New Zealand Classic Car 404, March/April 2026

BMW’s flagship techno showcase
The supermodel 1995 BMW 840Ci is simply elegant and perfectly engineered.     
BMW’s 840 Ci flagship Coupe provides superb comfort and equipment packaged in a stylish body, with grand-touring performance and surprisingly competent handling for its size.
It’s the kind of machine that stands apart from the start. When BMW first unveiled its flagship Grand Tourer at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive world blinked twice. Sleek, low, and impossibly modern for its era, it combined drama with a sort of purposeful understatement. This silhouette still looks striking today, long after its peers have faded into obscurity.
Initially offered with a range of engines, the model you’re reading about is the V8 iteration, featuring a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder heart under its long bonnet and a smooth five-speed automatic at the back. It wasn’t about blistering sprint times so much as effortless velocity. There was power on tap, sure, but the way it delivered thrust felt unhurried and measured – the automotive equivalent of a deep exhale on a long drive.
Our FREE pull out wall poster in this issue is a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, C2
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Almac Cars – The Second Chapter
40 years of production takes on a new persona.
Cobra replicas have been made at Almac’s Upper Hutt factory for 40 years. With new ownership by Matamata Panelworks, a fresh era in custom sports car manufacturing is about to begin. 
The long road-part 1
Back in the 1950s, Jaguar’s Mark I and II models graced our race circuits in plentiful numbers. The attractive sports saloons performed well, and their distinctive howl of that amazing twin-cam six-cylinder engine often headed the pack home.
The great debate – Commodore SS vs Dodge Daytona
When it comes to sitting outside a café with a coffee, listening to the cars driving by, the gentle rumble of a V8 will always capture the attention of anybody with even the remotest interest in cars.
Saintly intervention: Halo restored, a rare Swede survives
A chance encounter provides a rare Jensen-built Volvo P1800, a long-time family favourite.
The last real Rover – 1995 Rover SD1 Vanden Plas
Martin and Louise Derrington’s Rover SD1 Vanden Plas was built during the period of contentious British Leyland management and a less-than-favourable industrial climate.
Cruisin’ in the gal – 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 ‘Victoria’
Alan McHattie loved big American cars with a big, lazy V8, and he searched far and wide for the right car until, right there in his Central Otago hometown, he stumbled across an original big Ford at a local garage.
A catholic taste for automobiles – The Pope’s eclectic fleet of vehicles
Hot mustard
Kiwis have a strong affinity for the Chrysler Charger, and from an Australian perspective, Phillip Rizzo found his dream Charger and restored it to make up for the memory of when, as a youngster, his father’s pride-and-joy Charger was stolen from their home.
Kits and Pieces – Saker SV1
Mike Schwen, born and raised in Germany, has led an interesting if somewhat eclectic life. However, it was not until he journeyed to New Zealand on a holiday with a friend that he found a place where he felt he truly belonged.
Motorman By Donn Anderson
BMW E30 – a highly successful package
Tracing the history of a BMW model that really cemented the brand in New Zealand. But Donn Anderson now wonders where they have all gone?
Looking back
O.S.C.A. comes to Auckland, part 1 – A Northerner’s OSCA memories
Auction Report: Strong sales for the December Webb’s auctions
Melissa’s Garage: vintage in his veins
Oliver Irving and a Passion Beyond His Years
While most 18-year-olds are spending their weekends partying or modifying Japanese imports, Oliver Irving was tucked away in the back shed building his 1928 Ford Pickup!
Summer Classic Racing reports
Taupo historic grand prix:
Classic Southern Racing: SKOPE is one to remember.
Market Report: Holden FE/FC
Price On: Classic novelty car radios
The ute and the mafia: Two striking Southern Garage Mates 
1957 Ford Ranchero and 1968 Lincoln
A pair of aces: The Collector’s favourite
1969 FORD MUSTANG MACH1, 390, 1970 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302
Ford has sold over 10,000,000 Mustangs since its release on 17 April 1964. Now offered in over 100 countries, it remains the affordable sports car coveted by many and a firm favourite with collectors.
Classic Car news
RUAKAKA CLASSIC & CUSTOM CAR SHOW, CLASSIC ALPINE TOUR 20-23 March 2026, CROMWELL CLASSIC CAR AND HOT ROD FESTIVAL 2026 and much, much more…