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New Zealand Classic Car 373, January 2022 is out now!

13 December, 2021

Beach Buggies might be 60s years old but their perky charm is even more fun today. Get the vibe, the history and the how-to in New Zealand Classic Car 373

 


 

As modern cars get softer, the cute curves and the raw dak-dak-dak beat of classic Beach Buggy blasts you with raw sensation — and the smiles per mile go through the roof. We check out this timeless classic and its 60-year-old creation myths and legends. We also look at a 1906 Cadillac, and preview the Jaguars that were going to race in Jaguar’s centenary Historic GP in Taupo, now postponed to 2023, thanks to Covid. So, if you want to see them all in one place now, it has to be NZCC! Sticking with the Dune theme, we’ve also got a pristine Holden Sandman that’s also now precious Kiwiana. It’s as ‘westie’ as a mullet —  all business in the front and party in the back!

What to expect in the January 2022 issue of NZCC


McLaren M8? No it’s Mirage…


Taupo Historic GP’s Jag centenary cancelled
Classic racing Jag lineup now only in NZCC


Before eight is enough, one was enough
Cadillac’s 1906 single-cylinder workshorse

Plus lots more in New Zealand Classic Car 373!



GET YOUR COPY HERE

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.