Paula and Craig Jamieson’s caravan persuasion

30 January, 2017

Paula and Craig Jamieson never set out to own a retro caravan. What they really wanted was a hot rod, but they couldn’t find one that suited them. Then a few friends started getting into caravanning, so they began looking at them as well.

It wasn’t long before Paula and Craig found the perfect caravan. They drove to pick her up the next day, and were not disappointed. It had nothing that they had on their must-have list, and yet somehow ticked all the boxes anyway! Now that they had the perfect caravan, it was time to make it their own.

But, they were still missing something — a suitable tow vehicle. After a Sunday sushi run, Paula returned with a 1955 Packard, ‘The Four Hundred’, restored by Duffy Hannah from Rotorua.

Have a look at a few additional photos that didn’t make it into the feature in the February issue of New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 314) — grab your copy now to read the full story.

Grab a print copy of the mag now!

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

16 April, 2025

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2025 issue 399, on sale now

13 April, 2025

Who would have thought it would become such a worldwide motorsport star when Ford introduced the humble Escort in 1967?
Its popularity, particularly in Mark 1 form, is now of iconic status. Our cover story for this issue is on a 1968 Ford Escort Mark 1, Alan Mann Racing Tribute. We talked with the owner of this very special Escort, finished in tribute also to the owner’s father.
“Most children love speed, and motorsport typically comes courtesy of a parent, and Elliott is no different. His engineer father, Mark, had a love for motorcycles and going fast; however, when children came along, he swapped two wheels for four, in the form of two Ford Escorts.
Little did Mark know it at the time, but the humble Escort was about to weave its way into the family fabric once and for all.
After emigrating from London to New Zealand, Elliott recalled one evening when he was 14 being invited to tag along by his father, helping a friend convert an Escort road car into a racing car. This was the pivotal moment when Elliott remembers the motorsport bug taking over. He knew he had to have his own one.”

Paula and Craig Jamieson’s caravan persuasion

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