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Bambina with a sting, plus more in the latest New Zealand Classic Car

10 December, 2015

The December issue of New Zealand Classic Car is now for sale. From the cutest Italian to classic ’50s American styling, plus British luxury at its best, there’s plenty of good reading for everyone. 

Our very cute Fiat Bambina has been given somewhat of a sting in its tail with an engine upgrade in line with Abarth’s go-faster specials. Check out the full restoration.  

Nothing screams ’50s American classic more than than mid-’50s Chevrolet, and nothing could be hotter than our featured 1956 Chevrolet 210 Sport coupe owned by retired drag racer Jim Crain Snr. 

The Jaguar MkVII was a total game changer for Jaguar, and played a major part in the marque’s post-war resurgence. Read all about this large, luxurious Jaguar, which, despite its size, proved to be a worthy race and rally car. 

Check out the Targa New Zealand 2015 full summary and results, as well as a preview of the upcoming Porsche Festival at Hampton Downs in January 2016. 

There’s also our usual Nationwide News section, Behind the Garage Door, as well as Motorman, Motorsport Flashback, plus much more. Pick up a copy at your local supermarket or bookshop, or buy a print copy below:




Buy a print copy of the magazine for NZ$10


Buy a digital copy of the magazine for NZ$6.99

A second dose of Dash

24 April, 2025

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

16 April, 2025

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.