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Don’t get lost! October’s Caffeine & Classics has a change of venue

20 September, 2016

For those partial to a good cup of joe and a few hundred classic cars packed into one place, Caffeine & Classics is where you want to be.

Proudly brought to you by Protecta Insurance, Caffeine & Classics is held on the last Sunday of each month at Smales Farm, Takapuna, and has been going strong for the last three-and-a-half years. However, the October event will see a temporary relocation to the NorthWest Shopping Centre due to the surrounding streets of Smales Farm being closed for the Auckland Marathon the same weekend.

Don’t sweat, though — although our expertise may not be marathons, we do know that the runners will only block the way to Smales Farm for one event, and the move is a one-off. As for the finer details, the date and time remains the same as always, with the October event held on the 30th at 10am — in case that wasn’t clear enough, Caffeine & Classics will be back at Smales from November onwards.

If you haven’t already pulled the old girl out of the garage and headed out on a beautiful Sunday morning, you really ought to mark it down on the calendar. Numbers are frequently upwards of 500 cars and bikes, with like-minded enthusiasts to shoot-the-sh*t with. It’s a laid-back, family-friendly environment that you can bring the little ones to, and one of the few events that are open to all types of classic and collectible vehicles. Entry is free for vehicles and spectators — for more information click here.

  • October 30 (one-off event)
  • NorthWest Shopping Centre
  • Gunton Drive, Westgate
  • 10am–12pm

Motorman: Blame it on Rio!

22 May, 2025

Following the third polite advisory, I figured there had to be a fair degree of substance to the warning. “If this is your first visit to Rio de Janeiro, please be careful,” came the personal hushed dialogue from the pleasant hostesses on a far from crowded Varig flight from Los Angeles to the famous Brazilian seaside city.
The previous evening I had flown into LA from Auckland en route to the 1985 international launch of the Fiat Uno Turbo. I was prepared for another long haul of just under 12 hours across Mexico, central America, Colombia, and central Brazil to that nation’s third largest city. Surprisingly the 10,500km run from Los Angeles to Rio is actually longer than the 8800km LA-London air route.
With the journey including a brief stopover in Honolulu I expected to travel just under 44,000km for the return journey to sample what was to be a low-volume version of a popular Italian car that would sell in even lower numbers in New Zealand. I like to think this shows nothing more than my deep commitment to my craft. In fact, even though I became lost on the homeward journey my total air miles would be little different.

Pinnacle Porsche

15 May, 2025

We were stopped at the side of the road, setting up the next photograph, when a faded Toyota slowed alongside and stopped. The window was already down to give the driver a good look.
“That’s my dream car,” he said, speaking for more than a few of us.
He drank in the gleaming red paint, shining in the sun, and the car’s purposeful swoops and curves. He exhaled half a lungful of cigarette smoke, gave a hang 10–style thumbs up and drove off.
On the side of the road, against a clear blue background, the Porsche stood out in all its stark red glory. It’s the classic 911 shape on steroids. It has the fat, even pouty, front lip of the G series 911s, added to comply with 5mph bumper restrictions in the US. It also has the oversized haunches to accommodate the wider rear wheels and tyres – a first for Porsche, which also confirmed its supercar credentials – and, most noticeably of all, that enormous whale-tail spoiler. They made it look as if Porsche had abandoned its restraint.