Five reasons to sink your teeth into New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 297

18 September, 2015

September’s New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 297) is now on sale! And there’s plenty of excellent content bound within its pages to keep you entertained.

The first thing that we think of when we hear ‘flat-six’ and ‘rear-engined’ in the same sentence is the Porsche 911. But in this issue we take a look at one of the most unique American vehicles ever created that shares the same layout — the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair. Unfairly singled out in Ralph Nader’s infamous book, Unsafe at Any Speed, we reckon that the high-performance turbocharged 1965 Corvair Corsa that adorns the cover is definitely the business.

Fit for royalty, this 1952 R-Type Bentley has lead an interesting life amongst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s rich and famous. Now residing in Christchurch, this gorgeous Bentley now leads a more quiet life, and is only brought out for special occasions — including our full feature.

If you like Italian, then read on. We feature one of the finest 1988 1.7 QV Cloverleaf Alfa Sprint’s you are ever likely to see, discovering in the process what links this car has with the lucky shamrock that’s more usually associated with Ireland, the famous Targa Florio road race, and even Enzo Ferrari.

Take a look at what we discovered hiding away in a barn on a Waikato chicken farm — you’ll be amazed at 200 classic cars, the property of a collector who once owned 75, yes 75, PA Vauxhalls.

Check out our great nationwide news section, and, if you’re in the market for a classic car or trade professional, then our cars for sale and trade directory section will also be of major interest. And don’t miss out on this month’s great subscription offers.         

Pick up Issue No. 297 of New Zealand Classic Car below, and you don’t even need to leave The Motorhood!

Lunch with … Rodger Anderson

At first, I wondered if I’d driven up the wrong driveway. The car in the garage was an early Mustang resplendent in royal blue with two broad gold stripes, which was not what I was expecting. I knew that Rodger Anderson, who made his name in Minis and a BMW 2002, was a Porsche man these days — the other end of the spectrum from American muscle. I had no idea of his affection for Detroit iron. It didn’t take long to discover just how passionate this former Saloon Car Champion is about cars, as long as they’re interesting.

Back from the brink – 1968 MGB GT

Auckland classic car enthusiast Kerry Bowman soon realised he had a massive job on his hands in restoring his classic 1968 MGB GT. When Kerry and his MGB first appeared in New Zealand Classic Car in March 2021, in “Behind The Garage Door”, the stripped-out shell had revealed some nasty surprises. Once the true extent of the hidden damage was discovered, the work would normally have been handed over to a professional fabricator. However, with the assistance of experts such as MG specialist restorer, Paul Walbran, Kerry has completed an impressive restoration and saved this car from the scrapheap.