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Taupō welcomes back the classics

11 May, 2023

A prowl of Jaguars finally got to celebrate 101 years at the Taupo Classic, which also put on some spectacular historic racing

By Quinton Taylor
Photography: Chris Dillon, Matt Smith, Nigel Watts, Michael Fitzpatrick, Graeme Walker, Dean Wright, Chantell Smith 

Historic Muscle Cars and Saloon Cars president Tony Roberts was delighted with the success of the sixth edition of Taupō International Motorsport Park’s Historic Grand Prix held over the weekend of 21–22 January 2023.
No doubt Tony would have been chuffed even without his win in Class A in the SAS Autoparts MSC F5000 Historic GP race driving his McLaren M10A, the feature race for the meeting. Taking top honours was Brett Willis, winner overall in his Lola T332, after finishing second and third in the first two races and winning the feature race.
“The Historic Grand Prix was a cracker,” said Tony. “Eleven cars lined up for the HGP. It was a good event.” Tony says the event was “a hangover” that was kept on when Tony Quinn bought Taupo Raceway but it was combined with another legacy event, the Jaguar centenary celebration postponed in 2022 due to the Covid-19 restrictions, which added massively to the vehicular quality in the paddocks and the turnout on the weekend.

Jaguar enthusiasts from around the country headed to Taupo, including a South Island contingent with Kent Larsen racing the Wiseman/Larsen Jaguar E-Type and Bryan Ashworth having a fabulous run in the flying Daimler SP250 Dart. Bryan won the second race on the programme, the VCC’s Pre-66 Sports and Saloon cars Race 1 ahead of Kent, also triumphing in the second race in this category. Bryan completed a good day out notching up a third in the Jaguar Handicap Race 2, behind winner Robert Moston and Alan Williams.
Finally unleashed for the postponed centenary, the event drew a great turnout of Jaguars. There was plenty to see with a lunchtime track parade of Jaguars, a stunning collection of classic Jaguars in the Legends Marquee including Colin Giltrap’s stunning XKSS and a chance to meet Greg Murphy and other icons of the sport in the Legends Garage.

The Taupo Classic is one of the highlights on the 2023 calendar and one of New Zealand’s leading classic race meetings. It featured eight different race categories in 25 races over the two days. Formula 5000, Historic Formula Ford/Formula Junior & Invited Historic Single-Seaters, Historic Muscle & Saloon Cars, Historic Sports Sedans & Invited Allcomers, Super V8s featuring TA2 and Tranzams, Heritage Touring Cars, Formula Open NZ and Hooters Vintage Race Series Pre-1966 Saloons & Sports cars.

Two engines instead of one?

13 December, 2024

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.

NZ Classic Car magazine, January/February 2025 issue 397, on sale now

8 December, 2024

Having dominated the world motorcycle championships of the 1960s, Honda had a crucial decision to make in 1969. Would Soichiro Honda heed his engineer’s pivotal advice?
“Very few examples of the early Civic, a car that set Honda onto the path to becoming a giant of the car world, remain road registered in New Zealand.
Retired Tauranga owner of this example, Graham Inglis is thrilled with his classic little Honda Civic, the first of eleven generations built so far by the company. The Civic became a household name.
“It’s quite amazing the number of people who not only wave, but come up to me in the street and tell me how much they like the little Honda and its colour, and then they want to start talking about it. A guy in our vintage car club wants to buy it and he has been pushing me a bit. It’s not for sale,” he laughs.
Graham bought his 1977 Honda Civic from Wellington enthusiast Julian Foster, who was the instigator of its restoration.”