Bangers to Bluff 2018 — it’s on again!

21 November, 2017

 


 

The 2018 dates for the annual Bangers to Bluff car rally have been announced, and team entries are now being called for. Up to 20 old bangers — four-door cars with WOF and rego, costing less than $2K — will leave Auckland April 10, 2018, and spend the next 13 days driving roads less travelled all the way to Invercargill, where the organizers will take ownership of each car and auction them off to raise funds for charity.

Bangers to Bluff has been run by the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay for the last three years, with steady growth each year as its popularity has increased. So far, it has raised $85K for charity, and the masthead charities for 2018 are:

  • Hopeworks Foundation — providing information and support for those dealing with brain injuries
  • Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand — working to reduce the burden of multiple sclerosis on those diagnosed, their carers, and families.

The route will cover approximately 2500km of some of New Zealand’s best and most scenic roads, including the North Island’s Forgotten World Highway and the South Island’s Haast and Arthur’s passes. The main goals are to raise funds and awareness for the charities, while having loads of fun and travelling our great country. The rally is not a driving competition. It is a fun and friendly event with points won for challenges along the way, and a trophy is awarded at the end. 

The organizing committee is now looking for participants for the 2018 event. Participation can be in the form of entering a team and vehicle to go on the rally, or through sponsorship and/or donations. If you would like to know more, reach out to the team through one of the following channels:

  • bangerstobluff.co.nz
  • Facebook.com/bangerstobluff
  • Peter Bailey, 0274 736 994
  • [email protected].

The Bangers to Bluff committee would like to acknowledge the support of platinum sponsors Fruehauf and CarJam, as well as supporting partners Protecta Insurance and the Automobile Association.
 

A Legend Returns

The Ayrburn Classic, one of the most anticipated motoring events on the New Zealand calendar, is set to take things up a gear in 2026 with a line-up that promises to captivate enthusiasts and the general public alike. Following the success of the inaugural event, the Ayrburn Classic returns with a recently confirmed feature that is nothing short of extraordinary: the historic Ferrari Monza 750 – a masterpiece of motorsport and one of the most significant vehicles to race on New Zealand soil.
Legendary status
This particular Ferrari Monza 750, which arrived in New Zealand in 1957 and has remained here ever since, holds a legendary status in motorsport history. It competed in the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, and the Targa Florio – the ‘Big Three’ of European endurance racing during the golden era of the sport. Few cars can claim such provenance, and even fewer have such a deep and poignant connection to New Zealand’s own racing legacy.
Tragically, the Ferrari Monza 750 was involved in a fatal accident at Ardmore in 1957, marking the final moments of British driver Ken Wharton, whose last photograph was taken next to this very car. The vehicle has since been meticulously preserved, with images from the aftermath of the crash etched in motorsport history. Today, it stands as a symbol of both the bravery of that era and the enduring beauty of Italian automotive craftsmanship.

1986 Pontiac Firebird

Seeing the car with his own eyes already had Scott fizzing, but when the curator of the car let Scott sit in the driver’s seat it became a truly unforgettable day. There was no way Bo and Duke’s orange stunt jumper could compete with this. To top it off, a photograph of him sitting in the car turned up in the local paper, so he started a new school with an added aura as the kid in the Knight Rider car.
Scott still thought about the Knight Rider car from time to time, but if he had not gone with his wife Abbey to the Selwyn Motor Fest in 2018, it may have remained just a treasured memory. At the show, Abbey asked Scott what his favourite car was as they ambled round. The man she had married instantly connected with his nine-year-old self, but in a deeper voice he said, “KITT from Knight Rider”. Had she just said, “That’s nice dear,” and left it at that, life might have continued as normal. However, unaware of the hole she was about to start digging, she said that she had never heard of it.