Articles in ‘Motoring’

Not too long ago, the Peugeot 103 was ruling the streets of France. These were "pedal-and-pop" bikes, meaning they required the rider to pedal them for the two-stroke 50cc engine to kick in. And you didn’t even need a license – since they were limited to around 28 mph (45 km/h) – so they were all the rage back then. Now, after five decades, Peugeot has revived the nameplate as an electric moped. And unlike most revivals, the 103 still retains a…

The government has slashed New Zealand’s clean car standard by 80 percent, cancelling an estimated $265 million in penalties on higher-emission “ordinary” cars. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said, “the bottom’s fallen out of the EV market,” as importers face both low demand and tight supply. Safety concerns now dominate public discussion. Officials stress that EV fires remain rare, but the cluster of incidents, the lack of clear public…

The Rotary Club old Papakura is proud to bring you the 2024 New Zealand Motorcycle Show, proudly sponsored by Star Insurance and proudly all profits are for charity. Our 12th such show since 2012 it is recognised as NZ’s pre eminent Motorcycle Show. Returning to the fantastic Auckland Showgrounds, this show offers something for every motorcycling enthusiast. Featuring numerous Clubs, groups and private entries there will be a diverse array of…

MIT’s Electric Vehicle Team has taken to the racetrack with a Ducati 900SS that’s been gutted and converted into a hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle, hoping to start collecting a few fossil-fuelled scalps. It’s also open-sourcing the design for others. The dozen-strong team decided to build this battery-buffered fuel cell hybrid to get their heads around this higher-density, lesser-used clean fuel source, and hopefully to inspire others to give it…

The current Labour government have decided that we will all drive electric vehicles. How will they make that become reality? The first step in that process is to ban the import of ICE’s (Internal Combustion Engine vehicles) which is being suggested will happen from the year 2040. Some vehicle manufacturers are planning to cease production of ICE’s by the year 2035 in line with international governmental recommendations from many countries…

The Morrari Recreation has been one of my Dad Mark Stokes’ dream projects for at least 10 years. It is a recreation of the late Garth Souness Morrari which ran in the sixties in the All Comers class. It was a Morris Minor body draped over an unwanted and outdated 1955 Ferrari Super Squalo Grand Prix chassis. It ran a 327 Corvette engine. It was called The Monster but media of the day coined the name Morrari and it stuck. Are play on the words,…

Photos and words David Child-Dennis The late 1960s saw the best pre-Formula One racing this country has ever experienced. Racing took place over January, during the European winter, giving the Formula One teams a chance to test new chassis and suspension systems prior to the upcoming European season. The only difference was that the engine capacity was limited to 2.5 litres, as opposed to the Formula One limit of 3 litres. As a young motor…

It was early March when the sixth annual model a day was held in Oratia in West Auckland. Hosted by Chris Hornblow and Shane Adlington this great day is a casual afternoon to celebrate all things Model A. Just on 50 Model A cars were in attendance including one Model T powered by Model A. The furtherest travelled was Kev Topham from Masterton with his Model A coupe which he drove all the way up within seven hours. The casual afternoon is a…

It was early March when the sixth annual model a day was held in Oratia in West Auckland. Hosted by Chris Hornblow and Shane Adlington this great day is a casual afternoon to celebrate all things Model A. Just on 50 Model A cars were in attendance including one Model T powered by Model A. The furtherest travelled was Kev Topham from Masterton with his Model A coupe which he drove all the way up within seven hours. The casual afternoon is a…

Back on the first weekend of February, a grand opportunity arose for me to display my Model A pickup at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona California, USA. This show is the ‘Grand Daddy’ of them all and attracts over 600 vehicles displayed indoors and over 1100 vehicles show up each day to be displayed outside. It has been a bucket list thing to attend all these great USA hot rod events with my own New Zealand built hot rod and the…

As life becomes more costly and complicated, we are always looking for simpler and more carefree times. Whether it’s an escape to the beach or taking on a new hobby or somehow reliving the past - we all seek more simplified times. Car guys are no exception and the two cars you see here are perfect examples of that. The automobile has a rich history of evolution and particular motorsport is even more glorified. The two cars shown here hark back…

A Covid delayed Repco Beach Hop went off with great success back in November at the cool Coromandel town of Whangamata. New Zealand's largest celebration of the 50's & 60's proves to be as popular as ever with people coming from all over New Zealand as well as other parts of the world. The nearly week long event kicks off on the Wednesday at Waihi, then onto Thames on the Thursday and then Onemana on the Friday. The main parade day in…

Passion and zest for life is all about goals and influences and living life to the max. With that we all have our heroes who we look up to or are influenced by. For me growing up in the world of hot rodding a whole world away from where it all began in the USA I had my share of influences locally in New Zealand but also internationally. One of those guys I looked up to was the late Gray Baskerville who was a writer and photographer for the…

A welcome return to the rodding calendar in October was the Trouble Bound Side Show supporting West Auckland Hospice. Brilliant weather gave a taste of the summer season on its way and the no location filled to capacity. This year the Glenora Rugby League Club in Glen Eden was the perfect new venue for this ever-popular West Auckland show. "We tripled the size of the venue and it looks like we tripled the turnout", said Shane Adlington of…

The New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA) recently celebrated a Covid delayed 60th anniversary. For two weeks during September the "Diamond Cruise" traveled from one end of New Zealand to the other stopping at hot rod clubs and shops all over the country. Those who attended said it was an unreal journey as the cruise zig zagged its way across the country starting in Bluff and concluding in Cape Reinga. Just over 20 hot rods, classics and…

For further information or dinner ticket bookings, please do not hesitate to email Gary Bogaart at meremeredragway@xtra.co.nz - Saturday night’s formal dinner is ONLY $55 per head. There will be no door sales for Saturday night and it is limited to 200 people, so get in quick. There will be more information to follow. Back in 1973 a significant milestone was reached when Champion Dragway opened at Meremere. Over the years, many milestones…

It was the holy grail to visit the El Mirage Dry Lake with Project 29. This has been the location for land speed racing in California for over 60 years. Hot rodding for me is all about the history and heritage and how that inspires us moving forward. Living all my life a whole world away from the USA motherland of hot rodding in Auckland, New Zealand my influences and inspiration first came from my dad and his rodding buddies. Wherever he…

Back in April, my work horse Chev pickup blew the transmission so my daily driver for just on three weeks was my 1929 Ford Model A tudor. In an era where we are now been forced into electric cars, watch emissions and climate change, it truly was a case of turning back time as I used the old Model A each day. Car enthusiasts in particular always have a hankering for the past and the nostalgia around it and the desire to own an all original non…

Mid May was the third attempt (due to Covid restrictions) that the Hot Rods and Horsepower Show at the Indian Hall went ahead and to say it was a success would be an understatement. Hosted by the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club and Napa Auto Parts Dragway, the show boasted an incredible array of diverse vehicles and the public loved it. Saturday also featured a swap meet outside and the numbers through the gate was staggering. People want to make the…

It all started with a mad passion for an old Ducati. To be honest it was almost in a box of bits. Unloved, forgotten and abused. Tossed in a corner with nothing even shiny to catch the eye of a wandering magpie. “What the heck is that you’ve found?” I asked Derek (Derek Price – Performance Transmissions, Pukekohe), who by notoriety is an extreme perfectionist when it comes to saving mechanical beings. He replied “It’s some oldish Ducati air…