New Zealand Classic Car 157, January 2004
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Big news this month are the final results of the NZCC/Meguiar's Classic Car of the Year. The judges have finished prodding and poking the entrant's cars - and we publish the full results.
The Coyote's competition, Wile E Coyote, never managed to catch that pesky roadrunner - but we were a bit luckier and, with the aid of an Acme Jet-Pack, managed to catch up with a 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner. This fearsome, bright yellow muscle car, can unleash a mighty wallop from its 7-litre V8 - no wonder the coyote never caught the roadrunner!
Best of British: For those with more elevated tastes, Jacqui Madelin visits the Bentley factory in the UK, takes a look around their sparkling assembly lines, talks to the men behind the marque and, just for good measure, takes the new Bentley Continental GT out for a quick spin. Bentley fans have a special treat this month, as Penn McKay takes a close look at the mighty Bentley 8-litre - perhaps one of Britain's ultimate vintage cars.
Saloon Classics: Do you remember the days when not all saloon cars looked alike? If you do, and you have a penchant for more eccentric classics, we take a look at three family saloons which offered rather more than your average car. First up, we take a look at the Jaguar XJ6 most people have forgotten - the early 2.8-litre version. Quickly supplanted by the 4.2-litre XJ6, examples of the smaller capacity cat are now very rare. In direct comparison to the Coventry cat, we have a car which exudes Gallic flare, strange idiosyncracies and shows off styling straight out of a Jetson's cartoon.
The Citroën DS23, with its radical hydropneumatic suspension and swoopy, space-craft styling still draws admiring looks even today. Finally, we introduce a real wild card - NSU's rotary-engined Ro80. Beautifully styled - and remarkably aerodynamic - the Ro80 should have been a cracking success. However, its unreliable Wankel engine ruined its chances for lasting success, and did the same for NSU. How do these cars compare? Can the NSU's silky smooth rotary compete with Jaguar's legendary XK straight-six? And can the Citroën's four-banger keep up with the Jaguar and the NSU? Find out in The Quiet Revolution.
Continuing our the classic saloon theme, we also examine a superb 1953 Chevrolet Sedan, go cruising in an absolutelt immaculate 1960 Vauxhall Victor and, just for good measure, this month's Spotter's Guide looks at BMW six-cylinder saloons and coupes from 1951-75.
Classic Motorsport: If you like your classic action to be fast, we have plenty to keep you interested.
Ron Rutherford: Kiwi Charger Today, Ron is retired and living in Australia - but he sent us over an exclusive story on his racing career. In it, Ron describes his first ever race - in a 1939 Ford Prefect - talks about the RA Vauxhall, his Zephyr Special, Lotus Farina, Lotus 23b and, of course, his E49 Charger. Catch the action straight in Ron's own words.
This month's NZ Classic Racing Saloon, concludes our look at the Rod Coppins Pontiac Firebird, while Michael Clark asks some tricky questions in Motorsport Flashback. If you thought that you knew when and where New Zealand's first ever Grand Prix took place you may be in for a shock when you read Grand Prix Identity Crisis!
