Good oil: Leading the charge to start the bidding

A fully restored E38 R/T Bathurst Charger is expected to fetch at least $100,000 when auctioned at the Sydney motor show in November. Finished in trademark vitamin C orange with black stripes, the iconic Australian supercar is owned by former Australian motorcycle champion Charles Edwards, who bought it new in 1971 and raced it until the mid-70s. The two-door E38 Charger came with a 4.3-litre six-cylinder engine putting out 208kW (280bhp), mated to a three-speed gearbox. The Charger dominated racing in New Zealand about the same time, mostly in the hands of Leo Leonard and Jim Little.

NZ perspective on little favourite

Radio NZ journalist Todd Niall is putting together a book on the New Zealand history of the Fiat 500, the Bambina, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. He's looking for information. "We did some interesting things with the Bambina here," Niall says. "We sent one to Antarctica, and ran them in six-hour saloon car races - there must be yarns and photos hiding out there in shoeboxes that will help tell the Kiwi story." The Fiat 500 was assembled at the Motor Industries Otahuhu plant from 1961. You can email Niall at nz500@paradise.net.nz or phone him on (09) 412 9624.

Motoring world busy with launches

Last week was one of the busiest on the motoring calendar with the launch of the Toyota Camry in Palmerston North, Honda Legend in Rotorua, Audi Q7 at Mt Hutt and the Lotus event in Australia. Flew to Sydney on Tuesday morning, lunch with Ferrari Australia boss Kevin Wall at Oliveto, a wonderful Italian eatery near Sydney Football Stadium, 3.40pm Qantas shuttle to Canberra, 50-minute drive in ageing Mitsubishi to Lotus launch at Goulburn, dinner, bed and breakfast at 160-year-old Mandelsons Hotel, once a watering hole for cattlemen, now a crackerjack boutique pub, 110km drive in Exige S on good and bad roads around Goulburn, two hours in the car on the Wakefield race track, courtesy car back to Canberra for flight to Sydney and on to Auckland, touching down at 12am Friday. Next week it's new offerings from BMW and Peugeot.

High-end sales in good shape

If sales of high-end nameplates like Porsche and Ferrari are a barometer, the New Zealand and Australian economies remain in good shape. Ferrari sales in Australia are up 106 per cent on last year, says Ferrari's Kevin Wall. Some buyers have two of the same, one set up for the track, the other for day-to-day use. Porsche sales in NZ are similar to last year, despite a slower overall market. Ferrari, which does nothing like Porsche numbers in any market, says sales are slightly up on last year.