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Supercars by the sea

11 May, 2023

A wealth of automotive treats gathered on Wellington’s waterfront
By Christopher Moor

Summer Supercars by the Sea had a million dollar harbour backdrop for cars worth maybe 20 times more than that, parked along Wellington’s Te Papa promenade on Sunday 22 January. The capital’s anniversary weekend car show ran between 10am and 12.30pm.
Around 60 supercars graced the concourse for the Wellington Sports & Supercar Owners’ second show. Last winter’s show was at the nearby Odlins’ Plaza but the new venue for the summer event enabled an improved display, and easier access for visitors to get amongst them. A few cyclists and scooter riders detoured from their promenading around the waterfront to take a look at some of the finest alternative forms of transport.

It was the day of the coupé featuring American muscle, European classics, the sporty Japanese, and the best of British, plus a scattering of four door saloons and a handful of soft tops displayed with their hoods down. Those expecting Mustangs, Corvettes, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Hondas, Lamborghinis, or a DeLorean would have been well satisfied.
Children provided a pretty steady stream of visitors to the silver Lamborghini Gallardo to have their photos taken with this exotic beast. Hopefully they weren’t too disappointed to discover that the revving motors heard throughout the morning came from pre-recorded sources.

My happiest memory of the day is of the Aston Martin owner who opened the door of his convertible to let youngsters take a turn behind the wheel. Their matching beaming smiles told me he’d made their day – as well as his own. Here’s hoping kind gestures such as this from today’s classic owners will help ensure that the interest transfers to future generations.
An Englishman was overhead explaining the TVR 450 to some interested New Zealand mates, apparently a car they’d not heard of before. 
Summer Supercars by the Sea was a free entry event. Donations could be made on the concourse to Child Cancer, the day’s benefiting charity.

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.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2026 issue 404, on sale now

22 February, 2026

BMW’s flagship techno showcase
The supermodel 1995 BMW 840Ci is simply elegant and perfectly engineered.
BMW’s 840 Ci flagship Coupe provides superb comfort and equipment packaged in a stylish body, with grand-touring performance and surprisingly competent handling for its size.
It’s the kind of machine that stands apart from the start. When BMW first unveiled its flagship Grand Tourer at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive world blinked twice. Sleek, low, and impossibly modern for its era, it combined drama with a sort of purposeful understatement. This silhouette still looks striking today, long after its peers have faded into obscurity.
Initially offered with a range of engines, the model you’re reading about is the V8 iteration, featuring a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder heart under its long bonnet and a smooth five-speed automatic at the back. It wasn’t about blistering sprint times so much as effortless velocity. There was power on tap, sure, but the way it delivered thrust felt unhurried and measured – the automotive equivalent of a deep exhale on a long drive.
Poster 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, C2