Based around the lightweight Lotus Elise, topped with carbon-fibre bodywork, the Tesla Roadster is powered by an innovative three-phase, four-pole AC induction electric motor — power storage being provided by a lithium-ion battery pack, effectively an interconnected package of 6831 laptop computer-style batteries.

Although classed as an American car, the Tesla Roadster is very much an international product — the car’s exclusive chassis is produced by Lotus, the car’s body panels are made by Sotira in France and the single-speed gearbox is manufactured in the US by BorgWarner. Final assembly takes place at Menlo Park in California. While the Roadster’s chassis is unique, it does share many parts with the Lotus Elise — including suspension componentry, soft-top and front windscreen.

For the US 2010 model year, Tesla revised the Roadster, adding push-button gear selection, an upgraded interior and a more powerful electric motor. The Tesla Roadster 2.5 — as tested — was introduced in July 2010 along with a more powerful Sport version.

Tesla has since reached its limit of 2500 Roadsters — the number of chassis units originally planned to be supplied by Lotus. The agreement with Lotus expired in December 2011, marking the end of Roadster production. Tesla only recently launched the Roadster 2.5 in Australia, but the example we were able to briefly road-test was actually flown out to New Zealand from the UK, and, according to the plaque mounted on the car, is the final RHD Tesla Roadster.

Over the ditch, Roadster 2.5 retail prices start at a heady AU$206,188 — in New Zealand, without the ‘benefit’ of Australia’s luxury tax, Kiwis pay around $180,000 for the base model. However, with only limited numbers of Roadsters now available, what’s the future for Tesla? Well, it’s got that sorted.

Musk’s original plan was always to begin with a high-price vehicle, hoping that well-heeled early adopters would climb on board and support Tesla’s green machines — the final goal being to produce all-electric vehicles which everyone can afford. With that initial phase of the operation now complete, Tesla has already unveiled its next models — the Model S sedan and the Model X SUV. The svelte-looking Model S (looking rather Jaguar XF-like) is expected to go into series production in July this year, while Tesla plans to start building the Model X in late 2013. Both cars are expected to be priced well below the expensive Roadster — the Model S will be available in several flavours ranging from a base 40kWh unit priced at US$49,900 to the top-of-the-line Signature Performance model (85kWh and US$97,900). Tesla is also planning much larger production runs for both models targeting, for example, 10,000 to 15,000 units per year for the Model X.

Hollywood Comes to East Tamaki

When Ken Woodburn of KW Historics in Auckland gave me a call to say he had an interesting car in his workshop, I dropped what I was doing and made my way out to East Tamaki. There, in a glistening coat of Lightning Green, was this Tesla Roadster, its power socket flashing away colourfully as it sucked up a first taste of Kiwi electricity.

Accompanying the car was Tesla Australia’s regional manager, Jay McCormack, indicating that this was a fairly historic event — this car being the first and, at present, only Tesla to arrive on our shores. The Roadster had been purchased — presumably online from Tesla’s own website — by a Wellingtonian but, before it was sent to its new owner, the car was getting the benefit of KW Historic’s Lotus experience, with Ken getting the Tesla Roadster ready for the Kiwi VIN and registration process.

A few days later, the car was all ready for the road and, just prior to the Tesla being shipped off to Wellington, we returned to KW Historics with the promise of a drive — albeit brief — in the Roadster.

Silent Running

For a Lotus Elise owner such as myself, the Tesla is very familiar territory — it’s just as hard to get into when the roof is up, the seats are the same thin, unpadded items as fitted to the Lotus and the dashboard looks very similar as well — although the Tesla does have a lockable glove box, something alien to a Lotus. Mind you, it’s well named as it’s only just about large enough to house a pair of gloves! Glove box aside, all similarities end when you power-up the Tesla. Instead of the angry K-Series bark I’m used to, all that came from the Tesla was a computer-like ‘bong’ as the instrument panel and the centrally-mounted display screen — complete with rear-view camera — lit up.

Talk about silent — there’s no noise, no vibrations, nothing!

What now? Easy — press the button marked D (there are also buttons for park and reverse), let your foot off the brake pedal and — whoa, this is spooky, the car glides forward in total silence. This is going to take some getting used to!

Once out on the open road the Tesla feels (as you would expect) remarkably like a rather overweight Lotus Elise. It may not be fitted with an engine or conventional gearbox, but all the weight saved from ditching those items is more than made up with the hefty battery pack. Fortunately, Tesla has got its engineering sums right and, despite its extra weight, the Roadster feels just as well balanced as a Lotus.

As well as the ability to ignore petrol stations, the Tesla soon proves it holds a few more advantages over the British sportster — for one, it seems more solid and better built than any Elise I’ve ever driven and, oh yes, it’s also breathtakingly quick. While the Tesla’s top speed may only be 212kph, a 0–100kph time of only 3.9 seconds is enough to humble just about any other car on the road, including many conventionally-powered supercars.

What’s most amazing is that the remarkable Tesla accomplishes all this with absolutely no fuss and seemingly little effort — simply squeeze the accelerator at any speed and the car rockets off into the distance. It doesn’t need to pause for a lungful of air or a gear-change — it just goes. Then, when you want to stop, the Tesla pulls out another party trick — regenerative braking. This does take some getting used to, and I find myself slowing down for intersections rather prematurely — once familiar with this system, the car’s conventional disc brakes wouldn’t see much hard use from a skilled driver. Save on disc pad replacement as well as petrol!

Assault and Battery

And the range? Well, in normal usage, Tesla reckons the Roadster can cover up to 400km on a single charge but, like a more conventional, petrol-fuelled car, the eventual range will depend upon how hard you drive. Use maximum acceleration everywhere and you could see the overall range dropping quite considerably — as Jeremy Clarkson infamously discovered when he took a Tesla Roadster onto the Top Gear test-track.

Although the Roadster may not be suited for long distance, cross-country travel, most of us don’t travel huge distances every day — my daily commute is probably longer than most, but is still only around 130km, well within the Tesla’s range. Using its high-power 240-volt wall connector, the Roadster’s batteries can be recharged fully in just three and a half hours but, for most, an overnight trickle charge would be more than adequate.

Tesla expects the Roadster’s battery package to be good for seven years — that rather limits the car’s second-hand value, as you wouldn’t want to be the one shelling out for a new battery pack: they currently cost around US$10,000. Tesla does have a scheme whereby you can pre-purchase a second battery pack at the time of your initial purchase of the car.

You can bet your bottom dollar that petrol prices are only going to spiral upwards and, while a Tesla Roadster is out of reach for most of us, perhaps Tesla’s next offerings will allow more of us to consider going all electric.

Do these types of cars represent the final answer to pollution? Some believe the future of private motoring lies with electrically-powered cars such as the Tesla, while others argue that hydrogen power is the way forward. Whatever the eventual outcome, the Tesla Roadster is a pretty amazing vehicle; one that provided a rather enjoyable and unique experience.

2012 Tesla Roadster 2.5 – Specifications

Engine 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive
Max. power 225kW at 5–6000rpm
Max. torque 370Nm at 5400rpm

Max. rpm 14,000
Battery Micro-processor controlled lithium-ion; 6831 individual cells
Body/chassis Aluminium chassis/ carbon-fibre panels
Transmission
Single-speed fixed gear, reverse (limited to 24kph) utilises reverse direction of motor
Steering Rack and pinion
Suspension All independent by upper and lower unequal length wishbone, co-axial coil springs and telescopic dampers
Brakes F/R Disc/disc, traction control/ ABS
Wheels F: 6Jx16 alloy/ R: 7.5Jx17 alloy
Tyres Yokohama Neova, 175/55 R16 (F) 225/45 R17 (R)
Dimensions:
Overall length 3940mm
Width 1858mm
Height 1127mm
Wheelbase 2352mm
Track F/R 1466/1499mm
Kerb weight 1235kg
Performance:
Max. speed 201kph
0–100kph 3.9 seconds
Range 350–400km
Words: Allan Walton   Photos: Adam Croy

80 classic cars, 15 classic tractors, and a bunch of petrol and pedal–powered miniature cars will all be up for sale on Sunday, 5th August at Turners Auckland. As previously notified, this auction was originally scheduled for June 10th, but due to the logistics of moving and managing such a large collection of car, Turners have moved the auction date out to the first Sunday in August.

There is quite a range of cars, too. Among the collection is a black 1948 Jaguar 2.5 Mark IV, a restored 1972 Citroën DS1 and a 1955 Vauxhall Velox.  Among the quirkier cars is a Jaguar SS100 replica kit car and a 1923 Ford T Bucket.

If you’re a collector of farm machinery then you’ll want to check out the selection of vintage and rare tractors. And then there’s the collection of miniature classics for those with a smaller garage.

Collections of this size and quality don’t come up for sale very often so start making space in your garage now.

RIP Quentin Toebes

We’ve just heard that Wellington-based classic Mini racer, Quentin Toebes, passed away yesterday in Waikato Hospital. He was well known as the driver of the ex–Brian Innes 1964 red & black Mini Cooper S.

Quentin had been taking part at the MiniFunday at Taupo on Saturday when he became ill and ended up in Taupo hospital before being airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

Quentin will be missed by the classic racing fraternity.

[Thanks to Kevin Taylor of the Auckand Mini Club – and Greg Wenzlick of BMW NZ for the photo of the ex-Brian Innes Mini, as raced by Quentin]

Stanaway urges youngsters to take the challenge – entries close this week.

Should Kiwi motor racing sensation Richie Stanaway get to test a Formula 1 car later this year, it will be a little over five years since the then Tauranga teenager won the annual motor racing scholarship that began his incredible journey.

Stanaway has just started racing in the new Formula Renault 3.5 series in Europe as a development driver in the Lotus Junior Formula 1 program after two outstanding years racing in Germany where he dominated both the Formula Masters and Formula 3 championships.

But Stanaway’s circuit racing career began back in New Zealand in 2007 when he won the TradeZone/SpeedSport Scholarship as a 15-year-old college student and competed in his first single-seater, a Formula First racing car.

“Without a doubt, the basic skills I acquired when racing a Formula First car laid the foundation of my success to move on to Formula Ford, to race in Australia and now in Europe,” said Stanaway.

Signed with the Gravity Management team, it is highly likely that Stanaway will be given the opportunity to test a Formula 1 car at the end of this year, providing he has a successful season in the Renault 3.5 car.

“Winning the Scholarship was a big step-forward in my career. The guidance and experience Dennis [Martin] and his team were able to pass on was invaluable and I would encourage all young drivers to enter the Scholarship. There is so much to learn by just going through the Scholarship experience, and to win it really is the icing on the cake.”

When the class of the 2012 TradeZone/SpeedSport Scholarship are going through their final evaluation sessions at the Manfeild race circuit near Palmerston North on the weekend of 26-27th May, Stanaway will be on the other side of the world in a lead-up race to the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix.

“It will be an unbelievable experience to be racing on the famous Monaco street circuit, and it’s amazing to think that on the same weekend back home, another group of young drivers will be going through that nerve-racking experience of trying to win the SpeedSport Scholarship, just like I did five years earlier, in the hope it will kick-start their careers,” said Stanaway.

As a youngster, 6, he first raced motocross bikes before moving to speedway cars, a year in karting and then to circuit racing and single-seater cars after winning the TradeZone/SpeedSport Scholarship.

Founded in 1990 as a joint partnership between Sabre Motorsport and SpeedSport magazine, the scholarship program has produced some of New Zealand’s best young racing stars. V8 Supercar driver Shane van Gisbergen, who has just turned 23-years-old, won three years prior to Stanaway, and current New Zealand Grand Prix winner Nick Cassidy won in 2009. Cassidy has also just started racing in a junior Renault series in Europe for the British-based Fortec team.

Entries for this year’s TradeZone/SpeedSport Scholardship close at the end of this week [May 20th] and can be made on-line at speedsportscholarship.co.nz

The winner receives an all expenses paid season racing a Formula First car under the guidance and tuition of Dennis Martin and his Sabre Motorsport team, a personalised race suit, boots and racing gloves from Chicane and a new Arai race helmet from Dold Industries. On top of that, the winner will receive off-track tuition and mentoring.

From the US comes the shock news that motoring legend, Carroll Shelby, has passed away at the age of 89.

A one-time chicken farmer, Shelby first made his name as a race-car driver but became an international motoring celebrity with the introduction of the now legendary Shelby Cobra. And, of course, Shelby was also the man who put the muscle in Ford’s success at Le Mans with the GT40, injected go-faster genes into a whole slew of Mustangs and, of course, put extra venom into Chrysler’s Viper.

Shelby was also one of the world’s longest surviving heart transplant recipents, having received a new heart way back in 1990. Indeed, even at Le Mans in 1959, Shelby was using nitroglycerin pills to counter heart problems – and it would be for these reasons that Shelby retired from racing and turned his hand to car design.

In the ‘60s, the Cobra made Shelby’s name a household word and he would also lend his name to very special variations of the Ford Mustang.

Shelby is survived by his wife, Cleo Shelby, three children – Patrick, Michael and Sharon – his sister, Anne Shelby Ellison, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Every year the team competition at the NZCC/Ellerslie Intermarque Concours is always hotly contested and any car club can enter two of its finest cars to compete against other clubs or, for those keen enough, there’s provision to enter more than one team at the organising committee’s discretion. For instance, over the last few years the Auckland Mustang Owners’ Club has gone to great lengths by entering two teams — finally winning in 2011, giving the club the right to host the 2012 event.

The 2012 NZCC/Ellerslie Intermarque Concours saw six magnificently presented teams from five car clubs — BMW Car Club of NZ Inc, TR Register NZ Inc, Early Holden Club of Auckland Inc, MG Car Club (Auckland) Inc and two teams from the Auckland Mustang Owners’ Club — enter the competition. The stakes are high: the right to host the following year’s event, the right to have two club members present on the organising committee, and a larger percentage of the gate takings. But this competition is more than that, it’s about club pride, the satisfaction of putting up two cars against the rest is what keeps car clubs presenting teams every year.

With two teams entered again, the Auckland Mustang Owners’ Club was, no doubt, keen for a back-to-back victory, but the Early Holden Club of Auckland put paid to that notion by winning with a total combined score of 945 points out of a possible 1180. Not only did it score the prestigious Teams Trophy, but Mark Grey’s glorious 1953 FX Holden ute was the highest scoring car in the overall team event, with a final total of 499 points out of a possible 590. So, let’s start by taking a close look at Mark’s beautifully restored ute.

FX to FJ Swap Over 

Mark Grey’s Holden ute is what’s known as a ‘swap over’ model from FX to FJ. This basically means that Mark’s FX features the ‘old’ look, with new running gear, inheriting the FJ engine and gearbox which is still firmly nestled between the car’s shock towers today.

However, Mark’s passion for old Aussie iron began many years before he acquired his FX ute, dating back to when
he was a youngster — a time when his father owned a succession of Valiants before settling upon an HG Holden station wagon. Mark remembers family holidays with the six-metre caravan hooked onto the back of the HG as they headed off to Whitianga. There were also much longer road trips all over the country — from Cape Reinga to Bluff. One of his favourite recollections from that time was sitting in the back of the Holden looking out the back window, watching the pointy nose of the family caravan just
centimetres away.

Over the years Mark’s father owned many Holdens, including Toranas, an HQ Premier and Statesman; so it
was no real surprise that, when Mark (at the age of 18)
approached his older brother with idea of buying a Volkswagen Beetle, he was told in no uncertain terms that wasn’t going to happen. In fact, it just so happened that Mark’s brother knew where there was an old FJ Holden for sale in Orakei — a car which Mark subsequently bought and drove home to Papatoetoe. He then spent much of his time ‘doing up’ the FJ and decided to join a car club to learn more about his old Holden. However, at that time — the early ’80s — there were no clubs representing Holdens. Instead, Mark teamed up with Russell Armstrong, who owned a nice EH, along with Holden enthusiasts Dave Ring and Howard Amos. Together, they lodged an advertisement in the Auto Trader asking for people interested in early Holdens to meet at the Auckland Domain. According to Mark, they almost literally had Holdens “coming out our ears” — the response was so great that it led to the birth of The Early Holden Club.

However, despite effectively being a founding member of the club, as time went by Mark gradually moved away from Holdens, even briefly owning a MGB roadster. Although he would own a succession of modern Holden Commodores, he always regretted the day he sold his trusty old FJ.

Rekindling the Passion

Five years ago Mark, for reasons he still can’t adequately explain, sat down at his computer, entered a local auction site and made a search for ‘FJ Holden.’ There were no FJs to be seen — however, an FX ute was listed for sale. Mark was actually quite surprised, as he was of the opinion that not too many FX utes existed in New Zealand and, as he owned a carrier business, there was an opportunity to buy the utility vehicle under the company’s name.

Mark promptly phoned the owner, an elderly gentleman named John Pavich, and asked to be told all about the vehicle. John explained to Mark that he originally purchased the vehicle brand-new when was just 21 years old from Sydney Atkinson Motors in Perth, Western Australia. Mark couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and suddenly became more interested in the ute. John went on to explain that he brought the FX ute with him when he moved to New Zealand in 1966, and it had all the original documentation, including a letter from the Australian Police (signed by the Commissioner of Police) detailing the original registration, number plate and that it had only ever been owned by John Pavich of Inglewood, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

Mark immediately offered John a cash sum to remove the car from the auction site and arranged to view the car, which had been stored for 14 years in a small garage in St Lukes, Auckland.

When Mark — along with good friend and Valiant
enthusiast, Murray Pine — went to view the Holden they decided to roll it out of the garage, but the car wouldn’t budge. Their initial thoughts were that the brakes had seized, but they soon discovered the Holden’s ancient tyres had literally stuck themselves to the concrete floor,
preventing movement — nothing that the application of muscle couldn’t solve.

Once it was into the sunlight, Mark knew he had to own the car and negotiations were soon underway. John had already said he was wary that someone would purchase his old ute and turn it into a hot rod, so he was relieved to learn that Mark was an Early Holden Club member and that his plan was to restore the car back to its original condition. John had every intention of one day restoring the Holden ute to its former glory himself — but, as time went by, the task became too much for him to tackle.

The deal was completed and Mark can still recall the day he took the old ute away. John reminded him —
“I was only a boy when I bought this ute!” A sad day indeed for John — from that day Mark nicknamed his new FX ute the ‘Kalgoorlie Boy’.

Soon after Mark got his new project car home, a new shed was constructed, and it wasn’t long before the FX restoration began. He remembers his initial thoughts were, What the hell have I got myself into? — as most of our readers are only too well aware, this isn’t an uncommon reaction.

Reviving the FX

The first job on Mark’s agenda was to completely strip the ute down to a bare shell and send it off to be sandblasted. Unfortunately for Mark, when the body arrived back home it resembled a lace doily; plainly it and had seen far better days. Mark still has the pitted and rusted panels which were removed hanging on the walls of his shed today, and reckons he’ll make a ‘mobile’ out of them one day.

Mark then made contact with renowned Australian restorer, Phil Munday in Melbourne — the man who
restored the ex-Peter Brock FX Holden — for some advice on restoring the FX ute. Mark sent Phil a several photographs of the body-shell and was advised by Phil that this was fairly normal, and he suggested sending the to ute to him in Australia to complete the restoration.

Phil kept asking Mark if he was sure it was a one-owner vehicle. Mark assured him that this was the case, proving it by sending him a copy of the letter the original owner had received from the Australian Police. Phil submitted a price to complete the restoration that was extremely competitive, but in the end Mark decided to keep the project in New Zealand.

When Mark bought the ute, its engine had been replaced with one from a later Holden FB, although Mark did have the original engine, which John Pavich had kept in a cupboard for 30 years covered in newspaper — the engine’s wrapping paper carried news regarding the then current Woodstock concert in the US from the late ’60s.

Simon Tippens from Creative Panelworks got the job of fabricating new panels for the bottoms of the doors— the rear quarters required extensive repair and the tray needed to be straightened. These old utes have no tie-down points on their tray and this allows anything loaded on the back to move around freely, causing panel damage. As well, the Holden’s original Australian hardwood deck-floor had completely rotted away and needed replacing — a chore ably handled by Woodzone of Clevedon.

The original engine was sent to Taylor Automotive in Auckland, where it was completely reconditioned to original specifications. The Holden’s gearbox, driveshaft and differential were also completely reconditioned. Brand new drum brakes were installed, whilst Jim Carroll from Autocare installed new fuel lines and was a huge help to Mark throughout the entire build. All the chrome was taken care of by Otahuhu Chromeplaters. However, as the FX’s radiator grille is quite an intricate piece, the local company was reluctant to touch it. Mark decided to send the grille to Roy Johnson in Brisbane, who has the original factory jigs for specialist repairs. As it happened, Mark’s wife, Trish, was travelling to Brisbane on business at the time and was able to take the grille with her as carry-on luggage to avoid any
further damage. Over in Brisbane, Roy completely disassembled,
re-chromed and reassembled the grille. Originally, these items were chrome-plated in one complete piece — which meant they were never plated properly from new.

Once the bodywork was completed it was treated to a stunning Glenn Green paint job applied by Steve Sealey at Airworks Panel & Paint. Steve is also a keen Holden man and owns a fairly radically customised FJ Holden ute himself, so he was keen to do the job.

Mark actually discovered the ute’s original colour on the inside of the steel wheels and on a small portion of the inside tailgate skin. Once these patches of original paint had been cleaned and polished, the colour was matched perfectly by Steve Sealey. Mark thanks his good friends Howard Amos and Dave Young as well as Baz from
Airworks Tyres for their support and patience throughout this entire project.

The Concours

Finally, Mark’s five-year journey with the FX was almost at a conclusion. The day before this year’s NZCC/Ellerslie Intermarque Concours, Mark and Trish planned to attend a concert at the Villa Maria Estate. However, there were still many jobs to complete on the Holden before they could head off to the concert. Mark’s wife, Trish, was starting to get rather anxious about arriving to the concert late but finally, after Mark pushed the last hubcap onto the driver’s front wheel, they both realised their journey had come to an end — the FX was finished. Their children took over for final polishing duties whilst Mark and Trish headed off to the concert.

Mark had always intended contacting the ute’s original owner, John Pavich, once the FX was completed, warranted and registered. John was duly contacted and arrived at Ellerslie on Sunday. According to Mark, John couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his old ute. Even though winning the Team’s Event and holding the trophy and shield for the first time was an amazing achievement, the highlight of the show for Mark was the look on John’s face when he saw the ute for the first time in five years. John had actually forgotten how it looked in its original colour, as it had been repainted so many different colours over the years, and to see it just as it was when he purchased it back in 1953 was overwhelming. For Mark, that was the icing on the cake.

Just as an afterthought, if anyone knows the whereabouts of an old FJ Holden — registration number BK1147 — Mark would like to hear from you. It’s his original old Holden and, guess what, he’s looking for a new project.

1953 FX Holden Ute – Specifications

Engine Holden six-cylinder, inline
CapacitY 2160cc

Bore/stroke 76.2×79.4mm
Valves Pushrod and rocker activated ohv, two valves per cylinder
C/R 6.5:1
Max power 45kW (60bhp) at 3800rpm
Max torque  135Nm (100lb/ft) at 2000rpm
Fuel system Stromberg-single barrel downdraught carburettor
Transmission Three-speed manual
Suspension
Front: Coil springs, independent with short and long control arms
Rear: Semi-elliptic springs
Steering  Worm and sector
Brakes  Drum/drum
Dimensions:
Overall length 4401mm
Width 1702mm
Wheelbase 2616mm
Height 1518mm
Kerb weight 1012kgs
Performance:
0–100kph 19.0 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 20.4 seconds

1964 EH Holden

Milton Bruce has been a General Motors fan for longer than he cares to remember. His earliest cars were Vauxhalls, his first FB Holden being a two-tone blue ex-taxi from New Plymouth that had been around the clock more than a few times. The FB Holden became the family car for many years, never missing a beat the entire time, and it was totally reliable apart from general maintenance and the odd valve grind. Milton became rather attached to his Holden over the years and, indeed, to the marque itself.

Milton and his family moved around the country quite a bit over the years and at one stage they owned a café in
St Heliers at a time when cafés were a fairly novel concept. It was around that time that Milton decided buy an FJ Holden from Schofield Holden in Auckland and, from that point onwards, he became a real Holden fan. Today, as well as owning this superb EH, Milton owns an extremely original 1980 HZ Holden Statesman that originally came from Christchurch. He purchased the car back in 1987 and it has become part of the family, which means he has firm instructions never to sell it.

Another one of Milton’s more recent projects was the restoration of a 1973 HQ Holden that was once an old street racer, originally from Hamilton, and was powered by a Rover V8 engine. Milton could see the HQ was basically a good genuine old car, with minimal rust, and decided to take it on. He completely restored the HQ back to original Australian specifications, which included fitting a period 5.0-litre engine and Tri-matic transmission. The interior was completely refurbished and included the original-style T-Bar centre console. The car was sold last year.

On the lookout for another Holden project, whilst on an Early Holden Club trip to Whakatane, the members visited a local Holden dealer to show off all their cars even though the weather was absolutely atrocious. The next thing Milton remembers was seeing an EH body shell on a trailer, together with boxes of old parts and a rusty old engine. The owner had started work on the car, but due to a marriage break-up needed to sell it rather quickly. Milton spent a fair amount of time looking over the EH body shell and couldn’t believe how straight the panels were — he then discovered that the Holden was a one-owner car, having been in the same family all its life. Against his wife’s sound advice, Milton decided the EH would be his next project and rushed off to the nearest ATM to withdraw a deposit.

Iconic Holden

The EH Holden has definitely become one of New Zealand’s motoring icons. Many of us have grown up with them, and spent many enjoyable hours travelling the length and breadth of this country in them to such an extent that they’ve become embedded in our culture.

The EH Holden was the eighth Holden model since the concern commenced production in 1948, and was introduced to New Zealand in September of 1963. It was an instant success with Kiwis — its smart-looking revamped roofline and sharp styling making it somewhat more pleasing from almost every angle than its predecessor, the EJ.

Adding to this new styling was a completely new six-cylinder
engine, which came in two sizes — 2.45-litre or 2.95-litre, dubbed ‘red engines’ simply because the blocks were painted red, replacing the old ‘grey engines’.

The new ‘red engines’ boasted a shorter stroke, larger bore and higher compression, offering a healthy 33 per cent
increase for the smaller 2.45-litre engine and a whopping 53 per cent increase for the larger 2.95-litre in-line six-cylinder engine. Not only were the new red engines more powerful, petrol economy was greatly improved as well, thanks to new, highly efficient combustion chambers, higher rear axle ratios, and the increased 8.8:1 compression ratio. The new engines were also equipped with a seven-bearing crankshaft attributing to a real advance in smooth, quiet operation. New superior quality materials for all components made sure the new Holden’s engine would provide longer, more dependable performance than the previous Holden ‘grey engine’.

The Nuts & Bolts

By September 2010, Milton had the EH and all its parts tucked away in his garage ready to start the restoration. The first job was to sort out exactly what parts were in his possession and identify the many boxes of mixed nuts, bolts and small items. It was at this stage that he discovered many components, including brake and fuel lines, were missing. A list was made, and Milton would then put to use all the Holden contacts he had made over the years as he gradually began to acquire replacement parts.

While the search continued, Milton’s next step was to ensure the Holden’s body was in good shape. His initial
assessment of the EH proved accurate, and only minor panel work was needed to a couple of the doors and the removal of a few small dents by Milton’s friend, a panel-beater in Turua. It was clearly obvious that the car had been garaged all its life due to the fact there were no visible signs of rust or repairs anywhere on the body. It was also apparent the car had been originally painted in ‘Post Office’ grey — although the engine bay and underside was painted in Fowlers Ivory, a period Holden colour.

Once the body shell was back home in Milton’s garage, he sought advice from the team at Thames Panelbeaters. They
suggested the primer be removed and the body completely stripped back to bare metal before painting. Subsequently,
Milton stripped the body and then fitted the front and rear
suspension components so it could be transported to Thames for painting. Milton decided on Fowlers Ivory for the final colour.

Once painted, every panel was assembled back onto the car and perfectly gapped before all the exterior trim was refitted. Milton re-installed the front grille himself. The
suspension was completely overhauled with new coil springs, bushes, kingpins, shock absorbers and brakes. Milton left the standard differential alone, and after a quick look inside the gearbox decided that it looked in fairly good condition and decided not to touch its internals.

Milton also reckons the interior was in good shape, considering the age of the car. The rear seat was virtually in brand new condition and the only visible wear on the front bench seat was a couple of minor splits in the seams and wear on the driver’s side. A local upholsterer was able to
skilfully add a strip of matching material to the affected areas, which was a lot more cost effective than replacing the entire front seat with a new reproduction cover from
Australia. New carpets were fitted to complete the interior.

Milton cleaned the original 2.44-litre (149ci) six-cylinder engine and delivered it to an engine rebuilder in Thames for reconditioning. Apart from the fact that the block had been bored 20-thou oversize, the engine was complete, although very rusty, only requiring the crankshaft to be cleaned and polished. The sump had seen better days, as Milton recalls spotting daylight through it when he held it up to the light, so a new item was located and fitted. The next step was to complete the electrical wiring system and then install the reconditioned engine. Milton was on a mission to get the car ready for the Holden Nationals at Easter in Palmerston North, so the pressure was starting to build.

With the car nearing completion — one week to go — Milton discovered a large pool of oil under it and found that a neoprene rear engine seal had been pinched at some point, causing oil to literally pour out of the engine. Thankfully, Milton’s engine reconditioner was able to carefully remove the engine without scratching the Fowler Ivory paintwork, replace the damaged seal and re-install the engine.

Milton achieved his goal and was able to attend the Holden Nationals last Easter. Judging by the EH’s overall appearance at this year’s NZCC/Ellerslie Intermarque Concours, you might be led to believe that Milton’s Holden is a bit of a show queen, but you’d be wrong — there’s nothing Milton enjoys more than a long drive in the car. Indeed, he was quite happy to drive from Thames to Drury for our photo-shoot — despite the fact that rain was forecast for later in the day. As Milton puts it, cars are designed for driving and, while he likes his classic Holdens to look good, he’s never scared of driving them on the road.

Milton also has a few wise thoughts concerning car restoration — stressing that when tackling such a project, it’s so much easier when you belong to a club such as the Early Holden Club. The camaraderie, knowledge, sharing of information and help locating those all-important hard-to-find spare parts is invaluable. That, my friends, is why we all enjoy this great hobby of ours.

1964 EH Holden Sedan Specifications

Engine Holden six-cylinder, inline

Capacity 2442cc
Bore/stroke 82.5×76.2mm
Valves Pushrod and rocker activated ohv, two valves per cylinder
C/R 8.8:1
Max power 75kW (100bhp) at 4400rpm
Max torquE  197Nm (145lb/ft) at 2000rpm
Fuel system Bendix-Stromberg single-barrel downdraught carburettor
Transmission Three-speed manual
Suspension Front: Coil springs, independent with short and long control arms
Rear: Semi-elliptic four-leave springs
Steering  Recirculating ball/PAS
Brakes Drum/drum
Dimensions:
Overall length 4511mm
Width 1727mm
Wheelbase 2667mm
Height 1478mm
Kerb weight 1130kg
Performance:
0–100kph 15.8 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 20.8 seconds

Words: Ahsley   Photos: Adam Croy

This weekend the UK will start celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and Ferrari will be at the heart of the celebrations at the Windsor Castle with Ferraris from 60 years of the Queen’s reign taking part in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant and the legendary supercar maker organizing for 4th Mounted Carabinieri Regiment to perform their famous ‘Historic Carosello’.

The Carosello is a stunning display of horsemanship during which the 4th Mounted Carabinieri Regiment will perform the intricate yet fluid quadrilles, equestrian rides choreographed to music, to showcase the skill and agility of both horses and riders. The programme culminates in the Regiment’s now-legendary and extremely thrilling final charge.

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant takes place from May 10th to 13th. It is a source of great pride to Ferrari to be making such a significant contribution to the celebration and also that two such internationally renowned representatives of Italian excellence have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the most important Monarchs of our time.

Ferrari will be represented by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo on the final evening of the event which will be attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

If you’ve got FreeView’s tvCentral channel, you’ll be able to tune into coverage of the Beach Hop this week. The show is called Destination Central and broadcast times are:

Monday                 8.30am, 8.00pm

Tuesday                 11.00am, 10.00pm

Wednesday           8.00am, 5.30pm

Thursday                1.30pm, 10.00pm

Friday                     11.00am, 4.30pm

Saturday                8.00am, 1.30pm, 8.00pm

The show will also be repeated on Wednesday at 9.30pm and Thursday at 8.00am on tvRotorua

Jaguar Land Rover employees at Halewood Operations in Merseyside have celebrated an important milestone achievement with the production of the 300,000^th Land Rover Freelander 2.

Production of the Freelander 2 at Halewood Operations commenced in October 2006 and at the start of the month the plant’s 300,000^th Freelander 2 was driven off the line. The vehicle is a 2.2 litre Diesel in Barolo Black and is destined for a customer in Brazil – one of the brand’s fastest growing markets. Land Rover is the leading SUV brand in the country with around a 40% market share.

Halewood Operations Director Richard Else, said:”I’d like to congratulate the Halewood team for reaching this superb milestone and also sustaining the highest quality standards on Freelander 2. Freelander was Land Rover’s biggest selling model last year retailing around 52,000 units globally.”

The fourth solo exhibition from Auckland-based artist P J Paterson, who continues his concern with the politics of progress by creating works which seek to unravel contemporary society. Using manipulated digital photography, Paterson reframes the familiar and imagines an end-point for our society of over-excess.  Sourcing original images from his own photographs, Paterson indentifies seemingly innocuous scenes – an apartment block or factory, a junkyard or abandoned piece of machinery – and constructs a new reality through the time-consuming process of digital manipulation.
The resulting works have a strange familiarity; they are drawn from this world and could exist here, despite presenting impossibly infinite vistas of waste or menacingly large industrial structures.  They also posses a startling beauty, as the artist employs classical, symmetrical compositions; an ironic disjuncture which gives images an uncomfortably appealing aesthetic.
Paterson compares the creation of these manipulated realities to the act of storytelling:  “Quite often when I work I’m telling a story.  I will exaggerate small details to attempt to make the story better.  It’s not a lie.  I’m not showing completely made up places; they are real places that have been embellished to tell a more compelling story.”
One such “real” place which is familiar to many New Zealanders is the location known as Smash Palace in Horopito, near National Park.  Photographs taken at the vast wreck yard in this small town have inspired a number of works from Paterson, who has used the site as a starting point to imagine a world of infinite waste.  Paterson sets these scenes of mechanical carnage against a typical foreboding New Zealand landscape, with dense black clouds generating a sense of moody tension.
Symmetry, Repetition & Noise from P J Paterson opens at Sanderson Contemporary Art on 17 July 2012.

Thanks to Broken Shed, we’ve got a few bottles of their vodka to be won by a few of our sensible–drinking readers — just answer the following question:
From where do Broken Shed source the spring water for their NZ-made vodka?

To enter this competition, click here. Competition closes on May 29, 2012.

Thanks to the good guys at Toymod, the NZ distributor of Vanguards, we have one example of the red Cortina MkIV to give away to a lucky reader. Just answer the following question:

Who was the stylist who designed the MkIV Cortina?

To enter this competition, click here.
Competition closes on May 29, 2012.

Vanguards models are available from all good toy and hobby shops. If you have a problem locating them,
contact Toymod Ltd (PO Box 18 263, Auckland, ph: 09 527 0122, fax: 09 527 0144) to find your closest retailer.

I looked around this Austin 1800 ute — and I have to admit I’ve never seen one before — with Gary (just out of hospital after receiving a nice new knee) who proudly pointed out every intricate detail on his pride and joy. I couldn’t help feeling this wasn’t a bad-looking vehicle. In fact it boasts a nicely proportioned body offering oodles of space in the rear — suitable for carrying a 2.4 by 1.2-metre sheet of Gib or ply.

Best of British

Once back indoors — with his ‘new’ knee back in a resting position — Gary told me he’d always had a passion for old British cars, especially Austins.

In 1951 when he was just 15 years old he met his future wife, Pat, who was also 15. Both had just left school and had good permanent jobs. Gary recalls teaching Pat how to drive (there’s a brave move) in his dad’s 1928 Model A Ford, which she eventually mastered after quite a few spats because of braking, gear changes and running into ditches — amongst other things. It wasn’t too long after learning to drive the Model A that Pat decided to step down a size or two, and in 1952 she purchased her first car — a 1937 Austin 7 Ruby.

The fortunate situation for Gary was that he was lucky enough to be able to keep the little Austin parked at his place — but only on the condition he collected Pat and took her home from work each day. That arrangement worked quite well, although Gary reckons there were a few complaints about his shabby punctuality. Nonetheless, they enjoyed going everywhere they could in the Ruby.

The following year, 1953, Gary and Pat sold the trusty Ruby and bought Gary’s granddad’s car — another 1937 Austin 7 Ruby, this time around a very low mileage vehicle with only 25,000 miles (40,000km) on the clock, and in absolutely immaculate condition, having been garaged all its life and only used for weekly shopping trips.

Both Gary and Pat reckoned the new car was just awesome, and they kept it for five years, by which time they had finally tied the knot and married. Subsequently, with the birth of their daughter and the issues of travelling with a bassinet on the back seat and all the appropriate baby gear, the diminutive size of the Ruby became quite a problem. Sadly, the time had come to upgrade to a larger car that would accommodate all their luggage. This time they bought a 1953 Austin A30 that also proved to be an excellent vehicle, but as the Asplin family continued to grow, the search was soon on again for something bigger. That turned out to be a 1963 Austin Vanden Plas which was, in fact, one of their favourite cars before they purchased an Austin 1300 in 1972. Another step up and another Austin, this time a Chilli Red Austin 1800 which Gary and Pat became rather fond of: this was the car their teenage kids would learn to drive in. Then, unable to resist the temptation, they bought a 1973 Austin Maxi, another great car which they owned for a few years before purchasing an Austin 1300GT and then Pat’s mother’s Austin A35 — the latter car was eventually sold but is still going great with another member of the Austin Flying A Club.

The Dream

Once all the family had flown the nest, it was time for Gary to think of a little project to keep him busy and, as he was extremely fond of Austins (as you’ve probably gathered by now), his first thought was to try and locate an Austin 1800 ute, something he’d always admired. Unfortunately they were few and far between, so over the next few years, wherever they went on holiday, they would scan farms and rural sheds looking for old cars that might need a home, but to no avail. Occasionally Pat would say, “Did you see that one?” and a few kilometres down the road a discussion would begin as to whether they should turn back to look. In most cases they did turn back for a closer look — if only to confirm that the ‘find’ was simply an old rusty shell of something that didn’t resemble anything that Gary recognised.

As time passed, Gary and Pat almost gave up on their search and even trawled the internet and looked in Australia for something suitable, only to discover that the asking price was too much for the few they found. Pat’s comment to Gary was along the lines that he should be thinking of some other project.

However, Gary wasn’t prepared to give up and carried on searching. Finally, while browsing through Trucks for Sale magazine, he came across an Austin ute that was for sale in Hastings. Thoroughly enthused by what they saw in the ad, Gary and Pat arranged to go and see the ute itself and, after spending a nice weekend away and meeting the owner, Gary thought he could get the Austin looking good, but no definite price was agreed upon. In any case, as a project car this Austin appeared too expensive, as he could see a lot of work that would need doing. Reluctantly, he decided to keep on searching.

Then, after talking to several Flying A car club members, Gary learned of another Austin 1800 ute languishing in a wrecker’s yard in Cambridge, and decided to investigate further by travelling south to take a closer look. This time the ute was exactly what Gary had been searching for, and after some negotiating and many telephone conversations, the Austin was almost in Gary’s grasp when the sale suddenly ground to a halt following problems with the owner. After several fruitless telephone calls, Gary decided the purchase was in the ‘too hard basket’, so he was back to square one.

Fast forward two years and Gary was anticipating his 70th birthday. Unbeknownst to him their son, Mark, had contacted the owner of the Cambridge-based Austin 1800 ute once again to see if it was possible to purchase it. The plan was to have it delivered to Gary’s home as a surprise birthday present — this all happening only two weeks prior to the 70th party.

Pat couldn’t believe it when Mark rang and said, “Mum, we can get it next weekend!” Now it looked as if a deal had been struck, Pat started to have second thoughts — she well remembered seeing the ute in its old shed, well stacked with car parts on its tray, plus visible rust and multi-coloured paint. However, she kept her concerns to herself and decided to go along with the plan — which included her grandchildren blowing up heaps of balloons and making streamers and signs.

The day duly arrived, and a family friend who lived in Cambridge trailered the car to Mark’s house early on the day of Gary’s birthday. There, he tinkered with the motor which spluttered and coughed, but could now be driven a few metres down the driveway.

Meanwhile, Gary was having a wonderful day enjoying his 70th with friends and family, completely unaware of what was about to happen when everyone heard a loud rattling noise, and a honking horn. Gary looked outside to see the long-awaited Austin 1800 ute puffing up his driveway, appropriately decorated in birthday attire with grandchildren as passengers on the back, all waving and yelling. Gary looked up — he just couldn’t believe his eyes, even experiencing tears of happiness and joy. Everyone was looking and laughing and giving it the once over — someone even commented “who would give anyone a piece of crap like this for a 70th birthday”, but Pat reckoned that one day they would eat their words, just you wait and see.

Reality

That all happened in 2006 — and from that point, the transformation of Gary and Pat’s 1970 Austin 1800 ute began. On further inspection over the days following the birthday party, they found rust had taken hold almost everywhere and wondered what to do next. “Take it to the tip!” was Pat’s first thought, but after quite a while and deep consideration, they decided to embark on a full restoration project.

The first step was to have the body looked at by Gary’s friend, conveniently a panel beater. From what he could see the bodywork looked fairly reasonable, apart from the many small dents and the multi-coloured paint scheme. Once the car was jacked up, a closer look underneath revealed some nasty surprises such as the sills. They appeared to be in good condition but new steel had actually been welded over the old rusty bits, the lot then packed with body filler to disguise the shabby repair. Gary worked at the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and had a good relationship with many of the tutors, so he spoke to Neal Plows, the panel-beater tutor, and made arrangements for him to repair the body as a private job.

Neal completely stripped the body of the Austin 1800 ute and fabricated new sills, repaired the tailgate and some of the rusted floor panels, a front guard and straightened the large side panels. Another MIT tutor, Andrew Kiddie, then prepared the body and applied the Chilli Red paint — although not an original colour, this was a shade Gary and Pat really liked from one of their previous Austins.

Once it was back in Gary’s garage, he was able to refurbish the hydraulic suspension with new bearings and bushes. A unique feature of the ute’s rear suspension is the addition of twin torsion bars for aiding weight distribution. The steering was in good working condition and only required some cleaning, and Gary decided to completely refurbish the power front discs and rear drum brakes, and the entire underside of the ute was cleaned, painted and rustproofed throughout.

The 1800cc B-Series engine was stripped and completely reconditioned to original specifications along with the four-speed manual gearbox, which features a rod linkage. Gary decided to keep the interior looking as original as possible and installed new carpets, door panels and seat belts whilst the dash, gauges and seat are the original items. He also spent many hours searching for exterior parts and managed to find new taillight lenses and rear quarter bumpers as well as a good used front bumper. The headlights are original Lucas units and Gary also managed to retain the original grille.

Pat say’s she is immensely grateful to the fantastic qualified people who got involved and the many hours Gary spent assembling the motor and other things. At times it seemed like a never-ending project, but the final result was well worth all the effort. By 2011 it was finished. It travels well and is so comfortable to ride in and is a real head-turner, making Gary the proudest owner ever.

Says Gary — “The reason for wanting to buy an 1800 ute was because I really liked the look, style and rarity of it, as there are not many around in New Zealand. I had the ute on the Austin Stand at the Concours Show on February 12, 2012 and talked all day non-stop — a lot of interest was shown in the vehicle.”

Isn’t that what classic cars are all about?

[Gary and Pat would like to say thanks to four top tradesmen who all did a superb job on their ute — Neal Plows of MIT (panel work); Andrew Kiddie of MIT (painting); Pat and Steve of South Auckland Upholsterers (trimming); Pete Brown of Papakura Mufflers (exhaust); and their son, Mark Asplin (electrical).]

1970 Austin 1800 Ute MkII – Specifications

Engine
Austin B-Series four-cylinder

Capacity 1798cc
Max. power 64.8kW at 5300rpm
Max. torque 137Nm at 2200rpm
Compression8.6:1
Bore/stroke 80x89mm (3.16×3.5”)
Transmission Four-speed manual
Steering Rack and pinion
Brakes F/R Disc/drum
Dimensions:
Overall length 4409mm (173.6”)
Width 1695mm (66.75”)
Height 1467mm (57.75”)
Wheelbase 2695mm (106.12”)
Kerb weight 1142kg (2517lb)
Load capacity 545kg
Performance:
Max. speed 137kph (85mph) approx.

Edgell qualified his Chesters Ford Falcon on the front row for the supporting NZ V8 races but his weekend deflated along with a flat tyre after clipping a tyre bundle in the first race.

“We may not have ended up with the results we wanted but as drivers we are really lucky to be able to race on a street circuit like Hamilton and I enjoyed every minute of it,” said Edgell.

“The Hamilton circuit is a great track, the organisers do a fantastic job and the locals are so supportive. It was such a great race meeting to be at. Real sad we won’t get to race there again. The last five years that we’ve [NZ V8 cars] raced there have been bloody fantastic!”

The defending NZ V8 lap record holder was forced to the pits early in the first race to change a flat tyre and later rejoined, but could only work his way back to 12th place.

With the start positions of the second race determined by the result from the first race, Edgell started Race 2 in 12th place. Two corners after the start he was up to 6th when his Chesters Ford was tapped from behind and speared into the concrete barrier.

“The impact moved the front cross-member on the car’s chassis across quite a bit, ” said Edgell. “The damage was too much to fix in two hours before the final race so I didn’t get to drive that final ever NZ V8 race there, however that doesn’t diminish how much I enjoyed racing in Hamilton.”

With less testing time available at Hamilton than at the conventional race circuits, Edgell says that too was part of what made the event so special.

“In our cars [NZ V8] we only ever got one practice session and then had to go straight into Qualifying. These cars normally take quite a bit of track time to find the best set-up, so with very little track time at Hamilton, it couldn’t have been more tricky.”

Asked about his highlights and also the not so memorable experiences of racing at Hamilton for the past five years, Edgell could only recount positive memories.

“Qualifying on pole and holding the lap record would be my highlights, but I have no real lows. A few disappointments, but just great memories really. And so lucky to have had the chance to race there.”

Edgell’s lap record eventually fell over the weekend to recently crowned NZ V8 champion Angus Fogg (Ford Falcon).

Edgell Performance Racing acknowledges and appreciates the support of the following sponsors; Chesters Bathroom and Plumbing, BNT, Fuchs (NZ) Ltd, Marley, North Harbour Ford, Roca, Journey-on Roadside Solutions, Hella (NZ) Ltd, Judd and Charles Panelbeaters and Element 82 Ltd.

How do mark reaching eight million friends on Facebook?

If you are Ferrari, you do it in the time honoured manner of screaming engine, smoking tyres and rubber burnout circles, in this case spelling out 8,000,000 across the steering pad at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track.

Then you send your eight million friends a video.

You’ll have to become one of Ferrari’s Facebook friends to view the video!

On the final leg of its nationwide tour – the return trip to Auckland – the CSL made a slight detour for an appointment with Chris Amon, who last saw the car he shared with Hans-Joachim Stuck during the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) series in 1973.

After examining the car in which he and Stuck had won the 1973 Nürburgring Six Hour that marked the debut of the CSL’s famous wing, we sat down with Chris and prepared to be transported back to a time when drivers such as Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Jochen Mass and James Hunt all vied for touring car honours. And with the arrival of the 3.0CSL, a mighty battle for supremacy ensued against the rival Capris from Cologne.

From F1 to Touring Cars

Amon was supposed to be racing in F1 for Max Moseley’s March team in 1973 but, in one of Moseley’s typical manoeuvres, he ended up racing a BMW in the European Touring Car Championship. It was an odd position for Amon, whose entire racing career had been largely focussed upon open-wheelers.

Chris explained, “It actually came about because of the March connection – in that BMW at that time was supplying engines to the March F2 team and in typical sort of March fashion they thought that if I drove for BMW, BMW would do most of the paying and they’d have to pay less. As it turned out, I never did actually drive for them, we fell out with them before the first F1 race. But it was through that March connection that it arose. There was another connection there too, because Jochen Neerpasch was managing the BMW team – well, he was managing BMW Motorsport – at that time and he and I had driven at Le Mans together for Carroll Shelby in a Daytona coupé in 1964, so we knew each other well.”

After many years racing in F1 – plus several
CanAm drives and, of course, his epic win at Le Mans in 1966 with the Ford GT40 – racing a touring car presented a fresh challenge for Amon; the CSL was far heavier and less powerful than the F1 cars he normally raced. So how did the CSL feel as opposed to an F1 single-seater, and how did he get on acclimatising himself to racing a saloon car?

“Very different!” said Chris with a short laugh. “It certainly did take me a few races to get used to it. I’d done almost zero touring car driving and everything is quite different – with a F1 car you’ve got very little body roll and you haven’t got much suspension movement but with a touring car it rolls and you’ve got vertical movement. Yeah, totally different. The other thing is that because your cornering speeds are a lot lower there’s a real tendency to try and overdrive because you feel like you’re not going fast enough. And, of course, you’ve got a lot more weight. If you do tend to try and over-drive, actually to over-drive scrubs off speed and [you] go slower so, yes, it took me a while to adapt to it.”

Hans Stuck was much more of a saloon car racing specialist than Amon – but did the Kiwi manage to pick up a few driving tips from the German veteran?

“Not really, I mean he was very quick and it took me a few races to get up to his speed – I got the feeling with Hans that he used to wring the thing’s neck all the time. He was a bit of a larger-than-life character; it was actually a bit special to be driving with him because his father, who was still around at that time – he was quite an old man by then, his father, of course – was part of the Auto Union team before the war. He was Hans Stuck as well, and I got to meet him on several occasions and that took me back to the Caracciola and Nuvolari era. He was one of Auto Union’s probably most successful drivers, Hans’ father. What I did learn from Hans was that you had to go bloody quickly to be on his level.”

Many years after their partnership had ceased, Hans Stuck remembered Amon – “The best driver I ever shared with. I learned a lot from him.”

Amon’s first competitive outing in the 3.0CSL came at Monza where, with Stuck, their CSL finished in fourth place. Amon missed round three at the Salzburgring, Stuck partnering with Dieter Quester for that race. Although they qualified the BMW on pole, a bent valve led to retirement. Amon also missed round three at Sweden’s Mantorp Park, that race took place only a week before Le Mans and BMW intended to enter two works CSLs for the 24 hour race, with Amon and Stuck in car #50. The CSL qualified in 30th position – in a field of 55 cars – but struck gearbox problems during the race when it became stuck in fifth. Although it was eventually fixed, on lap 160 during the night, Stuck hit a Ferrari and ended up in a sand-trap, so their race was over.

Birth of the Batmobile

By this time Amon was becoming comfortable working with the BMW team, which had a reputation as being a pretty slick operation. Chris recalled – “Yeah! I guess, when I went there everybody’s perception of German engineering in motor racing terms, certainly in my case, went back to the Mercedes era of the ’50s, so it was interesting to be linked with a German team. I wasn’t involved with Porsche at any stage so BMW was my first experience. It certainly was slick operation – a very competitive situation, in that basically you had two German teams against each other – you had the BMW team and the Ford Cologne operation, they were the main opposition as such.”

For round four of the ETCC, the drivers faced a demanding six-hour race at the infamous Nürburgring, but the boffins at BMW had a new weapon in their arsenal to combat the all-conquering Cologne Capris – that famous wing.

For the Nürburgring Six Hour race, the CSL appeared for the first time in all its be-winged glory – quickly earning the title of ‘Batmobile.’ Amazingly, the wing slashed lap times at the ’Ring by a whopping 14 seconds.

It took a little prodding to get Chris to remember the wing’s debut race – “To be honest I can’t really remember. When I first saw the car there this morning again after 40-something years or whatever it is, I was trying to think, did we start the season with the wing? I’m pleased you reminded me – that was the first time we ran the wing, was it? Thinking back, somewhere in the back of my mind was the fact that I felt that the wing helped us gain a bit of an upper hand over the Capris. Having said that, at the beginning of the season we were really struggling to be on the same pace as the Capris. When I think about it, there were two things that happened during the season that helped us get ahead of them – one was the wing and the second was when we went from a 3.3 to a 3.5-litre engine. I can’t remember what race we got the bigger engine.”

During the actual race, the Amon/Stuck CSL finished first with an average race speed of 158.5kph and, in the process, put an end to the Capri’s winning ways.

The victory at the ’Ring was Amon’s first race win since the Argentine GP in 1971, so it felt good to be back on the winner’s podium.

“I think by the time we got to the Nürburgring I was really starting to enjoy the touring car thing, and whatever you’re driving at the ’Ring it’s always a challenge and it’s always satisfying to do well there. So, yes, it was a big moment.”

On Song

By the time the BMW works team arrived at Spa for the 24 hour race there in July, Amon had become very comfortable at the wheel of the CSL and his driving skills were plainly evident – during the Spa race, he recorded the fastest lap with a time of three minutes, 49.4 seconds at an average speed of 221.586kph. To put that into perspective, at the old Spa circuit Chris set the fastest time ever in the 1970 March at three minutes, 27.4 seconds.

Stuck had put the CSL on to pole with a time of three minutes, 49.9 seconds, then during practice Amon punted an Alfa at high speed causing last-minute repairs before the race but they were forced to retire after dropping a valve on lap 90. Alpina withdrew its cars following a multiple car pile-up in which one of its drivers, Hans-Peter Joisten, was killed. The Quester/Hezemans works CSL won.

Although Amon couldn’t recall when the 3.5-litre engine was first fitted to the CSL, the history books show that it made its first appearance at round six at Zandvoort. However, the larger engine didn’t immediately give the BMWs an advantage, and excessive tyre wear led to the team cutting holes in the spoilers to aid tyre cooling. The Stuck/ Amon pairing started from pole, but despite a spectacular driving stint from Amon, the CSL’s gearbox gave way, leaving the Hezemans/ Quester BMW to take the race win.

Amon’s last drive in the CSL came at Paul Ricard – he missed the final round of the series (the Tourist Trophy at Silverstone) because he was racing an Elf-Tyrell at Watkins Glen where, once again, Stuck qualified the CSL on pole. Losing gears again, Amon and Stuck finished in third place. Although stuck in fifth gear they managed to circulate within 10 seconds of their normal lap time. Hezemans and Quester took their third straight win, Toine Hezemans gaining the 1973 driver title and BMW the 1973 European Touring Car Championship.

Grinding the Equipment

With his single season in the BMW CSL behind him, Chris remembered that both he and Stuck had been pretty hard on the car – for Stuck, it just appeared to be his driving style, while Amon drove equally as hard in order to match his partner’s pace.

As Chris recalled – “Actually, just on that, we didn’t have a great finishing record that year. The other team car was driven by Dieter Quester, the Austrian, and Toine Hezemans, the Dutchman – they were better at finishing races than we were, but we were driving a bit harder, grinding the equipment down a bit.”

Amon now returned to his more usual F1 stamping ground – but did he consider staying on at BMW for another season?

“I would’ve very much liked to have stayed with the BMW team but my focus as the season went on was to build my own F1 car, and I wanted to be fully committed to that. In hindsight it was a bloody disaster, but we won’t go into that. So, I never really considered trying to stay with BMW because I really wanted to focus on the F1 issue.”

As far as BMW is concerned, the Amon/ Stuck CSL is a prized possession – reputedly worth around $1.5 million – due to the simple fact it was the first winged CSL to win a race. For Kiwi motor sport fans it’s all about the car’s connection to one of New Zealand’s best ever racing drivers.

This valuable and historic BMW will be on display at both rounds of the NZ Festival of Motor Racing at Hampton Downs (January 20-22 and January 27-29, 2012). The festival has a BMW theme and the CSL will be joined by other notable BMW race-cars such as the JPS BMW 635CSi and JPS BMW M3, the ex-Peter Brock/ Jim Richards BMW Mobil M3, the ex-Denny Hulme B&H BMW M3 and a BMW DTM car.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

As European auto-makers scrabbled to get into the burgeoning Chinese market, Maserati used the event as the Asian debut of their SUV – the rather silly-named Kubang.

However, the Kubang was somewhat upstaged by Lamborghini, who chose Beijing to reveal their Urus SUV concept. Although not all details have been confirmed, Lamborghini expect the engine of choice to power the Urus will be a twin-turbo, petrol V8 pumping out around 450kW – although don’t expect to see this off-road Lambo in your local showroom until 2017, if it can achieve production reality.  Of course, this isn’t Lamborghini’s first off-road machine – those with longer memories will recall the V12-powered LM002.

Politically, it was a very controversial Grand Prix – but, for motorsport fans, the weekend’s Bahrain GP was also notable because the Lotus F1 team produced an outstanding performance with both of its drivers on the podium and Kimi Räikkönen twice coming with inches of out pacing reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

Räikkönen’s first bid to take the lead came by lap 33 with the Finn on hard compound tyres and Vettel on soft compound with Räikkönen making his move on lap 36 only to be thwarted by Vettel at the last second. A slower pit stop meant that Räikkönen had to make up lost time on Vettel and with both drivers on the same tyres, the performance margin was narrower. However although Vettel took the top spot by 3.3 seconds at the finish, the toll it took on the Red Bull to keep the Lotus at bay was clear as Vettel ground to a halt just metres past finish line with the exhausted Red Bull parking at end of pit lane.

No less impressive, give his relative youth was Grosjean, who easily maintained his third position from Mark Webber’s Red Bull, finishing almost half a minute ahead of the Australian.

He entered his first ‘Allard Special’ in the Exeter and Land’s End Trials during the early ’30s, although most regard the first Allard Special to be the car registered as CLK5, which Sydney built from the remains of a damaged 1934 Model 40 Ford V8. Onto the Ford’s chassis, he added a two-seater Bugatti body. Driven by Allard himself, as well as Guy Warburton and Ken Hutchison, CLK5 proved to be a very successful hillcimb and trials car – indeed, fellow competitors were soon knocking on Allard’s door to order cars based on the winning Allard Special. Prior to the outbreak of WW2 Allard would build 12 cars, but he would not found the Allard Motor Company Ltd until after the war, at which time he commenced the manufacture of his own cars starting with the Ford Pilot V8-engined J1.

The J1 was followed by the K1 roadster and the L-type tourer – both powered by Ford V8s. These early cars were built in small numbers, although the M1 drophead coupé proved more popular, with 500 examples being built. During this period, Allard continued to build one-off competition specials for his own use, including a the air-cooled Steyr-engined car in which he won the British Hillclimb Championship on 1949.

That same year, Allard launched their most popular car – the P1. Once again, motive power came from a V8 engine – in most cases either a 3.6-litre Ford or a modified 4.4-litre Mercury. Only available as a saloon – a drop-top version, the M2X, being introduced in 1951 – Allard would built 559 P1s during a production run that extended from 1949 to 1952, with the M2X soldiering on until 1953.

However, when it comes to Allards, the most evocative model would be the stark J2/J2X – a fearsome beast even when fitted with the standard 4.4-litre Mercury V8 (dashing from 0-60mph in only 5.9 seconds would be a creditable achievement for a modern car, the J2 could do that in 1949), the addition of an Ardun head or a Cadillac V8 led directly to tyre-scorching performance. These cars would win many races in both Europe and the US, including a third place at Le Mans in 1952.

Also in 1952, Sydney Allard triumphantly won the Monte Carlo Rally – the first and only time the event had been won by a vehicle manufacturer driving one of his own creations.

As the ’50s progressed, Allard made the move towards more modern-looking cars with the Palm Beach, eschewing V8 power for a more humble Ford Consul or Zephyr engine, while the Palm Beach MkII was intended to be powered by either the Zephyr or Jaguar’s 3.8-litre XK engine. However, by this time, Allard’s star was waning and only eight examples of the MkII were ever built, and by 1960 the dream was over.

There’s one chapter in the Allard story, and that involved the rather un-British activity of drag racing. Obviously a bit of a hot-rodder by nature, Allard introduced his Dragstar Dragon in 1964 powered by a supercharged 1500c engine and, later that year, he founded the British Drag Racing Association (BDRA). As President of the BRDA, he organised international drag racing festivals in 1964 and 1965. Ironically, Sydney Allard passed away on 12th April, 1966, the day after the UK’s first purpose-built dragstrip – Santa Pod – opened.

Bearing in mind Sydney Allard’s love of competition and modified cars, it’s no wonder that many Allards throughout the world have been extensively modified for racing – a factor ably illustrated by Dan Thompson’s unique Allard P1.

A Family Affair

Dan love of old cars started as a child, inspired by his father who, at that time, owned Broadway Car Sales in Palmerston North. Dan’s father had always owned American cars – from Packards and Studebakers to Willys, amongst many others – and he also owned an Allard J2 – once owned by legendary Kiwi racing driver George Smith – which he bought and sold twice.

Following his father’s lead and starting from the age of only 16, Dan has also owned a string of US cars, his first being a 1938 Ford V8 Deluxe. Other cars he has owned over the years included a 1967 Chevrolet Malibu convertible, 1967 Chevrolet coupé, 1961 Plymouth Valiant H/T coupé, 1966 Galaxie convertible and a 1962 Pontiac convertible.

Along with his wife, Donna, Dan currently owns quote ‘a few interesting toys’ as well as our featured Allard P1 – including a 1964 GTO Pontiac Tri-Power convertible powered by a 6522cc (389ci) V8 and a 1965 Mustang 289 notchback. They are also currently in the process of restoring a 1939 Ford V8 Barrelnose pick-up, while a 1934 Oldsmobile and a 1934 Chevrolet cabriolet are waiting in the wings.

Dan’s three daughters – Sam, Candice and Hope – all love the Pontiac and the Allard, nicknaming the Allard ‘Stuart Little’s Roadster’ after the animated movie, Stuart Little.

The entire Thompson family are into classic cars – including grand-daughter Hayley, and son-in-law Tony.They all use their cars regularly on car runs and car shows and are also all members of the American Classic Car Club and the Vintage Car Club.

Over the summer months, Dan likes to use his Allard as a daily driver as, according to him, there’s nothing like cruising in a beloved old car.

Discovering the P1

Dan first heard about our featured car in the late ’80s when he heard about an old Allard race car that was supposedly residing on a farm in the Waikato area. Over the following few years Dan picked up odd bits of information regarding the car but, despite his best efforts, he was unable to track down the elusive Allard and slowly began to lose interest.

Then, in 2006, Dan was idly browsing through a local internet-based car sales site when, on a whim, he typed ‘Allard’ into the site’s search engine. Amazingly, he was suddenly confronted with a photograph of the very car he had been trying to track down for eight or nine years;

Naturally, Dan was on the phone to the owner within seconds, and quickly embarked on a road trip to view the car, accompanied by his wife.
On their arrival at the owner’s home, Dan learned the owner was a VCCNZ member and that he’d originally discovered the Allard a few years earlier. After a brief chat, the car was started and ran for about 10 seconds – smoking badly and emanating the distinctive pong of stale fuel. The Allard looked to be in rather average condition, but a closer inspection revealed it was in far worse condition than Dan had thought at first sight. However, a price was agreed upon – this was one car Dan just had to own and restore – and the sad-looking Allard was duly loaded onto a trailer for the trip back home.

Confirming its ex-racing status, the Allard was still fitted with all its period speed equipment (apparently fitted in 1958) – including triple carburettors and Edelbrock heads atop its Mercury 3916cc (239ci) V8 engine.
Although the history of this Allard P1 is a little vague, further research by Dan turned up the information that it had arrived in New Zealand during 1951, and was first registered here in 1952. It seems that the car was badly damaged after being involved in an accident following the opening of the new motorway system in 1955 – perhaps as the result of an over-zealous owner trying the car out at unaccustomed speeds.

Following that, the Allard lay dormant until around 1958 when it was repaired by a Wellington-based coachbuilder and, in the process, was modified with the idea of transforming it into a racing sports car.
Alas, this P1 doesn’t get a mention in Graham Vercoe’s excellent Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand, while no records of the car being used in any major races can be uncovered, which leads Dan to believe the Allard only competed in club-type events rather than at
national race meetings.

Indeed, the known time-line for the Allard doesn’t become clear until 1966, at which time Jim Houchens purchased the P1. Some time before he acquired the car it had gained a removable hard-top. Indeed, the known time-line for the Allard is fairly vague from the point it was modified around 1958 until 1966, when Jim Houchens purchased the car – although, just before Jim acquired the Allard, it had also gained a removable hard-top.

Jim was a member of the Rotorua Car Club and had driven the Allard at circuit races, grass tracks and on hill climbs. At one stage, the Allard was also pressed into service on the Houchens’ farm to haul pongas out of the bush – Jim laying the pongas across the back of the car and tying them to the rollover bar. In order to gain traction in the bush, Jim swapped out the car’s conventional tyres, replacing them with mud-grips.
Dan discovered all this – with the Allard rested in his garage for several years – when he managed to get in touch with Jim Houchens’ son, Scott, who would provide Dan with several period photographs of the car. Subsequently, when Dan began the Allard’s restoration, Scott keenly followed progress.

The Restoration

Dan would spend many years restoring the Allard back to its former glory, having to re-fabricate around 30 percent of its all-steel body. Indeed, as the project progressed Dan discovered that the only sound thing about the Allard was its chassis.

During his years working on the car, Dan gratefully received help and assistance from his son-in-law, Tony White. Luckily for Dan, Tony is a gifted panel-beater and once Dan had finished the re-fabrication of the Allard’s metal work, Tony took over and invested much overtime, patience and long hours getting the body straight and preparing it for final painting.

Sourcing parts for the Allard also proved difficult – Dan located the original seats and bumpers in Christchurch while, along with Donna, he found many other bits and pieces at swap meets they attended all over New Zealand. Whatever he couldn’t find, he simply re-made.

During the final assembly stages, Dan added a few of his own touches to the car. He made new taillight holders and had them chromed and also made the vents on the side of the engine bay, the side exhaust covers, bumper irons, rear panel and all patch panels. The original Allard seats were altered for comfort and new hubcaps were made using the original items as patterns. The P1’s brakes are 305mm (12-inch) Lockheed drums, and the front-end features a Bellamy split axle, whilst steering is handled by a Marles cam-and-roller set-up.

During the time Dan spent working on the Allard, he was spurred on by nostalgic memories of his father’s J2 – which also had a few modifications, including side exhaust pipes – and the P1 has now become a firm favourite with Dan and his classic car-loving family.
Finally, as a postscript – Dan is still trying to piece together all of this Allard’s local history, especially from the years of 1958-1966 – so if any readers can help, contact the Editor (editor@classiccar.co.nz) and the information will be forwarded to Dan.

[Dan would like to extend thanks to Tony White for his panel-beating skills and for taking the body work from bare metal to the paint stage, Glenn and Faye at Papatoetoe Upholsterers for the car’s leather interior and John McKechnie of Remuera for fashioning the Allard’s convertible top. And, of course, special thanks to Donna, Sam, Candice, Hope and Hayley for all their support and assistance in helping to get the Allard finished and back on the road.]

Words: Allan Walton Photos: Adam Croy

A unique collection of 80 classic cars and 15 vintage tractors from a single collection will be going on sale at Turners Auctions in June. The vehicles belong to a relatively unknown collector, Owen Harnish – better known in aviation circles – who is selling up so he can retire in the Bay of Islands.

“The collection was initially brought together to be displayed in a classic car museum which never eventuated so the cars are in beautiful condition,” says Tony Herbert, Turners Auctions classic car specialist.

Among the collection is a black 1948 Jaguar 2.5 Mark IV, the first vehicle Jaguar produced post-World War II. The Mark IV is characterised by its long hood, large headlamps, elegant front fenders, and the iconic Jaguar on the radiator cap. This rare NZ-new vehicle also comes with the original Jaguar tool kit in the back.

“The Mark IV is a very impressive vehicle, which has been beautifully restored. The original tool kit in the back is a standalone collectors’ item and is an added bonus.”

The 1972 Citroën DS19 is a fine example of one of the most celebrated vehicles to come out of France. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its futuristic design and innovative technology.

“This collection contains a beautifully restored navy blue DS19, which features the legendary swivelling headlamps that are in sync with the steering wheel, turning the direction of the headlamps to light the intended path of the vehicle.” says Herbert.

A rock-n-roll-loving red and white 1955 Vauxhall Velox will also appear in the auction. The Velox stands out from other British vehicles of the same era, borrowing much of its design from North American styling trends. This 2.3-litre, six-cylinder saloon has been modified to include speakers in the front grille so that you can listen to a few of the classics while parked.

“The Vauhall is the perfect vehicle for a Sunday drive. You could park up and have a picnic with the Velox providing a 50′s soundtrack via the front facing speakers.”

Some of the more alternative vehicles in the collection include: a 1993 Swallow 100 SS, which is a Jaguar SS100 replica kit car – one of only ten ever made; and a 1923 Ford T Bucket, which sports masses of chrome, including chrome wire wheels and a powerful 7-litre engine.

“These are just a few of the vehicles that will be on offer, alongside 15 impressive vintage tractors. More details on the other vehicles will be available in the weeks leading up to the auction,” says Herbert.

Owen Harnish’s collection will go under the hammer on Sunday, June 10 from 12pm at Turners Auctions Penrose Branch, corner of Penrose & Leonard Roads. The full catalogue will be posted on the Turners website, www.turners.co.nz in coming weeks.

Bidders are welcome to inspect the vehicles prior to the auction and will be able to participate in the auction in person at the branch, by online bidding, or via phone bid.

The BNT V8 cars will have three non-championship races as support to the final V8 Supercars event at the Hamilton 400 this weekend.

“To win the inagural trophy named in Jason’s memory would be a special honour,” said Edgell.

“Jason was such a special guy who did so much for our sport. And he did a lot help fund-raise for my father-in-law [world-renowned karting legend Ray Hart] who died of cancer last year when Jason had his own struggles going on.”

The Jason Richards Memorial Trophy has been established by MotorSport New Zealand to commemorate the life and achievements of the Kiwi V8 Supercar driver who lost his life to cancer late last year aged 35. The winner will be the top points scorer from the three races.

Edgell set the current lap record of the Hamilton street circuit in his Chesters-Ford Falcon in 2010 and expects it could fall this weekend.

“The circuit has changed a little since 2010 and if the weathers dry, it’ll be the last chance to ever break the record,” said Edgell.

“Personally, I’d rather have my name on the trophy than in the lap record book.”

The BNT V8 drivers will get just one practice session on the street circuit before Qualifying, then one race on Saturday afternoon and two races on Sunday.

“It’s awesome to race on a street circuit, something we don’t get to do very often in New Zealand,” Edgell added.

“There are plenty of challenges at Hamilton. It’s a challenge to get the car set-up with little track time before Qualifying, and the circuit has its own unique character. Corners with camber changes, blind corners and lots of concrete walls – all part of the challenges and excitement of driving on a street circuit.”

Edgell won the last two rounds of the recently completed BNT V8 championship series and finished third overall behind fellow Ford runners Angus Fogg and Australian Jason Bargwanna.

Edgell Performance Racing acknowledges and appreciates the support of the following sponsors; Chesters Bathroom and Plumbing, BNT, Fuchs (NZ) Ltd, Marley, North Harbour Ford, Roca, Journey-on Roadside Solutions, Hella (NZ) Ltd, Judd and Charles Panelbeaters and Element 82 Ltd.

The mouth-watering lineup includes a McLaren MP4-12C from £906 per day up to £1,396 per day at peak times. If that’s not quite your cup of tea then there’s always a Ferrari California (£652), Lamborghini Gallardo (£592) and a Porsche Carrera 4 GTS cabriolet for a measly £367 a day.

Words Michael Clark

Bill Stone has lost his brave battle with cancer. Around the historic motor racing traps, Bill was as a ‘go to guy’ for advice and assistance – whether it was mechanical input, or some driving tips – whether you wanted them or not, Bill would pass on his knowledge with that lovely easy going but firm manner of his. He raced Coopers and a Brabham in New Zealand before heading off to seek his fortune in Europe in 1968. He was quick – and fearless, that’s how Chris Amon recalls him. Chris recalls Bill as “one of the good guys whose modesty belied a life of enormous success in motor racing.”

In Europe Bill was fast but underfunded, and unlucky – an F3 McLaren M4A wasn’t his best move (that came when he married Susanne Mallock) but a Brabham showed his promise behind the wheel. He turned to building cars and has the significant distinction in that he was a part of the creation of two of the biggest and most successful motor racing companies ever, March and Reynard. In recent years, after returning to New Zealand, he rebuilt a Mallock and he raced it hard it historic events.

In January 2011 he drove a Formula Ford at the Chris Amon Festival – he last raced a FF in 1970.  His great buddy Martin Lucas offered Bill his Lotus. It rained..and rained. Bill was a fair way down the grid but as the race went on and the rain got harder, the magic flowed. He was over 70 and fighting cancer yet he just picked off car after car. When it was over, Bill was second. The smile was huge, and seemed to last for days – perhaps longer, and appropriately so – it was the drive of the meeting.

It was extra special that he did it in front of his former business partner Adrian Reynard – who’d flown out from England to race Bill’s Mallock. Also there was another great mate of Bill’s – Howden Ganley. Howden and Bill charged around Europe in the late 60s with their F3 cars and a lifelong friendship was established. Howden recalls Bill as “one of the nicest guys one could ever hope to meet. If he ever had an enemy, they never showed themselves.  He was universally popular.

“Bill was also one of the most positive people ever put on this earth. I have never known anybody who could soak up adversity, (and he did encounter quite a bit during his life) the way that Bill did and just move on, always in an optimistic frame of mind.

“It is often said that the world is divided into those who think the cup is half full and those who think the cup is half empty. Bill didn’t even do half full cups, he was a full cup guy.

“His happy demeanour and that ‘can-do’ attitude in whatever he faced was a lesson for us all. That positive attitude stood him in very good stead when the cancer came, and no doubt prolonged his life, which he lived to the full while dealing with his health problems.”

Louisiana Purchase

Mark purchased our featured Mercedes-Benz via eBay from Louisiana, USA. From all accounts the car appeared to be in average to scruffy condition and was originally painted white with black interior. Further investigation revealed that Dr Carl Rice of Minneapolis, Minnesota, had originally ordered the car for tourist delivery, collecting it from the factory on December 28, 1966 as a 1967 model year car. Dr Rice had specified it in off-white with an anthracite grey leather interior and manual transmission. A Becker TR Europa AM/FM radio was added by a dealer in Germany while the Rices toured Europe in their new car.
Although a fairly basic specification, the car’s delivery price was US$10,000 (an auto transmission would have added US$339 to the purchase price) at a time when an E-Type Jaguar sold for US$5870!
Receipts obtained with the car show it stayed in the Rice family for some time before spending a few years in California during the 1980s. Eventually it found its way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the late 1990s — and it was from there Mark bought the car in 2007 with a view to restoration.

The Initial Assessment

Once the Mercedes was in New Zealand, Mark carried out some initial disassembly at his home — removing the engine, transmission and some of the interior trim — which revealed the true extent of what would be required to bring the Mercedes back to life again. Like most older convertibles and cabriolets once they’ve reached that point in their lives that they have become unloved and neglected, water seeping in over time had led to rust slowly eating away at anything made of steel.
As with any old car, this Mercedes held a few surprises — both pleasant and unpleasant. It was built at a time when the steel was good but galvanizing and rust protection were largely unknown concepts, and a life spent largely in the north-east of the US had taken its toll, with rot in the chassis and body. On the plus side, at some stage a number of exterior panels had been replaced, so they were largely clean with just a few scrapes and dents. The underside — with Benz’s notorious double skin construction — was another story. The initial assessment was that a baby’s head could be passed through some of the holes in the footwells and in other areas of the floor pan.
With the assessment complete, the next step was to hand the Mercedes over to Mike Baucke and his talented team at The Surgery for a complete restoration. Their brief was to make this car ‘drivable first and watchable second’, and they delivered. Believe me, this car is stunning.

Restorative Surgery

Once in The Surgery’s workshop, the car was completely disassembled until it was nothing more than a bare shell. This included the removal of many panels — including doors, bonnet, front guards and boot-lid — whilst the remaining bodywork was hand stripped back to bare steel. Unfortunately, this process exposed some fairly major rust in many areas, all of which needed to be permanently repaired or replaced to comply with VINZ certification requirements and, more importantly, to meet Mark’s high quality standards. Some of the subsequent new panels and parts were manufactured in house at The Surgery, and the remainder were sourced from around the world. Thankfully, almost all these chassis and panel parts are available either NOS or as pattern pieces as a result of a very active worldwide Mercedes-Benz restoration market. This also proved to be the case with everything from interior trim to mechanical parts.
The power of the internet brought everything together very nicely for Mark, who simply discussed his needs with Mike at the Surgery and then trawled the web, searching for the best options and pricing (and significantly improving his grasp of the German language along the way). The local Courier Post delivery guy became such a familiar visitor to Mark’s home that parts handovers were often accompanied by questions as to how the project was progressing.
And progress was being made, with the now bare shell mounted onto a special jig to support the body and chassis while the rusted floors, sills, rear quarter panels, rear inner guards, boot floor, engine bay panels and inner front guards — to name but a few — were cut out in preparation for new panel work.
Mike’s team spent many hours welding and checking panel alignment, followed by the full replacement of floor panels (inner and outer), sill panels (inner, outer and jacking points), complete rear-quarter panels, complete rear inner guards, the front engine bay sub-frame, rear boot floor area and spare wheel well. Serious test fitting and checking of alignment resulted in perfect door shut lines and panel gaps as per factory specifications. All work was closely inspected and certified to complete the VIN process.
The straightening, panel beating and finishing of all the bare steel body work to remove years of minor (and some major) panel damage was meticulously carried out. Special attention was put into getting the factory body swage lines just right. Once the body shell was complete then it was time to apply the PPG two-pack epoxy etch primers, high build undercoats and two-pack clear-coat over base-coat to provide a show car finish not only to the exterior of the body, but also under all the wheel arches.

Attention to Detail

As the car had arrived on our shores in quite a rough state and with a number of non-original features, the owner was relaxed about making it as he wanted, rather than sticking to strict factory originality. The ‘as delivered’ colour combination did nothing for him, so he was more than happy to recycle the car with the classic silver and black over red combination. Interestingly, this replicates a 1969 280SL he once owned and, although the silver is classic colour choice for a Mercedes-Benz — á la Silver Arrows — the shade chosen by Mark is actually a 1966–’73 Porsche blend, the same colour used on a 1973 911 he also owned.
Lastly, but definitely not least, full cavity wax rust-proofing of the upper body was applied using eight litres of product. New factory rubber seals and door rubbers were also fitted.
Repairs and metal finishing of bumpers, hubcaps and mouldings were then carried out and the wonderful chrome plating work was completed by Wanganui Electroplaters.
The next stage was to tackle the interior of the car, which included just about everything from new carpets, leather seats and door panels plus trim panels to the soft top identical to the factory original and completed in house at The Surgery.
The interior woodwork is a special feature of these hand-built Benzes and restoration of the veneer is not a task for the faint-hearted, as much of the interior wood sections are only 0.39mm thick and look to be a never-ending combination of compound curves. Many restored examples have the veneer over the instrument binnacle replaced with a vinyl or leather cover as seen on the contemporary sedans, as auto-trimmers throw up their hands at the thought of correct wood restoration or admit defeat after touching the finish with even 800 grit abrasive paper.
Thankfully for this example, Mark was not prepared to settle for second best and after some quick research through the internet unearthed Drew Tibcken, of Heritage Woodworks in Andrews, North Carolina, as the best in the business for these early Benzes. The finished handiwork on this dash testifies as to how well-deserved his reputation is.
The electrical system was next on the agenda, with at least 40 per cent requiring a rewire to repair and restore the wire loom to as-new condition, including new and restored light fittings. The icing on the cake — a brand new, period-correct factory Becker radio.

Back on the Road

Finally, in order to get everything back into roadworthy condition, the Mercedes’ suspension was completely stripped, sandblasted, repainted in two-pack gloss black and fitted with new bushes throughout. New shock absorbers and brakes were also fitted. And, of course, the car’s 2.5-litre straight six was treated to a full overhaul, as was the car’s four-speed gearbox. The engine and engine bay were totally detailed with fresh paint, plating where appropriate and received lots of polishing — all of which means this 250SE’s under-bonnet now looks to be way beyond usual factory standards.
Once completion and assembly (including refitting the engine and running gear) was complete Mark reckoned the best part was the test drive, and he was delighted when he found that the freshly restored Mercedes drove just as well as it looked. The final step was to take the car through the VIN process — the Mercedes passed without a hitch first time.
According to Mark, his new ride is solid and usable on a daily basis without the need to make the usual concessions for the car being a convertible and over 40 years old. Having built it to be used, much of The Surgery’s best work on this Mercedes is not visible — and that includes the aircraft-quality space-frame, two-part primer, the waxed cavities and hand fabricated repair panels.
On completion the official handover and unveiling of the fully restored Mercedes was held at the Museum Hotel, complete with cake-cutting, champagne and press photographers — all rather fitting for such an aristocratic cabriolet.

Specifications – 1967 Mercedes–Benz 250SE Cabriolet (W111)

Engine: Mercedes-Benz inline six-cylinder
Capacity: 2496cc
Bore/stroke: 82mmx78.8mm
Valves: Two per cylinder/SOHC
C/R: 9.3:1
Max power: 112kW at 5500rpm
Max torque: 229Nm at 4200rpm
Fuel system: Bosch two plunger pump
Transmission: Four-speed manual
Suspension: F/R: independent front and rear, with coil springs, single joint rear swing axle
Steering: Recirculating ball
Brakes: Disc, servo assist, two circuit hydraulic, 273/279mm
DIMENSIONS
Overall length: 4880mm
Height: 1435mm
Width: 1845mm
Wheelbase: 2750mm
Kerb weight: 1572kg
Perfomance: Max speed 193kph
0–100kph 12 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

Summerfield finished runner-up in the Open four-wheel drive category, and fifth outright, driving the oldest car in the field with over 40,000 family-driven rally kilometres on the clock.

“An oldie but a goodie,” quips Summerfield, 19, who is entering his first season of national championship four-wheel drive competition after two seasons of competing in a diesel-powered Skoda Fabia RS Turbo, during which he won the Open two-wheel drive and Kiwi-2 championships.

Summerfield’s Castrol Edge-sponsored Subaru Impreza is a 2003 model and was first used by his father Les in South Island regional rallying eight years ago. The Summerfields have been rallying Subaru cars for 15 years so it was no surprise that Matt would eventually use the family car. Carrying an extra 200-odd kilo weight disadvantage and using older technology than his current rivals’ cars, however, does not bother the young Cantabrian.

“This year is all about developing my pacenotes and getting a first taste of four-wheel drive competition at national level,” says Summerfield.

“We’re running on a very limited budget this year so to get as many rally miles as I can, it made sense to use the family car.”

Keen to develop the art of making his own pacenotes, Summerfield will concentrate on the premiere championship events that allow a two pass reconaissance over the roads for driver’s to make their pacenotes. These pacenotes are detailed road descriptions of the high-speed special stages that his co-driver will call back during actual competition on the closed roads that make up the rally route.

“My first priority is to do the events that I can improve and develop my pacenotes on,” added Summerfield. “Getting maximum speed out of the notes first is more important this year than having the fastest car.”

Having moved up to a more powerful four-wheel drive car Summerfield has already discovered the need to be more detailed in his pacenote making.

“At the speed we are going this year compared to last year in the two-wheel drive Skoda, the first thing I realised was my pacenotes are not detailed enough. They need to contain a lot more information and that is what this year is all about. Writing and developing my pace notes.”

The recent Asia-Pacific Rally championship qualifier at Whangarei also doubled as the opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship. The other two rallies Summerfield will concentrate on this year is the Rally of Otago on May 26-27 and the world championship Rally of New Zealand at the end of June.

Matt Summerfield is again this season co-driven in the Castrol Edge Subaru by sister Nicole. Their rallying campaign is supported by Castrol, Autotech Services and Rally Tyres NZ.

Jaguar have been threatening to produce a genuine successor the to E-Type for decades –  there were the XJ41 and XJ42 concepts of the early 1980s and, of course, the original F-type concept itself of 2000. Although they came close, none actually became production realities. However, this time, Jaguar is really, really going to make a new sports car.

Indeed, Jaguar have since confirmed that the F-Type – based on the C-X16 concept – will go into production and be on sale in the northern hemisphere summer of 2013.

The F-Type will be unveiled in production form later this year and is expected to utilise Jaguar’s knowledge of all-aluminium construction. The F-Type will launch as a convertible, a strict two-seater with the focus uncompromisingly on delivering driver reward. A range of petrol engines will be available – including a new power plant family.

Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design, said: “A true sports car needs to be pure in both its purpose and its form; to have the opportunity to produce such a car for Jaguar has been a privilege both for me and for my team. The C-Type, D-Type and E-Type Jaguars were all sports cars that held true to this principle in their era, and the F-Type will hold true to that same principle in its time, a time that is soon to arrive.”

F-Type technical and range details will be announced later this year, and is expected to go on sale in mid 2013

From Mini to Mini-Cobra

He was born in Jersey in the Channel Islands, and since then David has owned about 25 cars in total if his memory serves him correctly. His first car was a Mini, which he bought when he was 17 years old. From that early start, he progressed to a 1967 Vauxhall Viva about a year later. It wasn’t long before he traded the Viva on his first convertible – a 1966 Sunbeam Alpine GT finished in Wedgwood Blue. He loved that car, but once things started to get serious with a certain young lady – with the inevitable ringing of wedding bells in the not too distant future – the two-seater sports car was sold. During the ensuing years, David owned a variety of vehicles including Mini Travellers and a couple of Sunbeam Stilettos before moving on to what David describes as more family-friendly vehicles. However, in 1985 he once again found himself buying a two-seater sports car – a bright red, 1966 Sunbeam Tiger.

Two years later David and his family emigrated to New Zealand and, of course, the Tiger also made the trip to our shores. With only one other previous owner, the Sunbeam Tiger was a 70,000km gem that was just too good to leave behind in the UK. Once in New Zealand David wasted no time in searching for a suitable section and, within six months, the family was building its first house.

Shortly after moving into the new house, David vividly recalls a knock on the door one evening. The stranger standing on the door-step came straight to the point – “I understand you’ve got a Sunbeam Tiger for sale!”

Taken aback, David admitted that yes, he owned a Tiger, but it wasn’t for sale. The person at the door explained that he was visiting New Zealand from Australia and he collected classic cars – as such, he promptly offered David $25,000 for the Tiger. David clearly explained to the persistent Aussie gentleman the car wasn’t for sale – even though he’d only paid £3500 for it in the UK. We all know that our West Island neighbours can be a thick-skinned bunch so, undeterred, David’s visitor was back on his doorstep with an offer of $30,000 just three days later. Again David declined the offer, but the following Friday it had grown to $35,000. This time David accepted the offer and, of course, he knew the moment he had the money in his hand that he’d done the wrong thing and decided to drown his sorrows with a few drinks that night.

David swore that one day he would once again own a Sunbeam Tiger, but it would be many years before he found himself in a position of being able to afford one of these iconic, V8-engined sports cars.

The Tiger’s Tale

Eventually, the opportunity to acquire another Tiger came when, through a Sunbeam Car Club member, David found a sad and sorry example. Although never having restored a car before, he bit the bullet and decided to buy it, having no real understanding of what he was letting himself in for.

Full of enthusiasm, in 2005 David embarked on the full restoration of his Sunbeam Tiger, a journey that would last three years as he turned what he described as a ‘real dunger’ into the gorgeous example you see featured on these pages.

The first step entailed completely stripping the car back to its bare shell and having it media blasted at Heritage Metal Blasters in New Lynn. Surprisingly, there was minimal rust – the body only requiring the addition of new outer sills while a small amount of bog was removed from around the front windscreen – the rest of the body was absolutely perfect. With that task completed, the bare shell was then taken to The Golden Gun for painting. It applied several coats of Ford Colorado Red – a shade David preferred over the original Carnival Red as he wanted a deeper-looking colour.

Once David had the painted shell returned to his home garage, the re-assembly began. All the original trim was re-chromed and the suspension completely re-bushed, painted and a new set of wheels and tyres were fitted. The original disc/drum brake combination was tossed aside and new four-wheel vented discs and four-pot callipers were custom manufactured to suit. As you would imagine, this new set-up provides the Tiger with phenomenal stopping power.

The Tiger had already received a few modifications – including the fitment of a 302ci (5.0-litre) V8 in place of the original 260ci (4.26-litre) V8 and a Toyota Supra five-speed gearbox.

The V8 was now stripped down and blueprinted, the pistons were polished and a performance camshaft was added as well as a new, larger exhaust system complete with balance pipe. A 600cfm Holley carburettor, electronic ignition and a completely new wiring system were also installed. The five-speed Toyota gearbox was left untouched, but David retains the original four-speed Borg Warner gearbox should he choose to re-install it at a later date.

The next step was to complete the interior and David decided to use new parts throughout, including a new front windscreen, crash pad, carpets, imported ‘Pebble’ upholstery from the US and a new dashboard. As well, all the original gauges were recalibrated. A new soft-top was added and the Sunbeam’s original hardtop was completely refurbished. David also chose to have a new set of Minilite-style wheels polished. In order to aid engine cooling – by dragging more air into the engine bay – a front spoiler was added, even though an electric fan was installed. With such a large engine squeezed into a small area cooling can be an issue with these cars.

In an ironic twist, the ‘TIGER 1’ number plate that belonged to David’s original Sunbeam Tiger – the one he regretted selling to the Aussie collector – came to light when David was pondering over whether to order a personalised plate for this Tiger. He discovered his original plate was still available, as the car had been shipped to Australia and the plate had been thrown back into general circulation. This was a real bonus for David. He may have ‘lost’ his first Tiger, but at least he now had his original plate back after all those years.

The Tiger Mural 

The final touch came after David remembered that when visiting the Kumeu Hot Rod and Classic Car Festival, his wife, Josie, had been very impressed with an AC Cobra replica on display at the show. The Cobra’s bonnet had been raised to reveal a snake mural painted on its underside. Years later, as the Tiger was nearing completion, David recalled that Cobra and wondered what a picture of a tiger would look like on the underside of the Sunbeam’s bonnet. Following initial enquiries, he found a local painter who was happy to take on the job and, after searching through a tiger calendar, he settled on a suitable image to copy. As an added bonus, Josie offered to pay for the mural as David’s Christmas present.

The bonnet was duly delivered to the painter and all seemed to be proceeding well – then, the following week, David received a phone-call from the painter who, rather belatedly was enquiring as to which way the Tiger’s bonnet hinged. David confirmed that the Tiger bonnet hinged at the front – and yes, you guessed it, the painter had assumed the bonnet hinged more conventionally at the rear and the tiger mural had been painted onto the bonnet upside down! We won’t repeat the muffled swear words that David heard over the telephone, but will simply confirm that the tiger was repainted the correct way up, and it’s a truly amazing piece of art.

With the Tiger back on the road, David settled down and began to enjoy his classic motoring all over again, and since its full rebuild, the Sunbeam has provided David and Josie with fast and reliable transport to events such as the Galaxy of Cars and to Sunbeam Car Club events.

1965 Sunbeam Tiger I – Specifications 

Engine Ford V8
Capacity 4261cc
Bore/stroke 96.5 x 73mm
Valves ohv
C/R 8.8:1
Max power 122kW (164bhp) at 4400rpm
Max torque350Nm at 2200rpm
TransmissionFour-speed manual
Suspension F: independent by coils, wishbones and anti-roll bar. R: Live axle, semi-elliptic springs, Panhard rod
Steering Rack and pinion
Brakes Disc/drum
Dimensions:
Length 4013mm
Width 1651
Height 1308mm
Wheelbase 2184mm
Weight 1199kg
Performance:
Max speed190kph (118mph)
0-60mph 9.5
Standing ¼ 17 secs
Economy 16.61l/100km (17mpg)
Production:
1964-1966 6495

Words: Ashley Webb and Allan Walton Photos: Adam Croy

The annual TradeZone SpeedSport Scholarship has kick-started the motor racing careers of some of the country’s most successful young drivers and this year’s finalists will race off at Manfeild in late May to decide the 12th winner.

Founded in 1990, the scholarship prize package has most notably launched the careers of V8 Supercar star Shane van Gisbergen, LotusRenault development driver Richie Stanaway, this year’s New Zealand Grand Prix winner, Nick Cassidy, who is about to join Stanaway in a racing program in Europe and newly-crowned New Zealand V8 Ute champion Andrew Waite.

“The TradeZone SpeedSport Scholarship has provided good grounding so many young drivers,” said co-founder Dennis Martin, who tutors the scholarship winners for a season in his Sabre Motorsport team.

“Some have already gone on to achieve outstanding success, and who knows, one day we may even get a winner into Formula 1,” added Martin, referring to Stanaway, who is widely tipped to get his first test in a Formula One car later this year.

Although a large majority of the drivers to come through the scholarship program began their racing careers in karts before moving to cars, both Stanaway and van Gisbergen came from backgrounds in speedway and ATV-bike racing respectively.

“Our winners have come from a wide variety of backgrounds but all have wanted to venture towards a career in circuit racing, and racing a Formula First car is, as the title suggests, the first place to start,” said Martin.

Originally founded as a joint partnership between Sabre Motorsport and SpeedSport magazine, the scholarship was able to continue on last year with new backing from TradeZone Industrial following the demise of the magazine after 21 years of publication.

The winner receives an all expenses paid season racing a Formula First car under the guidance and tuition of Martin, a personalised race suit, boots and racing gloves from Chicane and a new Arai race helmet from Dold Industries. On top of that, the winner will receive off-track tuition and mentoring.

Entries for the 2012 SpeedSport Scholarship can only be made on-line at speedsportscholarship.co.nz and close on May 20th.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have officially opened their latest showroom – in Auckland. The new facility was unveiled by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sales and Marketing Director, Jolyon Nash, General Manager South & East Asia Pacific, Dan Balmer, and Executive Chairman of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Auckland, Bob McMillan.

The dealership is owned by Team McMillan Limited, which has provided owners of Rolls-Royce motor cars with a service facility and workshop for over seven years.

Jolyon Nash said: “We are very pleased to launch the first-ever official Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showroom in New Zealand – a car market buoyed by economic resilience and an appetite for super-luxury cars. This continues our global expansion plan to support a long-term sustainable growth, fresh from a record breaking year.”

The new Auckland showroom enables customers to configure their cars using colour, wood and leather samples from the manufacturing plant at Goodwood, West Sussex, England.