Gavin Bain was only 14 when his father took him to see the start of a VCC rally in front of the Canterbury Museum on Rolleston Avenue. He vividly remembers seeing the cars lined up in front of the impressive gothic revival building. “I thought, crikey I wouldn’t mind something like that!” The thought, however, [...]
There’s a special place in the hearts of all those who witnessed any of the Waimate 50 race meetings, from the first one on January 31, 1959, to the final on February 5, 1966. In many ways the Waimate 50 was a special event, and the first Waimate meeting was also a milestone in the [...]
At the end of Part One, Allan Scott had just joined Tom Walkinshaw Racing to work on that team’s Mazda RX‑7 racing rotary engines, and even at this early stage he had already learnt something about the manner in which Walkinshaw ran his team. Although Allan had been assured that he would be working on [...]
Fahey was already a successful businessman when he first started car racing, so this was a hobby for him and not a career move. However, he approached his racing as if he were a professional. He always had the best equipment and hired the best personnel. He was very well connected internationally, and these connections [...]
This fantastic little racer started its life in Michigan, where an original Model A Ford was stripped down to be built into what is considered one of the most well-proportioned speedsters or racers. Built as a dual-purpose vehicle it was used in classic racing as well as on the street for parades and touring. Over [...]
When Chrysler launched the Valiant in Australia in 1962, they had an instant winner on their hands with demand constantly outstripping supply. Part of the reason for the Valiant’s success was its superb US-sourced 225ci slant-six engine. With 108kW on tap, this engine had around double the output of its contemporary Holden rivals at the [...]
Bert Govan has raced the same 3.8 Jaguar Mk2 in South Island classic racing events since the mid-1980s, having originally purchased the car when he was just 13 years old. In that time he has seen the Mk2 evolve its status from that of a good-looking English sports and racing saloon to full-blown classic. Bert’s [...]
For many of us our childhood memories help shape and mould us into the people we are today. I know that I certainly am drawn to special places, people, things and cars that were a part of my life while growing up. For some, memories are better than the reality, but for others the reality [...]
Born in the South Otago town of Balclutha, Allan Scott traces his interest in machinery back to when he was 13 years old. By that time he was living in Dunedin and, along with his uncles, during school holidays Allan worked at his grandparent’s large farm 90 kilometres from his home; not long after the [...]
Norm Barry took possession of his Mustang in June 1967. It was tested a couple of times at Willow Springs, before Barry and an unknown co-driver raced it at the Riverside 6 Hour event, in early July, under the name El Sugundo. Kiwi Bruce Newell crewed on the car. The pair finished second. Before shipping [...]