Articles in ‘Motoring’

For the third year now, Chris Hornblow and Shane Adlington have organised the annual Model A Day at Chris & Raewyn’s fantastic property in Oratia, West Auckland. This year on Saturday 27th February, there were 48 cars in attendance which included one Model T that snuck in and additionally there was also a Fordson tractor! The diverse mix of restored or barn found stockers through…

Wild Bunch drag racing is strong and its return is in its second year and is starting to dominate the drag racing calendar. Back in the late eighties/early nineties at Champion Dragway (now Meremere Dragway), a new class of quarter mile drag racing was sweeping the nation – WILD BUNCH! This class essentially took the street appearing two door saloon car and stuffed it full of…

The world may be crippled by Covid 19 but in New Zealand, the Jalopy Dust Up was a dusty but fun way to see in 2021. Hosted by Noddy Watts of Beach Hop fame (Australasia’s biggest hot rod, classic car and rock & roll festival) and his partner Andrea, the Dust Up was just what the doctor ordered. Let’s face it, 2020 in New Zealand consisted of two lock downs, numerous cancelled…

Covid 19 sure put the handbrake on 2020 and as a result is a year that many of us would rather forget. The worldwide pandemic created havoc through all aspects of everyday life including the fun we have with cars. Fortunately for us all here in New Zealand there has been a sense of normality or an appreciation for a "new normal". A Covid delayed Beach Hop in Whangamata was no…

The Covid19 pandemic was something I thought I would never see in my lifetime and I bet many people can say the same thing. When the country went into Level 4 lockdown it was only businesses of essential services which could keep pressing on. New Zealanders had to adapt to a whole new type of normal with new terminology where days were measured by case numbers and isolation and…

With the Corona Virus pandemic sweeping the world it was only a matter of time before New Zealand would be affected. Since the first confirmed case in New Zealand we have had constant media thrashing on the subject and as the world has started shutting down country by country the media hype has heightened. Is it hype or is it precaution? Is it a virus or is it politics? There are…

Once again I was called up to join the judging team for the prestigious America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award. This has been running since 1949 at the Grand National Roadster Show held on the last weekend of January at the Pomona Fairplex in California, USA. Last year was my first time on the judging team which comprises of industry movers and shakers such as noted hot rod…

Time sure flies when you are having fun! It seems like yesterday that we attended the annual Rebel Round Up at Pukekohe Park Raceway and it’s on again Saturday 15th February. The hot rod and custom car themed event tips its hat to the whole culture around it celebrating days gone by with live bands, retro fashion and of course the old style hot rods and customs themselves. The…

The Classic Motorcycle Festival is set to be bigger than ever this February. Last year, 3,500 racers and spectators descended on the famous racetrack in Pukekohe in the first week of February. Over 300 racing machines from the 1940’s through to the 1990’s came to compete from all over New Zealand and the world. The Festival, which is in its 42nd year, is famed as being the…

Cast your mind back to the late eighties/early nineties at Champion Dragway (now Meremere Dragway), a new class of quarter mile drag racing was sweeping the nation – WILD BUNCH! This class essentially took the street appearing two door saloon car and stuffed it full of supercharged methanol fuelled drag racing goodness. Crowd appeal was huge as these cars were something people…

Pukekohe motor racing star Liam Lawson has returned home from another successful season in Europe, where he finished runnerup in the Euroformula Open (EFO) championship and won the Rookie of the year title. Lawson was signed by the Red Bull Junior programme at the start of this year and has endured an intensive year of racing in two championships across Europe. Red Bull…

The late 1960s saw the best pre-Formula One racing this country has ever experienced. Racing took place over January, during the European winter, giving the Formula One teams a chance to test new chassis and suspension systems prior to the upcoming European season. The only difference was that the engine capacity was limited to 2.5 litres, as opposed to the Formula One limit of…

At the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California back in January it was an honour for us to meet Jim "Jake" Jacobs who was the other half of Pete & Jakes Hot Rod Parts which GMS Hot Rods are dealers for. Pete & Jakes were founded in 1973 shortly after the late Pete Chapouris and Jim “Jake” Jacobs met and had their iconic coupes featured in Rod & Custom Magazine – these…

Four guys from New Zealand recently did a whirlwind trip to the USA in August for the 50th NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. Leaving cooler temperatures behind in New Zealand’s winter, the group was blessed with temperatures in the 30 degree range as they touched down in Chicago before heading to Louisville. The 50th anniversary of the National Street Rod…

Due to the 3M sponsored visit of internationally renowned automotive customizer Chip Foose, this year’s CRC Speedshow was set to go off the hook. There were so many attractions to the show which kept the increased public numbers entertained all day. The CRC Speedshow has become the must do event for anyone with the slightest interest in all things automotive. We attended the show…

The annual CRC Speedshow has become New Zealand’s premiere automotive event which caters for all things automotive related and everything in between. This year’s event is sure to be a very memorable one with the guest appearance of renowned USA automotive designer Chip Foose. If that name sounds familiar you would have seen him on the highly popular Overhaulin’ TV series. Chip is…

In the automotive world and in particularly in New Zealand, we have our fair share of artists. To be more precise, these artists can work sheetmetal into beautiful art forms as they restore, recreate or design their own automotive fantasy. Allow me to introduce Mike Roberts. A truly humble man, Mike just likes to do the best work he can but also with the most creative and…

The motor's running so belt yourself in for a great ride! Steel 'n' Wheels Festival 2019 is hot on our heels. Put it on your calendar and don't miss it. Four hours packed with a variety of exciting displays, mean machines, live music and markets. Something for everyone; vintage and classic cars, hot rods, trucks, tractors, military, bikes and more! Freestyle NZ FMX riders will…

As I write this, we are staring down the deep barrel into winter, day light saving has passed and I’m reflecting on how good the summer car season has been. It seemed like it was never going to end and we had a very busy summer going to any events all over the North Island – it’s been FUN. First up was the Glovers Real Estate Hot Rods in Titirangi Show hosted by Mid West Street…

If it isn’t broke then don’t fix it and that was the formula for this year’s annual Rebel Round Up at Pukekohe Park Raceway back in February. The organisers tweaked and adjusted things for a smooth running event but the recipe was the same. Fun with old cars and the culture around it all equated to a very successful day. The action packed schedule included live bands, hot rods &…