Holden restores first concept car – the 1969 Hurricane

Holden has gone back to the future, restoring its very first concept car – the 1969 Holden Hurricane.

The futuristic research vehicle described as an experiment “to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long range developments” has been restored to its former glory as a labour of love by a dedicated group of Holden designers and engineers.

Code-named RD 001; the Hurricane is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-seater sports car which incorporates a remarkable array of innovative features and technology, much of it way ahead of its time.

Features such as electronic digital instrument displays, station-seeking radio, automatic temperature control air conditioning, rear vision camera and an automated route finder were all showcased in this groundbreaking vehicle 42 years ago. Many of these technologies have only recently made their way into mass production, demonstrating Holden’s remarkable foresight into both design and engineering technology.

The Hurricane stole headlines and dropped jaws nationwide when it debuted at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show. Read the rest of this entry »

Holden Dealer Team builds Peter Brock tribute Commodore

While not as well known as HSV the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) will be familiar to many Holden enthusiasts. HDT was the go-to tuning division for Holden in the 1980s and was run by Kiwi race legend Peter Brock – the nine-time Bathurst 1000 winner.

The wheels came off the partnership partly because of Brock’s strong belief in a component called the “Energy Polarizer”, which he began fitting to special performance Holden Commodores being built by HDT during the 1980s.

The Energy Polarizer was a largely unproven device said to align the various energies of the car to give it a boost in performance. It never really became an accepted performance modification.

Sadly, Brock died while driving in a rally in Australia on September 8, 2006.

Now as a contemporary tribute to Brock and his motorsport legacy, the crew at HDT have built a limited run of retro-styled Holden Commodore sedans designed to reflect the performance models launched during the Brock days. HDT have named these cars the Heritage Series and have design cues taken from the legendary VL Group A Commodore. Read the rest of this entry »

1972 Torana GTR XU-1 – Heatway Rally Survivor – 237

When Dave and Tracy purchased this Torana GTR XU-1 they were unaware of it’s long rallying history.

Back in the mid-1960s and early ’70s, when muscle car fever gripped the world, American car giant General Motors searched for ways to bring a smaller-bodied performance car to Aussie buyers. Sure, there was a range of Holden Monaros on offer with optional V8 engines to suit just about every petrol-head’s dream, but the problem was that this Camaro-sized coupé was just too expensive and beyond the reach of many mainstream buyers. To capture Australasia’s burgeoning youth market, Holden needed a smaller, cheaper performance package.

Its efforts came to fruition in October 1969 with the release of the first Holden Torana GTR. Part of the six-cylinder Torana range, the GTR boasted the 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine from the base model Holden Belmont, albeit slightly modified. The good news was that the Torana GTR, with its four-speed manual gearbox, disc brakes, extra instruments, fluted front guards and alloy spoked steering wheel (pinched from the Monaro) was $100 cheaper than the base model Monaro. However, the problem was that many young drivers who would have parted with vital parts of their anatomy in order to park a GTR in their driveway faced hefty insurance premiums; a major deterrent for those seeking to own such a car. Read the rest of this entry »

1966 Holden HR Premier Wagon – Original Tin – 248

For some enthusiasts, a totally original classic car is the ultimate – as we discovered when we met the owners of this virtually untouched Holden.

I have to say that in my opinion, one of the best aspects of our classic car hobby is the infinite array of opinions, passions and tastes relating to customisation, personalisation and restoration of anything from Austins to Zephyrs or Alfas to Ferraris. The beauty is, of course, that there’s no right or wrong answer – it’s whatever you choose to do with your car and that’s fine as far as I’m concerned.

As you can well imagine the team here at NZ Classic Car gets to see it all – from bespoke to everyday classics and, indeed, even some cars that may not suit our individual taste – but the most important thing is that the owner generally is proud of what he or she owns and, more often than not, their enthusiasm and commitment is undoubtedly infectious.

As for me, I’m passionate about anything that’s original. The more original, particularly when it’s oozing historic patina, the more excited I get and I cringe at the thought that someone may decide to repaint, restore or refurbish such a gem. And that brings me to our feature car, first spotted at the Kumeu Hot Rod festival earlier this year. Read the rest of this entry »

August issue of NZ Classic Car – On sale now!

It’s time to get down to your local magazine outlet for a fresh dose of NZ Classic Car magazine because the August issue has reached the shelves nationwide today. The new issue is packed with brilliant feature articles, news and event reports, all to keep you up-to-date on NZ’s thriving classic car scene.

In this month’s issue we show some muscle with a mint 1970 Dodge Challenger cover car, this macho machine has been fully restored and packs a heavyweight punch with its 383ci engine. Other feature cars include a totally original 1966 Holden HR Premier Wagon and a prime example of Mazda’s rotary-engined RX-4 from Invercargill. We take a fascinating look at a rare sports racer from the late 60′s – the Nerus F100 Silhouette and our Motor Man Donn Anderson recalls the arrival of the Datsun 1600 to NZ. We catch up with two younger classic car enthusiasts and check out their growing collections and we have a special feature celebrating 100 years of the Indianapolis 500 race. Our Motorsport Flashback section pays tribute to kiwi race legend Kenny Smith and we have a supplement that features some of the best local parts suppliers in NZ. Read the rest of this entry »

GM Day Out event seeking General Motors fans this Sunday

New Zeland’s GM Enthusiasts Club is hosting its annual GM Day Out event this Sunday (May 8).

It’s geared up to be a family day for all those interested in any and all vehicles produced by General Motors. As in previous years the event will be held at Clevedon School in Clevedon, Auckland. The event is set to showcase all things GM from immaculately restored Cadillacs through to Holden Doorslammers and everything in-between.

It’s a nice little cruise out to Clevedon and there is a pub next door to the school if you want to get a beer or a feed on. It’s also just a minute’s walk from the Clevedon village for a look around.

Junkyard Dog car T-shirts – bringing back old school cool

Remember when the back seat of your car was used for more than transporting the kids to sports practice? If you remember what bench seats were really for and want to hang on to those precious memories, get yourself into a new Junkyard Dog tshirt. The clever people at Junkyard Dog have selected some of our most iconic vehicles and screen printed these onto top quality American Apparel tees.

If you answer yes to any one of the following then you’ve got to get yourself into a Junkyard Dog tee without delay:

1. Did you ever get past first base in your old man’s car

2. Have you ever had hair that was quite a bit longer at the back than everywhere else

3. Can you remember Radial Tuned Suspension

4. Did you cruise the main street during late night shopping

5. Do you ever say “you wanna go mate” just like Fred Dagg

6. Can you remember when smoking made you look cool

7. Can you remember when cars really used to break down and make you late for work

8. Can you remember when cars were cooler raised than lowered

Of course you can……..!

A Junkyard Dog tshirt will make you look slimmer, younger, cooler and substantially increase your market appeal. Chicks dig guys with cool cars and cool tees. Put the two together now in a Junkyard Dog tshirt. Whether it’s a Mini Cooper, a Kingswood or a GT Falcon go and check out the Junkyard Dog website out for some of the coolest cars of yesteryear. Read the rest of this entry »

Pork Pie Police team seeks sponsors for upcoming charity run

On the 21st of April the Goodbye Pork Pie charity run will see a variety of wacky and retro vehicles make their way from Kaitaia down to Invercargill. It will take six days and seven nights and will see the cars cover over 2500km all to raise money for a good cause  – the Starship Foundation.

It’s been thirty years since the film Goodbye Pork Pie was released and it remains one of New Zealand’s most iconic local films. If you’re interested in campaigning a car in this charity run, then check out the Pork Pie charity run website to find out more. The entered cars don’t have to be yellow Minis but do need to be the same as a classic vehicle that appeared in the film or any older style Mini.

If you’re not willing to spend 25ookms in a Mini but want to support this charity event then the Pork Pie Police Team are looking for sponsorship. They are aiming to raise some serious coin for the Starship Children’s Hospital and are looking for businesses who are willing to sponsor their team.

Different donations will get logos of various sizes on the Police Team’s 1976 HJ Holden Kingswood (pictured) and/or the Teams clothing. The NZ Emergency Vehicle Collectors club is running the Police Team entry, to find out more about sponsoring the team email newzealandevc@gmail.com