New Zealand Classic Car 300, December 2015

This month we take a look at an example of a car that many regard to have the highest cute quotient of any classic: Fiat’s ultra-popular 500. The diminutive Italian also has a strong connection to New Zealand — after all, it was a Kiwi who first came up with the idea of naming the Nuovo 500 as the ‘Bambina’.

For those who prefer their classics to be somewhat more bespoke — not to mention larger — we also checked out an imposing Jaguar MkVIIM. With a cabin awash with acres of walnut bur and leather, this is one truly gorgeous big cat.

For fans of classic US cruisers, we’ve got a rather special ’56 Chevrolet 210 Sport Coupe. Not only lovely to behold, this particular car is owned by a man who was the main drawcard at Meremere drag strip during the ’70s and ’80s due to his tyre-smoking activities in a variety of iconic dragsters.

In this edition we also include a full report and results for the recent Targa New Zealand 2015, look back at the racing career of David Oxton, while Donn Anderson asks the question, “Was the Metro the last great Austin?”

There’s also our usual full complement of news items, along with other features to keep you reading.