Latest news and features

Hyperwave: Toyota’s ultimate rear-wheel-drive, mid-ship sports car
Defining 1980s Japanese automotive excessiveness with a supercharged mid-engined and rear-wheel-drive Toyota MR2. View fullsize Gripped by a whirlwind of rapid technological advances,

This month in Classic Car
October’s New Zealand Classic Car is on sale now. This month, one of the great classic cars on a beauty per dollar basis,

Kiwis On Tour: Hit the West with the best
Route 66 Tours with Beach Hop frontman Noddy Watts are well known. It’s a grand idea for a fully escorted self-driving tour, in this

Champagne classics for a beer income
For those who recognise the essence of luxury; for apprentice plutocrats wanting to signal their sense of entitlement but who don’t yet

Going old school: Very Vintage Day Out 2019
It can sometimes be difficult to reconcile your hobbies with those of your partner, but the Very Vintage Day Out neatly straddles the

Homegrown Kiwi car near misses — the Anziel Nova and Marlborough Carlton
View fullsize At one stage in the late ’60s, it seemed that the Anziel Nova was in the news media all the time,

Keeping it in the family
View fullsize Some cars inspire so much affection that their value soars way beyond their guide price. ‘Geraldine’ is one of those priceless

Skoda turns up the heat!
View fullsize In 1971 Skoda decided rallying might just give its cars some much needed cool factor — and it very nearly worked.

Star Insurance Marketplace: Rootes Group Round-Up
There’s plenty of affection for the Rootes Group family cars. Their simplicity also makes them a contender for a cost-effective restoration —

Technical feature — Preparing your classic for painting
New Zealand Classic Car talks to the experts on how to repaint once and do it right A car’s paint and metal work

Evo 10 takes top honours in the Targa Hawke’s Bay
McKenzie and Sayers set an early lead and held onto it throughout three daysof torrid classic tarmac rally racing in the bay. Haydn

The Jensen Interceptor story
The cover car of New Zealand Classic Car issue 341 is a gorgeous NZ-new example of one of the most likeable of great

An arresting development
Perhaps New Zealand Classic Car is breaking some unwritten rule by including a column on classic motorcycles… We had barely got started when

NZ Classic Car #342 (June) on sale now
The Falcon GT dominates the cover of the latest issue of New Zealand Classic Car (#342) much as its GTHO siblings did

Read this with a French accent…
For its 16th adventure around the world, the French association Traction sans Frontières selected New Zealand. Report written by Philippe and Nana Lasson

Nationwide events: Targa Hawke’s Bay 2019 (17-19 May)
View fullsize Welcome to another Targa Hawke’s Bay event. This year, we have combined the best roads from the Rotorua, Matamata, and Waikato

Missed an episode of Carpool? Watch it here!
Appreciate all the finer things in life? We’ve served up your Sunday afternoon viewing on a gold platter. The newest addition to Three’s

Prestige Classic Car collection to be auctioned in New Zealand
View fullsize On Sunday, 17 March, Auckland-based auction house Webb’s will offer one of the most distinguished personal collections of Classic Cars to

This is not a drill! SIVANZ goes to bat for all car enthusiasts
Simply because it’s too important not to be talking about, here’s a reminder from Andrew at Special Interest Vehicle Association of New Zealand (SIVANZ) about

Untangling the mystery: automotive electrics
Not as frightening as it sounds — in most classic cars, wiring looms or harnesses are quite simple View fullsize For many, automotive

Twelve and a half million dollars of classic Mercedes at Ellerslie Car Show
View fullsize Thirty-four rare and valuable Mercedes-Benz from 1928 to 2015, including Intermarque Concours Masters and Teams event winners from over the past 20 years,

Behind the garage door: XJS Jag restoration
When an ‘oops’ needs serious attention View fullsize Not all Behind The Garage Door projects are major, body-off-type restorations. Sometimes a small accident is just

Black Belt Battle: Masterton Motorplex comp season kicking off
View fullsize The weekend of 8–9 December will see round one of the Masterton Motorplex comp season kick off, and regulars to the

Putting the power down: how the drivetrain works
We send the spotlight under the car to focus on the drivetrain, covering everything from the engine’s crankshaft to the driven wheels The

The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Hitherto the only item known as the Cullinan was a massive diamond that makes up part of the British Crown Jewels. But now

A place to call home: Caffeine & Gasoline
View fullsize As many car enthusiasts from the upper part of the country are likely to be aware, the organizers of Caffeine &

Fancy a classic car? You could have one next week
Thirty cars from one collection are going under the hammer this Saturday 13 October and with so many desirable cars being offered at once the old laws of supply and demand might make some of them bargains.

Fuel and water: hitting the fluids’ sweet spots
The engine rightfully gets the most attention, as well as naming rights, in the engine bay, but if it is going to deliver

Nostalgic charm: The Very Vintage Day Out
View fullsize It can sometimes be difficult to reconcile your hobbies with those of your partner, but the Very Vintage Day Out neatly straddles

Internal procedure: intricacies of engine rebuilding
This month, we delve deep into the innards of the internal-combustion engine and look at the intricacies of rebuilding and reconditioning it View

The next chapter: Caffeine & Classics, now with more classics
The monthly Caffeine & Classics meeting should suffice without an introduction, if you’re in the position to be reading this. It’s a pretty

Classics only, please: Caffeine and Classics’ new 30 year rule
View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Find yourself anywhere near Smales Farm, Auckland, on the last Sunday of the month, and you’ll be

All go, no hassle: US buying made easy with Freight Assist NZ
View fullsize Having trouble getting that rare as hen’s teeth part or big-daddy motor package out of the US of A because the

Out of sight, out of mind: a safer underbody
Whether it’s your daily driver or prized classic, that old adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is more than likely to apply

Event guide: Caffeine and Classics
View fullsize When: 29 July, 10amWhere: Smales Farm, Auckland Just because it’s officially winter doesn’t mean that you can’t get your fix of cool cars.

Art in motion: coach-building secrets
Despite the pervasiveness of mass production, the art of coach building refuses to die, only becoming more sought after by those seeking the

Wazoo Gazoo: Toyota go one-two for first ever Le Mans victory
Only the most determined souls and sturdiest cars can claim that they won — or even survived, for that matter — the running

Labour of love: 1962 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
View fullsize Bruce Haye from Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga purchased this 1962 Cadillac Coupe de Ville from the original importer of

Where’s the cake: Fraser Cars turns 30
View fullsize Celebrating three decades of Fraser Cars, owners Scott and Ida are bringing the car-building experience into the 21st century with a