Classic Cars

If you need a car for your daily commute then this 1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport will be perfect for you...if your commute involves war zones, mountains or boulder strewn muddy fields. It will also be perfect for the school run if the school is located on top of a mountain with no road access. This classic example in Sport trim is being auctioned next week now. Read on...

Mazda’s MX5 has been with us for 37 years now, and the current generation, the ND, is still in production after 11 years. But we don’t get bored of it because it’s so good. It is still nearly as small and light as the first generation NA, but with more safety and a bit more tech. And crucially, it’s pretty good on petrol too. This one owner, NZ new RF LTD edition could be yours today. Read on...

Every dog has its day, which is usually preceded by a spell in the wilderness. At its lowest point in the 80s the Valiant, along with many other big Aussie cars of the 70s, was on the skids. They were a relic of the past, driven only by young mulleted bogans who bought them cheap and drove them hard. Needless to say good ones, like this one, are now highly sought after. Read on...

The Porsche Cayman gets its name from a small alligator that will bite your face off given half a chance. It’s also the name of rubber clog style footwear made by Crocs. Don’t get them mixed up. One is functional, comfortable and fun and the other is footwear. Slip your feet into this one. Read on...

The Jaguar F-Type was meant to be Jaguar’s spiritual successor to the E-Type, one of the greatest looking cars in history. And I think it’s fair to say they succeeded in creating the best looking Jag since the E-Type. But this car, like the E-Type, is more than just a pretty face, and at this sort of money ($34500-$35500) it’s a very tempting proposition. Read on...

Honda may have a reputation for middle of the road cars for retirees but they also have a fast side and some of these fast models are destined for greatness. There’s the NSX, the S2000 and, of course, the Civic and Integra Type Rs. This Civic Type R FN2 was a bit unloved in its day, but it was the last normally aspirated Type R and it’s still the cheapest to buy today. Read on...

Is it a Jaguar or is it a Daimler, and would it matter if a get-away driver turned up to a bank job in the Daimler instead of the bank robbers’ favourite, the lookalike Jag Mk2? After all, to the untrained eye the Daimler 250 V8 looks the same as a Jaguar Mk2. However, while the visual differences are subtle, it’s what’s under the bonnet that really sets them apart. Read on...

In its day this generation of BMW X3 was criticized for having a harsh ride, poor offroad ability, cheap interior materials and lacking in the looks department. However, in the intervening 25+ years the SUV has become an unbelievably popular class of car. Maybe the X3 was misunderstood at the time. Did reviewers focus too much on mudplugging credentials and drive quality? Probably. And the original X3 looks quite handsome today compared to many of its modern counterparts. So is the old X3 worth buying today, and is it a future classic? Read on...

The photos might make this Honda N-WGN look like a fairly normal sized hatchback. But it’s anything but. You see the N-WGN is a Kei car - a Japanese class of car that must fit a tight set of dimensions – which makes a Suzuki Swift seem like a Hummer in comparison. These cars are very rare on our roads but are hugely popular in Japan. In fact the N-WGN’s sibling, the N-Box, is the best selling car in Japan. It’s tiny, cheap to run and can fit 4 passengers in comfort. So why don’t they sell in NZ? Is it because it’s not a Ute or an SUV? Read on...