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Don’t miss New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 319!

22 June, 2017

The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser is now one of the most sought after vehicles the world over. From workhorse to collectors’ favourite, the FJ40 has had a grand life. We look at the tale of the Muir brothers’ love, loss, and being reunited with their trusty 1977 FJ40. We check out the hard slog that went into restoring this truck to make it one of the best examples in the world. 

Other features include a very special Kiwi-built, aluminium-bodied genuine AC Cobra, Donn Anderson’s tribute to the Triumph Stag and Michael Clark’s Motorsport Flashback focuses on the role Formula Ford has played in the progression of motor sport greats. 

We also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mazda’s relationship with the rotary engine, and what the future might look like for the Wankel rotary. We also check out the best way to bring a car to New Zealand from anywhere around the globe.


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Grab a print copy of the mag now!

“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.