Zealand Classic Car magazine is once again proud to be associated with the 22nd annual Targa New Zealand event. 

This year’s Targa will kick off from Taupo for the first leg then head south to Ohakune for the night. The second leg will head further south, finishing in Palmerston North after six gruelling special stages, and resume the following day to head eastwards to Havelock North on leg three. The final day, leg four, will be confined to the Hawke’s Bay region, with the event finally finishing once again in Havelock North. 

This Targa’s 640km of special stages and almost 1100km of touring stages are sure to be hotly contested by the competitors, and will test man and machine alike.

A full and comprehensive official Targa programme, providing all the event details — including a complete driver directory, route maps, and route schedule — is included in the October 2016 issue. This will allow you to pick out a decent vantage point to watch some of the best drivers in the business, such as Clark Proctor, Tony Quinn, Glenn Inkster, and Leigh Hopper — to name a few — as they display their driving prowess on some of the country’s most testing and treacherous tarmac stages.

In addition, we feature Chris Alexander’s stunning Ford Cortina MkI. Chris is definitely no stranger to sitting behind the wheel of a rally car, and he’s competed — rather successfully, I might add — in many gravel and tarmac events. He has also built a number of rally cars, primarily Ford Escorts, and this is his first Ford Cortina, a build that was inspired by Alan Mann, who gained a reputation for building fast Fords wearing striking red and gold livery back in the 1960s. 

Looking at this car leaves absolutely no doubt that Chris is a consummate perfectionist in everything he attempts, and it was built especially with this Targa event in mind, but he has been dealt a cruel blow. Chris was recently diagnosed with cancer, and, unfortunately, had to withdraw from competing this time around while he receives treatment and undergoes surgery. His prognosis is positive, thanks to early detection, and he is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of his beautifully prepared Cortina next year. 

On behalf of New Zealand Classic Car magazine and our readers, we wish Chris a speedy recovery.

Want to find out more about the Targa New Zealand drivers, the cars, the events, and the maps? Grab a copy of the October 2016 issue of New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 310), which features the 2016 Targa New Zealand programme!




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“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.