Massive Murphy auction at Hampton Downs

16 June, 2014

 


Greg Murphy is supporting the Spinal Cord Society NZ and its research into finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes by donating the proceeds of a massive memorabilia auction. The event is to be held on Sunday, June 1, at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, and entry is free.

The items for sale on the day will range from highly covetable items donated by Greg from the highlights of his career to date, to fun and very reasonably priced items, making this an exciting event for bidders of all levels.

There are also chances to win apparel and even a hot lap with the man himself, with spot prizes on the day for all those who register on arrival.

For information on all the family activities planned, as well as the full inventory of items to be auctioned and registrations of expressions of interest, visit murphhotlaps.com. To bid on one of the 20 charity hot laps also available, visit trademe.co.nz and use the search term ‘Murph Hot Laps’.


Public and guest event timetable:

8.30am: Pre-booked track experiences commence
9.30am: Free entry general admission gates open to public: Holden Barina Skid Pan experience, kids bouncy castle, Formula Challenge V8 drive sessions
10am: Silent auction, Trademe Charity Auction winners’ hot laps commence
12.30pm: Special track demonstrations including drift demonstration by Drew Donovan
1.30pm: Silent auction closes
2.30pm: Greg Murphy live auction begins
3pm: Formula Challenge single-seater drive experiences
4pm: Event activities conclude


Lunch with… Jim Palmer

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.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2025 issue 399, on sale now

Who would have thought it would become such a worldwide motorsport star when Ford introduced the humble Escort in 1967?
Its popularity, particularly in Mark 1 form, is now of iconic status. Our cover story for this issue is on a 1968 Ford Escort Mark 1, Alan Mann Racing Tribute. We talked with the owner of this very special Escort, finished in tribute also to the owner’s father.
“Most children love speed, and motorsport typically comes courtesy of a parent, and Elliott is no different. His engineer father, Mark, had a love for motorcycles and going fast; however, when children came along, he swapped two wheels for four, in the form of two Ford Escorts.
Little did Mark know it at the time, but the humble Escort was about to weave its way into the family fabric once and for all.
After emigrating from London to New Zealand, Elliott recalled one evening when he was 14 being invited to tag along by his father, helping a friend convert an Escort road car into a racing car. This was the pivotal moment when Elliott remembers the motorsport bug taking over. He knew he had to have his own one.”