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New Zealand Classic Car – Issue 354 on sale now

24 May, 2020

 


NZCC 354

 

In our second ‘lockdown’ issue we bring you another great issue featuring an eclectic mix of fine classics. From where the horses roar in Maranello, we feature a superb example of what, designer, Pininfarina, said was the car of which he was most proud, a car of class and beauty, the Ferrari Dino.

Henry Ford’s business struggled through the 1940s, but in 1948, a new era began at the company with the release of a new range of trucks. Our featured 1948 Ford Bonus truck has been transformed from a tired old and beaten workhorse to a show stopping weekend cruiser. But with a tight deadline and one mission in mind it was all hands on the pump.   

Born in an era when Japanese coupés took styling cues from the American muscle car scene, Subaru followed the trend with its GLF coupé. In this issue we take an in-depth look at the passion and desire it takes to restore one of these classic coupe’s from a rusty, badly repaired driver to a concours quality gem.

While flower power took over the rest of the world and music changed forever in the ’60s, the hot ticket for many Kiwi kids was: slot car racing. In the first of a two-part report Gerard Richards recalls his first love.

There’s so much more in this issue, we could go on, but you’ll just have to find out for yourself.          

Get yours in store now or delivered to your door from magstore.nz – New Zealand Classic Car – Issue 354.

More to the point

6 March, 2026

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.