The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan

9 November, 2018

Hitherto the only item known as the Cullinan was a massive diamond that makes up part of the British Crown Jewels. But now there’ll be another Cullinan, as in, “Jeeves, bring the Cullinan around, I want to go shooting.” Although more than likely it’ll just be be, “Jeeves, bring the Cullinan around, I want to go for a coffee.”

This new tourer from Rolls-Royce is as grand as the diamond it’s named after is hard. The truth is that the Cullinan will probably spend most of its time pottering around the trendier shopping streets of our main centres, but this doesn’t detract from the fact that Rolls-Royce have hit the nail on the head.

The new SUV is driven by 6.75l of twin-turbo V12, over 550bhp, and masses of twisting power. From the inside, the only thing you need to do with the outside world is watch it go by, and there’s really no better place to do that from. Rolls-Royce’s new platform has been developed especially for the new generation of their vehicles. Four-wheel steering, air suspension, and a host of new innovations maintain the famous Roller ride quality. The interior is sumptuous, and well, what else would you expect from a vehicle that has the option of 44,000 exterior colours.

Take a look at some images from the launch event below.

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You’re the one that I want – 1973 Datsun 240K GT

21 February, 2025

In the early 1970s, Clark Caldow was a young sales rep travelling the North Island and doing big miles annually. He loved driving. In 1975 the firm he worked for asked Clark what he wanted for his new car, and Clark chose a brand-new Datsun 240K GT. The two-door car arrived, and Clark was smitten, or in his own words, he was “pole vaulting.”
Clark drove it all over the country, racking up thousands of miles. “It had quite a bit of pep with its SOHC 128 hp (96kW) of power mated to a four-speed manual gearbox,” he says. Weighing in at 1240kg meant the power to weight ratio was good for the time and its length at almost 4.5 metres meant it had good street presence.
Clark has been a car enthusiast all his life, and decided around nine years ago to look for one of these coupes. By sheer luck he very quickly found a mint example refurbished by an aircraft engineer, but it was in Perth.

The originals – the Ledgerwood Collection

14 February, 2025

Thanks to Central Otago’s dry climate, it’s no surprise to find that Wanaka couple Jim and Daphne Ledgerwood are steadily developing an incredible collection of amazing coupes. ‘The Originals’ they have are as per factory new condition, and their aim is to keep them for everyone to see how it was done back in the day—pure nostalgia.
An occasional email from Jim usually reveals another gleaming addition. The collectors also have an impressive display of American pickups. It’s our gain and US enthusiasts’ loss, as car agent’s adverts proclaim, “Sorry you missed out. Gone to New Zealand!” Some of Jim and Daphne’s cars are almost part of the family, hence their nicknames.

The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan

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