December

Remember when cars didn’t have touch screens, menus, complicated drive trains and endless tech? This Suzuki Alto has none of that. Sure it’s slow, yes it’s basic. And true, safety wasn’t a big consideration. But if you’re not in a hurry, like the idea of servicing your own car and consider a car perfectly safe if it hasn’t crashed after 31 years of trundling around NZ roads, then this car is for you. Read on...

So, despite the high price of petrol, you still want a V8 Commodore from the 90s. But not some loud sporty version, but rather a luxury version. Well there is such a car in the shape of the HSV Senator and Turners Timaru has one up for auction. Read on...

I watched a YouTube video the other day about the new Jaguar Type 01, a car over 5 metres long, 2 metres wide and weighing nearly 3 tonnes. And yet the interior space was cramped and luggage space minimal. A comment under the video read “It will be bought by the sort of person you hope never to meet”. The Suzuki Hustler is the polar opposite of the Jag – small, but roomy, and likely to be driven by someone you’d actually like to meet. And at a fraction of the cost. Read on...

When the Bentley Continental Flying Spur was launched just over 20 years ago it was the fastest, most powerful production saloon car in the world. It has a W12 engine that produces 552hp and a 0-100kph time of 4.9 seconds. But the big Bentley is not the sort of car you drag race Nissan Skylines from the traffic lights. No, the Flying Spur is a show of absolute power. Big boss power. Although now you can buy this 2009 example for Camry money. Read on...

Fiat’s modern take on the original 500 is a cute little commuter car, in the image of its granddad. But there’s also a fast Abarth version and despite its spritely performance, modern tech and safety features it is also cheaper than buying its Granddad. This 2014 500c Esseesse convertible, with its 118kw turbocharged 1.4L engine, reading just 75800km, has a price of just $13995. That’s a fraction of what you’d have to pay for a 60s example, if you could find one. Read on...

It might seem like the very opposite of what would be considered rock and roll, but the humble Toyota Previa of the nineties has credentials. Thirty years ago if you were a band, either local or sometimes international, touring NZ or Australia you were likely to do it in a rented Previa, or Tarago as it was known across the ditch. Before the Previa you probably hit the road in a Hiace with uncomfortable bench seats and no stereo or AC. They’re still pretty good today. Read on...

It’s considered by many to be peak BMW 3 series and in its day the E46 was highly regarded. With the E30 well and truly in classic territory, with prices to match, maybe the E46 will be the next classic 3 series, especially if it has a big 6 under the bonnet. Like this Kiwi new 330ci cabriolet with a tempting price. Read on...

The Mitsubishi GTO competed with such giants as the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Toyota Supra and even the Honda NSX but with even more tech. The GTO (or GT3000 for the world outside of Japan) came with active aero, electronically adjustable suspension, AWD and 4-wheel steering. It was powerful and fast, but all the tech made it heavy and sometimes unreliable. Today the GTO looks like a bargain compared to its contemporaries. So should you buy this one? Read on...

Everyone knows the R32 Nissan Skyline of the early 90s, especially the giant killing GT-R that now commands giant money. But before that there were seven generations of Skyline and this is from the seventh generation known as, you guessed it, the R31. This Aussie built luxury Ti spec example was sold new in NZ in 1989. It has the 3 litre RB30 engine - that also found its way into the Holden VL Commodore - and a 5 speed manual gearbox. This survivor is coming up for auction in Timaru next week. Read on...