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Head to Mangawhai

28 November, 2019

The first Saturday of the year will often see classic cars, hot rods, and bikes converging for the annual Black Swamp Rod Run in Mangawhai. The chance to cruise in company around some of Northland’s picturesque coastline followed by a fun afternoon in the Olive Grove with music, food, and plenty of shade usually attracts more than 200 cars.

Register ($20) on the day from 9am —  Saturday, 4 January 2020 — at Mangawhai Domain, Moir St. The cruise starts at 10.45am, heading to Waipu before returning to Mangawhai’s Black Swamp Road Olive Grove for an afternoon of family fun, usually in the sun. Hot food and cold drinks are available.
Thanks to the event’s growing popularity, entry to the Black Swamp Road Olive Grove will be limited to registered event cars.

Members of the public are invited to check out the cars from 9–10.45am for a gold coin donation to Otamatea High School. For more information, call Sandra on 027 531 0788.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2026 issue 405, on sale now

26 April, 2026

Reincarnation of the snake
We are captivated by a top-quality sports car
The Shelby NZ build team at Matamata Panelworks has endured a long and challenging journey, culminating with the highly anticipated public unveiling of the 427SC and firing up of its sonorous V8 at the 2026 Ayrburn Classic Festival of Motoring in Queenstown on February 20. This is a New Zealand-built car with loads of character and potential.
The car is now back in Matamata, and I finally have an opportunity to get up close and personal with it. But before then, the question that must be asked is, “Why would ya?”
The first answer is easy, as mentioned in the last issue of New Zealand Classic Car (#404). It was a great way to use up all the surplus Mustang parts acquired while converting brand-new Mustangs into Shelbys. The unused new Mustang parts would be great in any kit car, but the 427SC in front of me cannot be classified as one.
This is not a kit car. The reality is that it is a high-quality, factory-made production car.
Possibly the second answer is because the CEO of Matamata Panelworks, Malcolm Sankey, wanted to build a replica of the car that is a distant relation to the Shelby Mustangs scattered around his showroom floor, a car created long before the first Mustang was even thought of, and the brainchild of Carroll Shelby back in the early ‘60s.

A tradesman’s estate — the Cortina GT Estate

22 April, 2026

The owner of our featured car, Rod Peat, used to rally a Cortina GT back when the words ‘rally’ and ‘trial’ were interchangeable. In times after that he could also be seen beside Mal Clark in various Targa NZ rallies, getting the famous Rover V8 or Lotus Cortina in spirited fashion around and over the various special stages that make up those events. After children, houses, and career, Rod decided it was time to own a GT again.
A search on the various systems available turned up a car Rod and probably most of us didn’t even know existed: a genuine Ford factory Cortina Estate GT.