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Shower thoughts: w​​​​​​​hat’s the best car from the year you were born?

9 July, 2017

Picture this: You’re six months old, you crawl onto any car yard in the world with a blank cheque ready to buy a brand-new car, what will it be? We put the question to some of the team here in the office to find out. What would you be buying?

Lachie Jones, staff writer at New Zealand Classic Car
1981 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40
Timeless, awesome to look at, and ready to take on the Zombie apocalypse with aplomb.

Todd Wylie, editor of NZV8
1980 Buick GNX
The easy pick would be for a Buick GNX, they’re just so wrong, that they’re right.

Connal Grace, deputy editor of NZV8
1992 Ferrari F40
You’d be a fool not to pick the legendary Ferrari F40. Raw unadulterated horsepower at its finest, and a time capsule of an engineering period we’ll never see again — all brawn and no brains (electronics).  

Jaden Martin, staff writer at NZ Performance Car
1993 Toyota Soarer (Z30)
Factory option 1JZ-GTE with five-speed manual inside a Toyota luxury coupe? Yes please — add a dash of low and a set of WORK Rezax IIs, and I’ll be a happy man.

Adam Croy, senior photographer
1980 Ferrari 308 GTSi
Who wouldn’t want to smash one through the Hawaiian back roads!!

Ashley Webb, editor of New Zealand Classic Car
1956 Chevrolet Belair Sport Coupe
The best of the tri-fives!

Let us know what you’d pick and why too, we may even throw you a copy of the latest mags to sweeten the deal …

Motorman: When the top trio took to the road

9 May, 2025

What sort of cars did Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drive when they weren’t on the race track? Motorman knows
Most top racing drivers do care about safety levels of road-going cars for everyday motorists and their all-round abilities behind the wheel. Jackie Stewart for one denied finding everyday driving boring. He took pride in giving his passengers the smoothest possible ride, and encouraged all drivers to actively engage in the task. They also make interesting choices for their transport away from competitive motoring.
Thirty years ago I spent a day with Chris Amon driving on lower North Island roads and I can remember those informative few hours as vividly as if they were yesterday. In 1983 Chris accepted a challenge from Toyota New Zealand to improve its locally assembled cars in a relationship that extended well beyond the end of New Zealand-built Toyota vehicles in 1997.

The Ayrburn Classic announces dates for 2026

7 May, 2025

Save the date: Friday 20 – Sunday 22 February 2026
That’s right. The Ayrburn Classic returns next February for what promises to be another world-class celebration, scheduled slightly earlier on the calendar to bask in Central Otago’s long golden evenings and late-summer glow. This festival will once again transform Ayrburn into a playground for car enthusiasts, food lovers, and seekers of high-end hospitality alike.
The 2025 edition set an incredibly high benchmark, and is fast becoming one of the leading reasons to visit Queenstown – amongst New Zealanders and international travellers alike. With over 250 classic and contemporary luxury vehicles on display – collectively worth more than $250 million – the festival was a visual and visceral feast for attendees.
Standouts included an $8 million LaFerrari, the latest Aston Martin Vanquish, and a fleet of dream machines from Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and more. The event’s unique blend of elegance and accessibility attracted both seasoned collectors and casual admirers aplenty.