Quinn aims for two Highlands 101 victories with Tander

2 November, 2014

With this year’s Highlands 101 endurance race meeting being held this weekend, November 8–9, at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Tony Quinn has paired up with renowned V8 Supercars driver, and three-times Bathurst 1000 winner, Garth Tander, as he seeks both the Highlands 101 race win and the Australian GT Championship (AGT) title.

Tony Quinn (L) and Garth Tander will be pairing up for the Highlands 101 endurance race

Quinn, the Highlands Motorsport Park owner, is the only winner of the two 101-format races run to date, and will be driving the same six-litre V12 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Tander is looking forward to Highlands 101, and parity afforded by the 101-format, saying, “When the ‘pro’ drivers like me compete, we can’t just come in and dominate, which is nice. It’s a bit like having a golf handicap.”

Tony Quinn and Fabian Coulthard winning a previous Highlands 101 

Quinn is also in a strong position to secure the AGT title, sitting a mere 32 points behind current leader Richard Muscat. With Muscat enlisting Craig Baird as his co-driver, the competition in this final round of this AGT series has really ramped up, ensuring the weekend’s going to be one to watch. Highlands 101 takes place at Highlands Motorsport Park over the weekend of November 8–9. Tickets are available online from TicketDirect, or at the gate during the race weekend. 

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.