Dave Alexander is going to Bonneville, can you help get him there?

26 February, 2025

The Spirit of New Zealand Bonneville
Dave Alexander is building a ‘Lakester,’ a car engineered specifically for land-speed racing and powered by a turbocharged Nissan RB30 engine. He needs our support to get him to Bonneville Speedweek, August 2025
Here’s Dave’s land speed record mission in his own words.

“My name is Dave Alexander, and I am on a mission to set a land speed record of over 420 kph at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats.
With decades of experience in motorsport dating back to the 1970s, I have had the honour of competing at Bonneville before, where we achieved three records in just one week with my home-built car from New Zealand.
My latest creation is an impressive 7-metre ‘Lakester’, engineered specifically for land-speed racing and powered by a turbocharged Nissan RB30 engine. As a self-employed engineer, fabricator, and welder, I took on the challenge of building this vehicle in my shed with support from a small team of skilled friends.
In February 2025, we successfully completed the build and ran the car on a hub dynamometer, ensuring all systems were calibrated and functions tested. This marked a crucial milestone in our journey. Now, we face the next challenge: packing the car and transporting it across the globe to compete in ‘Bonneville Speedweek’ 2025.
We invite fellow New Zealanders and speed enthusiasts to join us in this exciting endeavour. Your support is essential to cover the shipping and transport costs to get our car to the U.S. in August 2025.
Every contribution counts, and you can make a difference by donating online at
Give-A-Little.com. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/spirit-of-nz-bonneville-lakester
Together, we can put the fastest-ever New Zealand record in the books at Bonneville!”

The Spirit of New Zealand Bonneville Lakester
Email: [email protected]
For more information

Press contact David Mead
Phone: (027) 245-0770
Email: [email protected]

Owner Contact details
Dave Alexander
Phone: (027) 233-6532
Email: [email protected]

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

With almost three and a half decades under its belt, Fraser Cars is one of New Zealand’s longest-surviving car manufacturers. The company first opened its doors for business in 1988, during the boom time for kit manufacturers. During the ’80s, around 40 different companies were building kits and turnkey cars for this niche market. Of those, only Fraser and Almac Cars (established 1981) are still in business today.
Most of the new kit car companies were killed off in the cradle by the threat of new legislation that never eventuated and definitively by the sudden availability of high-performance Japanese cars when the floodgates to second-hand imports were opened. The now long-retired founder of the company, Neil Fraser, first came across Lotus Seven replicas while racing Lotus Cortinas in the early ’80s. He regularly found himself racing against a little Caterham, a Lotus Seven–styled car built in England. He was very impressed by its simplicity and handling. In 1986 Fraser built his own Lotus Seven–type car, using the knowledge he had gained from several close looks at the Caterham.

2027 Star Insure Calendar Competition Terms and Conditions

2027 Star Insure Calendar Competition
We’ve partnered up with Star Insure in search for 13 outstanding classic cars to feature across the 2027 Star Insure Calendar and the December issue of NZ Classic Car Magazine. One standout entry wins the ultimate honour: cover placement on both the calendar and the magazine, with the remaining 12 featured across the monthly pages.
Email your photo to [email protected] and include your full name, postal address, phone number and vehicle details (year, make and model). Entries close Friday, 31 July 2026. *T’s & C’s apply.
Read more to find out the full details >>