KIWI SUCCESS STORY
NEW ZEALAND CLASSIC CAR MAGAZINE
CELEBRATES ITS 200TH ISSUE
In late 1990 Greg Vincent, armed with a small local business grant, poured his heart and soul into founding a home-grown
magazine catering to the needs of Kiwi classic car enthusiasts. After months of travelling around New Zealand seeking
support for the new endeavour, the first issue (January 1991) of NZ Classic Car Directory hit the newsstands on December
5th 1990.
The magazine scored a bulls-eye from the start, quickly collecting a strong readership of Kiwi classic car enthusiasts,
all of whom had previously been reliant on overseas titles.
In the following months the new publication went from strength to strength, offering readers an opportunity to read
about locally owned classic cars and giving local car restoration specialists a unique opportunity to advertise their
services.
NZ Classic Car Directory became the heart of New Zealand’s classic car community, with car clubs, classic motorsport
organisers and parts specialists using its pages to keep readers up-to-date with happenings within New Zealand’s classic
motoring world, from upcoming events and race meetings to special discounts on rare and hard to find parts.
Since its launch in 1991 the magazine (since renamed NZ Classic Car) has remained a key part of New Zealand’s classic
car community, featuring hundreds of locally owned and restored cars – from humble Austins, Hillmans and Chevs, right up
to exotic Ferraris, Dodge Vipers and Aston Martins.
Another constant aspect of NZ Classic Car has been its unswerving pursuit of genuinely Kiwi stories. Over the years the
magazine has featured many local motoring personalities, from the well known (Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren, Burt Munro) to
the less well known (Ross Jensen, Robbie Francevic, Bert Hawthorn). The magazine’s features about such local
personalities have proved immensely successful with readers. In many cases the features represent the first time these
stories have ever been told; this is a crucial aspect of NZ Classic Car: its drive to preserve local motoring history.
NZ Classic Car would also become the foundation upon which Greg Vincent would build Parkside Media – now New Zealand’s
largest independently owned magazine publisher – and establish a stable of locally produced magazines, including two
other enthusiast motoring titles, NZ Performance Car and NZV8. NZ Performance Car is now also a television show
screening on TV1, TV2 and Sky Sport channels.
After editing the first 100 issues, Vincent relinquished control of NZ Classic Car to current editor Allan Walton, but
Greg’s vision for the magazine to offer help, advice and a central collecting house for local classic car enthusiasts is
still evident.
Parkside Media is proud to announce the 200th issue of NZ Classic Car, on sale July 30, an event that marks an important
milestone for classic car enthusiasts throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand.
ENDS