SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Book review: Hey Charger

29 December, 2016

 

By Gavin Farmer and Gary Bridger
ISBN 978-0-9805229-3-8
Available direct from co-author Gary Bridger
Price $90 plus post and packing.
Contact Gary — email [email protected] or phone 021 718 841

When the first edition of Hey Charger was released, in 2004, it received universal acclaim from those involved in developing the car, as well as devoted enthusiasts and the media. Hey Charger featured in the editorial of the April 2004 issue of New Zealand Classic Car, and was also awarded book of the month. Mark Webster wrote, “With its meticulous research, cogent interviews, detailed appendices and references, rare models, many colour plates and a wealth of detail, no Chrysler Charger or NZ racing fan should miss this one — it’s the last word”. Australian Classic Car magazine wrote, “A landmark publication about an important Australian vehicle, and definitely our book of the month”. Today, many Chrysler enthusiasts simply refer to Hey Charger as ‘the bible’, because of its historical and technical accuracy. 

Now Gary and Gavin Farmer have again joined forces to produce a completely revised and updated second edition of Hey Charger, in a hardcover full-colour format. This time, Hey Charger has been published in Australia by Gavin Farmer’s publishing company, Ilinga Books. The text has been thoroughly updated, and many new colour and black-and-white photos have been added. All the technical specs have been rigorously proofed by Charger gurus in Australia and New Zealand, and amended accordingly. The error count in the original edition was found to be very low, and only minor corrections were needed. 

Significant changes to the first edition include the complete rewrite of the chapter on the 340 V8 Chargers, as a result of newly discovered evidence on this often-controversial subject. There are also family-approved tributes to Australian motor-racing legend Leo Geoghegan and New Zealand’s Sir John Todd, who both passed away in 2015.

To quote the US’s Mopar Collectors Guide magazine, November 2004, “If you like Australian Chargers, get this book. If you don’t, your life will be filled with misery and woe until you do!”

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.