BMW
November 14th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
It’s that time once again when magazine stores receive the fresh new copy of NZ Classic Car magazine so get down there and grab one before they are all gone. The new December issue is packed with feature articles, news and special features – all to keep you up-to-date on NZ’s classic car scene.
In this month’s issue we have a very special historic cover car, the ex-Chris Amon BMW 3.0CSL. It’s in beautiful condition and we were there to see Amon united with the racing BMW for the first time since he campaigned it in the 1973 European Touring Car Championship. We also have a full recap from this year’s Targa event with plenty of photos of the action. We have a Xmas Gift Guide so you know what to suggest to the misses and also a special supplement giving advice on purchasing a classic car. We look at a locally built Riley-based roadster powered by a Tiger Moth engine and our Motorsport Flashback page focuses on Howden Ganley’s 70th birthday. Our final feature car is a gorgeous 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst once owned by the editor of Motor Trend magazine. Read the rest of this entry »
October 26th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Defending champion, Gold Coast, Queensland-based Scot Tony Quinn and co-driver Naomi Tillett (Nissan GT-R35) head into the second day of the 2011 Targa New Zealand tarmac motor rally today with a 14 second lead after a battle royal on the first day today with Kiwi rally ace Glenn Inkster and co-driver Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 6).
On Tuesday the event headed north for the first time in its 17-year history and took in stages from Taupaki and Waimauku on Auckland’s North West urban fringe before crossing from the west to the east coast via the demanding Woodcocks stage across West Coast Rd to Wellsford then north again for stages in and around Whangarei.
Quinn and Tillett led home a Nissan GT-R 1-2-3 in the Instra.com Modern competition category on the first stage with Inkster and Winn fourth and US-based expat Steve Millen and his co-driver Jen Horsey in their GTR-35 fifth but Inkster storming through on the longer, more open second stage to slot in between the Quinn/Tillett and Proctor/Callaghan GT-R35s for second. Read the rest of this entry »
October 21st, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Can’t afford an M3? We look at the next best thing – an M-Technik-spec’d 325i coupé.
When BMW’s 3 Series first appeared in 1975, the range of cars offered had big shoes to fill, being the replacement for the much-loved ’02 models. Indeed, prior to the launch many commentators speculated that the impending new BMWs would 
take a much softer line than hard-line performance classics such as the legendary 2002Tii. There may have been some truth in these opinions – remembering that petrol-heads would have to wait until 1977 for a true 20002Tii replacement, the hot-shot 323i – but that didn’t really matter to punters, who confirmed BMW’s ascendancy with their money. BMW would eventually produce around 1.3 million E21 3 Series cars between 1975 and 1983 – a landmark for BMW and its first million-selling car.
With the success of the E21 3 Series behind it, BMW launched an evolutionary second series (E30) in 1983. Refreshing the original car’s Paul Bracq-penned lines, BMW produced a winning combination of good looks and modern sporting appeal. And, with a range that stretched from the entry-level, four-cylinder 316 right up to the silky and powerful six-cylinder 325i, BMW firmly established its position within the young upwardly mobile executive market. By the time E30 production had ceased in 1994, over two million examples had been manufactured. Read the rest of this entry »
October 18th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Ashley uncovers the long motor sport career of Targa veteran Gerry Hodges, and takes a close look at his immaculately prepared BMW.
Over the past couple of years I’ve been fortunate enough to follow seven Targa events around the North Island, and if there’s one car in particular that stands out in my mind every time it’s Gerry Hodges’ superbly presented 1984 BMW 635CSi.
Targa is without doubt one of the most gruelling motor racing events in the country, taking a heavy toll on both man and machine, and it’s fairly common that, as the event unfolds, so do the cars and drivers – lapses in concentration often resulting in unforeseen off-road excursions. However, others seem to thread their way through stage by stage keeping the shiny side up and without so much as a stone chip. Which brings me back to Gerry’s BMW. I’ve often wandered around this car midway through Targa events and thought to myself that this car looks as if it’s just been fully groomed. The fact of the matter is, it has. Gerry has a team of dedicated elves – including Barbara, his wife; Jeni Harrington, his co-driver’s wife; and Deb Day, his sponsor’s wife. With Rob Bolland looking after the mechanicals, the team all pitch in to keep the BMW spick and span. At every service stop they can be seen attending to the car before Gerry lines up for the next stage.
With this in mind, I felt sure that Gerry was a seasoned motor-sport veteran and, after a long talk with him, that feeling was confirmed. Read the rest of this entry »
October 7th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Bahco Screwdriver Set
Michelle Cooper, Te Horo
Owen King, Katikati
Spark Riley Mk XI Model
Craig Metcalf, Whangarei
Autoart BMW 635CSi Model
Stephen Wells, Invercargill
October 7th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Concept cars are often a big deal one minute and have disappeared the next, but what happens to these forward-focused machines. Sometimes they are pulled apart, mostly they are hidden away in the huge archive style garages of carmakers but very occasionally they are offered up for auction.
While not a recent concept by any means the BMW Spicup found its way into private ownership and has recently been auctioned by Bonhams at a German event. The Spicup concept was first unveiled by Bertone at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show and unlike many concepts was built to be driven. It was based on the chassis of a BMW 2000 CS and powered by a 2.5-litre inline six-cylinder engine. It’s unclear what happened to it directly after the show but some years later it was acquired by a Dutch owner who drove it around regularly, but then the concept car disappeared for a couple of decades. Read the rest of this entry »
August 20th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
THIS COMPETITION HAS EXPIRED
BMW introduced its Motorsport version of the Six Series coupé at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983. Essentially an E24 model fitted with a version of the M1 powerplant, the M635CSi sprinted from 0-96.5kph in 6.1 seconds before reaching a terminal speed just shy of 257kph (160mph). Now regarded as a true modern classic, the M635CSi remained in production until 1989.
New to AutoArt’s 1:43 range are these two models depicting the M635CSi – in silver or burgundy. Both models are extremely well detailed and include opening bonnets.
Thanks to the NZ distributor, we are giving away the burgundy car to a lucky reader. Just click on the link below and answer the following question:
In what year did BMW launch its first Six Series coupé?
Competition closes on September 20, 2011.
August 8th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
BMW has a long history that goes back more than 90 years beginning with aircraft manufacture. The exact meaning of the iconic BMW badge has been the subject of debate in recent times, but now BMW has released a video explaining what it’s all about.
The truth is actually very simple; the blue and white badge features the colours of the Bavarian state flag and is modeled on the logo of the predecessor company, Rapp.
The idea that the logo represents a propeller began because BMW produced aircraft engines before it made cars, but this is a myth.
To find out the truth watch the short video below. Read the rest of this entry »
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