Rover
August 6th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Charles Spencer ‘Spen’ King died on June 26, 2010, following injuries received after he was knocked off his bicycle. Donn remembers the life and career of this famed British automotive engineer, best remembered for creating the Range Rover.
When the brilliant engineer, Spen King, was in Nelson 31 years ago he was privately concerned about the problems within British Leyland. It was another six years before the Englishman retired from the company, and only then could he vent some of his 
frustration.
Charles Spencer King has a lot to answer for, according to some industry watchers. He is the man who created the original Range Rover in 1970, the ubiquitous four-wheel-drive vehicle that spawned the SUV or Sport Utility Vehicle. Even the most virulent of British motor industry critics agree the Range Rover was an inspired car.
In 2004 King lambasted SUV owners who mainly used their vehicles in urban areas. The Range Rover, he said, was never intended as a status symbol even though – “later incarnations of my design seem to be intended for that purpose.” Spen said the extraordinary thing about the Range Rover was that it lasted – it was tooled up for hardly anything, engineered from nothing and made a lot of money for its makers without being updated or improved.
This was essentially the last real Rover. King recalled that while the Range Rover was made by the Rover Company, the Rover 3500 SD1 hatchback was “made by a sort of gang of imports from Austin Morris.” Traditional rivalry often boiled over among the brands within the British Leyland empire, and King had always been a Rover man. He said while the SD1 started off being engineered by Rover, it wasn’t made as a Rover product. Read the rest of this entry »
December 18th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
With an all alloy Rover V8 this home-built McLaren M8B replica is an affordable Can-Am tribute.
December 17th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
The Allegro, the Mini, TR7, Rover 3000 and more
December 17th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Great cars and a great deal more – Leyland compilation of its cars from the 70s onwards
December 17th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Featuring Noel Edmunds
December 15th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Ambassador, Acclaim, Mini Mayfair, Mini City, Metro, and Rover 2600 SE – Value For Money campaign
July 27th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
During our trip to Taupo for a day of ¨Mini racing we met up with Tim and Lis’ restored Mini Jem
I have to admit I wasn’t too sure what to expect because, to be quite honest, I had never before seen a Mini Jem. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I spotted this superbly restored example sitting in the pits at Taupo Motorsport Park.
Before we got started talking about the Jem, I had a wonderful conversation with Tim and Lis about their other Minis, and it didn’t take too long before I realised that this couple is deadly passionate about all things related to the marque. Between them they own five Minis (down from seven), including a 1966 Austin Cooper 998 — nicknamed ‘Tacious’ — which Tim has owned since he was 15 years old, for about thirty-three years.
Lis owns DC6, the former British Embassy’s Mini, which she had stripped and rebuilt 10 years ago by Laurie and Tony Axcell. Lis’ Mini sports a 1275cc engine and brakes, plus an interior from an MG Metro. The car was originally black and was nicknamed ‘Darth’ but, during its eventual restoration and after she decided to repaint the car in Knightfire Red, her Mini was renamed ‘Anakin’ — yes, she’s a science fiction fan!
Read the rest of this entry »July 22nd, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Organisers of Drive NZ Classic — scheduled to run from October 9th to October 25th, 2009 — are taking steps to ensure that all the tour’s official safety cars will be classics. Drive NZ Classic have already prepared a stunning replica of Tom Walkinshaw’s Bathurst-winning Jaguar XJ-S and have also prepared an early Range Rover as a recovery vehicle. It is also hoped that the first NZ-bound Lotus Evora will arrive prior to the event — in which case, the stunning Evora will make its public debut on Drive NZ Classic.
The event organiser’s latest official car is lovely old Daimler 250-V8 (pictured) — this Olde English white classic, complete with chrome wire wheels, has been tastefully refurbished and kitted out to look like a ‘60s British police car. Seen here with a ‘police’ blue roof-mounted flashing light, the Daimler will carry a flashing amber light during the event — just to ensure that members of the general public don’t think they’re being pursued by a genuine police car.
NZ Classic Car is planning a feature on the Drive NZ Classic cars in an upcoming edition of the magazine. For now you can find out more about Drive NZ Classic by visiting www.drivenzclassic.com
