Five muscle cars you could be driving right now

20 June, 2015

Once again we have scoured the plethora of vehicles out there for sale and we found these beauties. If you’re on the hunt for a classic to take on regular Sunday cruises, we have found five that may be right up your alley.

1. 1970 Dodge Polara — $30,000

Here’s something a little out of the ordinary for those who prefer open-top motoring. This Polara convertible is one of only 800 built and it looks to be in excellent condition. Recent work includes a full re-paint, brakes and suspension refurbishment, new dash and convertible hood plus new inserts in upholstery. Powered by a 383ci V8, this car is tailor-made for cruising the street. Feast your eyes on it here.

2. 1971 Chrysler Valiant Charger — $32,000

This honest-looking and tidy Charger is fitted with a factory Hemi 265 and, following recent work, could be pressed into service as an everyday classic or, with a little more effort, could be much more. The car also comes with a bunch of spare parts. Check it out here.

3. 1967 Oldsmobile 442 W30 — $49,990

This sought-after classic muscle car is powered by the factory original 442 400V8, is fitted with Rally wheels and looks to be in immaculate original condition. This car is presently in Australia so why not boost New Zealand’s classic muscle population by bringing it here? And that price includes shipping to New Zealand! Find out more about it here.

4. 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS — $69,990

This muscular Chevrolet packs a 327ci V8 running through a four-speed manual ’box — and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! The engine has only done 6000 miles since being installed, and the car includes RS-appearance package items such as hidden headlights, RS badging, and exterior rocker trim. You’ll need to take a trip to Tauranga to view this blue beauty. Read more here.

5. 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350H — $149,990

A genuine piece of US motoring history, this genuine GT350H was one of the cars once infamously available for rental from Hertz USA — with most of the cars being used as weekend track warriors. This super-rare Mustang was first registered in Miami and has been in New Zealand since 1971. Find out how to get in touch with the owner here.

Racing Mazdas

12 June, 2026

Both Rod Millen and Ron Kendall were rotary racing kings, emanating from the North Shore of Auckland, where I grew up. And the ultimate rotary techno guru was Bill Shiells, who developed the engine into a rocket ship while working out of Gulf Mazda in Takapuna from 1969, and later in his own business, Rotorsport. He began to extract some phenomenal horsepower from the enigmatic rotary engine. Bill was one of the first to race the Mazda RX-2 Coupe in 1971 and achieved immediate success, causing others to sit up and take notice, particularly the North Shore’s racing elite. They included Robbie Francevic, Rod Millen, Ron Kendall, John Woolf, John Le Feuvre, and Rex Findlay.

Range Rover CSK — the original SUV

5 June, 2026

The Range Rover, thanks to Charles Spencer King, went into production in 1970 boasting an iconic shape that would last until 1996. The vehicle that would create the SUV moniker came about because Rover decided it was time to add a bigger four-wheel-drive vehicle, one with a 100-inch wheelbase, to the model range. Land Rover made a 109-inch wheelbase model but the standard vehicle had a 88-inch wheelbase.
The new model would be more suitable for road use than the existing Land Rover, which was considered to be predominantly for rural use. To make sure it could cope on any road it came standard with the Rover 3.5-litre V8 engine. The body design was originally sketched by King and went into production with only a few minor touch-ups by the Rover styling team.
According to King, “The idea was to combine the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover saloon with the off-road ability of a Land Rover. Nobody was doing it.”