The ex-Gerhard Berger V12-powered Ferrari 412T is back for a second year and is a guest in a field that includes several cars significant in Ganley's career.
These include the unique Maki Cosworth DFV, which Ganley demonstrated recently at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
It'll be joined by the V12-powered BRM P180 he drove in the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix.
The unique Stanley 1977 BRM P207 will run with another V12-powered car, as well as the 1974 BRM P201 which ran at the festival three years ago.
"These cars have a sensational presence and stop everyone in their tracks. Everyone was talking about it after our last festival and we have pulled out all the stops to try and build on that and give our spectators what they want," said chairman Jim Barclay. "Those spectators gave us resounding thumbs up to another F1 session in a survey we carried out so we have worked hard to put it together.
"Along with a huge field of thundering Formula 5000s, a few CanAms and a massive field of historic muscle cars including eight from Australia, the event is shaping up to be a jaw-dropping spectacle for New Zealand car fans."
The BRM P180 was developed by Tony Southgate to replace the BRM P160 cars. The P180 was lower than the P160 and had a streamlined cockpit fairing that allowed just enough space for the driver. The rearview mirrors were inside the fairing and the car was distinctive in having a small slot in the fairing for the steering wheel to protrude. This allowed the hands some space for movement when turning a corner.
Unfortunately the P180 was not as fast as the P160 in a straight line.
As well as driving this car in the Monaco GP in May 1972, Ganley drove it in practice for the Rothmans 50,000 race at Brands Hatch in August 1972 and in practice for the Canadian GP in September 1972.
The car is now owned by Robs Lamplough, a British collector and driver of historic cars and historic aircraft.
Lamplough drove it in a Historic Grand Prix car race at the Singapore F1 meeting in September and, with encouragement from Ganley, agreed to bring it to New Zealand for the Gulf Oil Howden Ganley F5000 Festival.
A bonus will be the North Island debut of two Arrows A3X cars, built by Tom Walkinshaw's team in the early 2000s. Both Cosworth-powered cars are three-seater F1 cars. The fuel tank has been reduced and two seats added alongside and behind the driver. Both will take turns during the day with F5000 ace Andy Higgins at the wheel.
The ex-Denny Hulme 1973 McLaren M23, now owned by Sir Colin Giltrap, will also be present.
Kiwi racing dream came true
Howden Ganley was born and raised in Hamilton and decided early in life that he wanted to be a racing driver. He began his career in New Zealand but quickly realised that to get a leg up the international racing ladder, he'd have to head to Europe.
Bruce McLaren was already in the UK; Ganley was soon working for the flying Kiwi.
McLaren put him into an F5000 car and, after finishing second to fellow McLaren M10B driver Peter Gethin in the 1970 European Formula 5000 championship, Ganley was offered a Formula One drive with BRM.
Ganley was named 1971's best newcomer with a top finish of fifth; in 1972, again with BRM, his best finish was fourth.
By 1973 Ganley had moved to Frank Williams' new Iso-Marlboro team, but the car was uncompetitive and he moved to March in 1974. His F1 career ended after a spectacular accident in the Japanese-built Maki practising for the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring that year.
He went into partnership with another Grand Prix driver, Tim Schenken, to form the Tiga racing business but sold out in 1987 and went into business outside racing. He was secretary of the British Racing Drivers Club before moving to the US. He's now 72.
