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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.

Bronze treasure unearthed

20 August, 2026

The car was put away in favour of something more practical, and when his father was unable to drive any more, Matt’s friend asked him to come and take a look at his dad’s old Holden. It turned out this was one of those phone calls that leads to that feeling of pure joy in the classic car world — the ‘barn find’ that turns out to be even better than expected. The HT Monaro had been put to bed some years before and had not seen the light of day since. Layers of dust and boxes of junk littered her undercarriage and bodywork and access points all around.

NZ Classic Car magazine, September/October 2026 issue 407, on sale now

16 August, 2026

We love bugs!
A bit of TLC that became a major restoration
The 1302S, or ‘Super Beetle’ as it became known, was built for two years before it, too, was replaced by a further-enhanced Beetle, the 1303, continuing an amazing 65-year lineage for one of the World’s best-known shapes.
The world’s best-selling single-model vehicle, the VW Beetle, possibly established another record for the amount of controversy it has created since the inception of the Type 1.
In a meeting with Hitler in June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to build a ‘People’s Car’ that could accommodate two adults and three children, was air-cooled and simple to maintain, and could cruise economically at moderate speed along Germany’s proposed new Autobahns.
Our feature car, a 1972 1302S ‘Super Beetle’, was found by Dave and Michelle Dickie in Mosgiel a few years back. It was a runner, but like most VWs of this age, it needed a little TLC. They were looking for a daily driver for Michelle when they first came upon the VW being sold locally on behalf of its owner.
“The owner offered it to his grandchildren, and they didn’t want it, so he got the guy out at Mosgiel in the Mobil petrol station to sell it for him, and he put it on Trade Me for them. We never met the owner, and we were always dealing with the guy at the petrol station. We put a bid on it, and we were the only people that bid on it.”
Their bid was eventually successful, eight years ago. Not knowing much of the history, in situations like that, it’s always a risk buying a car, but they were in for a bit of a surprise.