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328th issue and past issues

TIME CAPSULE

With fewer than 120 miles on the clock — yes, 120 miles — this incredible time capsule must surely be the best lowest-mileage 1958 Studebaker Champion in existence. Once a honeymoon gift for the first owner’s wife-to-be, the car was locked away for the next 26 years in completely original, as new, condition. The current owner purchased the car in July 2016. It then had just 74.6 miles on the clock, and every subsequent mile has a story. This extremely original Studebaker won the coveted Survivors Class competition at this year’s Ellerslie Classic Car Show, having been disqualified from last year’s event for not displaying a current WOF or registration. The history of this truly unique vehicle is just as incredible as the car itself.

TRIUMPHANT TRS

Triumph’s TR2 had the distinction of being the least expensive 100mph British car in 1953, and the essentially similar TR3 that followed was the first British series production car to have disc brakes. What’s more, as a direct result of the TR2, the Standard-triumph company decided that all its future cars would be badged ‘Triumph’, dropping the ‘Standard’ nomenclature. Triumph TR2S and TR3S made quite an impact when they arrived in New Zealand — and still do, as Donn Anderson discovered while researching this unique-looking sports car.

VICTORIA COUPE

Ford created a big impression in the US motor industry in 1954 when it launched its new model. The distinctive round lines of the 1949–1951 cars had gone, with Ford introducing a totally new shape for the 1952–1953 model year, with large areas of glass and one-piece curved windscreens. For 1954, Ford used largely the same conservative body style but with upgraded trim and the grille featuring the now-familiar central bullet and round sidelights. Many of these styling features turned up on numerous Ford models worldwide through to the 1970s. Quinton checks out an impressive 1954 Victoria coupé with just a few period modifications.