For the love of cars

20 April, 2026

Passion, Pride & Joy:
A new chapter for New Zealand’s classic car custodians
In the world of classic and collector cars, continuity matters. Not just of ownership or
provenance, but of care shaped by skilled hands, patience, and deep respect for the machines themselves.
Since 1973, Auto Restorations has existed for this purpose: to ensure these cars live
on, not as relics, but as working expressions of design and engineering. Over more than five decades, we have restored and returned countless vehicles to the road and racetrack, and in recent years expanded our service offering to keep them
performing at their best.
Today, we are proud to introduce the next step in that journey: This is not a reinvention, but a natural evolution. A name that reflects the full scope of what we now offer, while staying true to the standards and values that have always defined us.

A broader offering, built on the same foundation
Classic ownership today extends beyond restoration. It requires trusted expertise across the
entire life of a vehicle. ARG brings together restoration, servicing, parts, and brokerage under one unified identity.
Wherever you encounter ARG, you can expect the same philosophy: careful work, considered judgement, and an uncompromising standard of quality.
Whether undertaking a full restoration, sourcing period-correct components, or carrying out routine servicing, our approach remains simple if it carries the ARG name, it will be done properly.

Built on passion, delivered with precision
At the heart of ARG is a belief familiar to any enthusiast: no one loves your car more than you do but we understand exactly what it needs.
Our guiding idea, Passion, Pride &
Joy, reflects that: Sharing your passion with people who understand it
Restoring your pride through craftsmanship without compromise
Rekindling the joy that made you fall in love with the car in the first place

Strengthening capability
The formation of ARG also marks a careful expansion of our capabilities, always with quality in mind. A key milestone is the acquisition of Bruce McIlroy Limited, one of New Zealand’s most respected independent Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialists. This strengthens our expertise, tooling, and parts availability in these marques, while complementing the wide range of vehicles we already support including Jaguar, Morgan, Aston Martin, Maserati and Ferrari.
We have also continued to invest in our workshop capabilities, including advanced tyre fitting, wheel balancing, and the latest alignment systems allowing us to service vehicles of all eras with precision and accuracy.

Looking ahead
As specialist skills become increasingly rare, the role of businesses like ours becomes more
important than ever.
ARG represents a commitment to the future of classic car ownership bringing together the expertise, facilities, and philosophy required to care for these vehicles properly. We remain, as always, a business built on relationships. You are always welcome to visit, see our workshop, and talk with us about your car.
Thank you for being part of our journey.

Coaching from the bench: Casting plastic knobs and rubber parts

16 July, 2026

Casting rubber items is simple if you have a good original to work with. The item doesn’t have to be perfect. You can use plasticine to smooth out cracks, and you can even make whole prototypes out of low-fire modelling clay available from craft stores if you need to. Prototypes can also be made of wood or metal.
You will need mould dams to contain the liquid urethane moulding solution until it cures. You can build boxes out of strips of wood, but I have found that small plastic boxes and bowls such as those you would use for leftovers in your fridge work well if you spray them with a mould release agent.
Temperature is important to the chemical processes involved, so work in an area that can be maintained at around 20 degrees. You will also need adequate ventilation because the fumes can be dangerous to breathe. And you will want to wear latex gloves to protect your hands.

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

10 July, 2026

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.