By Ben Selby April 16th 1964. Television sets across America began broadcasting an advert made by the Ford Motor Company. What the announcer said next signified that something unique was on its way. “Coming April 17th, the unexpected, the Ford Mustang.” The term “unexpected” fit well, for no one was prepared for what Ford was about to show them. Prior …
By Ben Selby If you know classic cars, chances are you know the 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. You are also probably aware this one-of-two ever built unicorn changed hands for a mind- boggling $142 million US ($220.4 million NZ). The buyer, an anonymous but we can safely assume a very wealthy, car collector who was able to secure …
By Ben Selby What does the Ferrari 250 GTO, the Lamborghini V12 engine and the Iso Grifo all have in common? Well, apart from these being grand testimonials to Italian car design, one man had a hand their creation. That man was Giotto Bizzarrini and we owe him a lot. Born in Livorno, Italy in 1926, the young Bizzarrini had …
By Ben Selby The day was hot, the sky was blue and best of all, the New Zealand Government had decreed outdoor gatherings under the COVID-19 traffic light system would no longer be limited to groups of 100 to 200 people. Throw all this together and you have the perfect template for a grand day out with countless petrolheads and …
By Ben Selby James Dean. The name is as recognisable around the world as Coca Cola and Levis Jeans. Star of cult fifties films East of Eden, Giant and the classic Rebel Without a Cause, Dean was only getting started in the acting world before his short life came to a tragic end. Dean was a known lover of fast …
By Ben Selby The look on the guy’s face said it all. He stared for a good few minutes before he spoke. “Is this an E Type?” he asked. “Sure is” said I. “Wow, its BLEEP-ing mint,” he replied. As I headed inside to pay for gas, the lady at the counter asked which pump it was. I told her …
By Ben Selby Any Jaguar XK120 is special. Built from 1948 to 1954, the XK120 was the car which made Jaguar as we know it today. With its XK straight six and gorgeous flowing lines, the XK120 quickly became the must-have accessory for all tycoons and celebrities, such as Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra. The XK120 also saw its fair …
By Ben Selby Its 1966. Enzo Ferrari is not happy. For the last six years, his scarlet racing cars have utterly dominated events in the World Sports Car championship. That was until the combination of the Ford Motor Company and Carroll Shelby perfected the formula for the now legendary GT40 MKII. Ford’s Ken Miles won the 1966 24 Hours of …
By Ben Selby The history of Ferrari is littered with incredible machinery. It is also littered with one-off cars built specifically for their most affluent VIP clients. People like the Sultan of Brunei and the Shah of Iran would order bespoke cars to meet their ever-increasing indulgence for having cars which no-one else could afford to. This brings us on …
