THE COVER STAR! – 1975 HOLDEN TORANA LX
A road‑registered Torana built to full Central Muscle Car specification, powered by NASCAR hardware and executed with uncompromising intent
Considering the breadth of machinery Kane Lawson has owned, raced, and driven over the years, it may seem surprising that the car lodged firmly in his imagination since childhood is a Torana. As Kane recalls, “When I was young, there was a yellow two‑door A9X that used to drive around Christchurch. The big flares and the drop tank made it impossible to miss, and from then on I always thought that one day I’d like to build a tough street Torana.”
FORM MEETS FUNCTION — 1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
Inspired by a race car from his childhood, Willy’s LSA-powered, six-speed manual, fat-footed Camaro is a force to be reckoned with. It balances classic form and modern function, with grin-inducing results
Ah yes, the 1960s, a time when petrol was cents per litre, rock’n’roll was playing on the radio, and young’uns weren’t glued to their phones 24/7. This is a time when American and Australian carmakers were pumping out some absolute crackers; some of the greatest cars ever made to this day. There’s a reason this era is considered the golden age of muscle cars, with models like the Plymouth Superbird, Ford Mustang, and Dodge Challenger cementing their place in history. However, many of us either weren’t born, or were far too young to own one back then, meaning they became nothing more than a dream. Fortunately, dreams can come true, just as they did for Willy and his beast of a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.
GROUD ASSAULT — 1930 FORD MODEL A COUPE
Count the exhaust pipes, then look at the engine — do we have your attention? You might have seen it around already, but chances are that you haven’t heard the full story behind this 2500ft/lb exercise in lunacy
LIKE HEN'S TEETH — 1969 DODGE CHARGER 500
As far as we can tell, this is the only one of its kind in New Zealand — this ultra-rare Mopar has been painstakingly restored to the highest level, and it has an incredible NASCAR-rooted story to go with it
The Ferrari F40, Porsche Carrera GT, and the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing — what do these cars all have in common? They’re all common as muck. Seriously, when you compare them to this Dodge Charger 500, you’d easily find about three F40s for every one of these. So how many were made then? Well, it depends on who you ask … An official Chrysler VIN list from 1972 states that 392 cars exist, with a letter supporting the fact. Although another letter also from Chrysler in 1971 confirms that 548 were built. To make matters worse, a letter from NASCAR founder Bill France Sr confirms that 540 cars were built, and Mopar guru Galen Govier claims that he has a complete VIN list of 580 cars — but you’ll just have to take his word for it. Whatever the production number, it’s hellishly low, and the original paper records were lost to a fire in the ’70s, so the actual figure may never be uncovered.
KUMEU PROVIDES – KUMEU CLASSIC CAR AND HOT ROD FESTIVAL
We attended the 32nd Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival, which is always a good time. The weather even decided to play ball for a while, despite the prior week of constant downpour. Check it out!
The Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival is continually one of the core V8-leaning events of the year, for folk near Auckland at least. Spread across the familiar land at Kumeu Showgrounds, the 32nd running of the event brought together petrolheads of all sorts — from booze-guzzling battlers to excitable young families, first-timers and veterans alike — immersing themselves for several days in a temporary world of pure car-craziness.
