Driver Jonny Reid and the "Black Beauty" racer will be reunited with Taupō Motorsport Park nearly two decades after putting NZ motorsport on the world stage in the "World Cup of Motorsport". Photo / Supplied
Driver Jonny Reid and the "Black Beauty" racer will be reunited with Taupō Motorsport Park nearly two decades after putting NZ motorsport on the world stage in the "World Cup of Motorsport". Photo / Supplied
A1 Team New Zealand’s iconic “Black Beauty” will return to the track for the first time in nearly two decades.
Organisers say the restored A1GP car will headline the Giltrap Group Historic GP at Taupō Motorsport Park from January 16–18.
To be driven by originalstar driver Jonny Reid, the restored A1GP racer would complete demonstration laps across the weekend on the same circuit where it captured the hearts and minds of New Zealand racing fans during the A1GP era in the mid-2000s.
It’s set to be a highlight amidst a weekend of key moments that would help celebrate the Giltrap Group’s 60th Anniversary this year.
The restored car was recently unveiled in public for the first time at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Reid reunited with a car that stands as one of the more significant in New Zealand’s motorsport history.
Famous A1GP Team New Zealand racer Jonny Rei will complete demo laps at the Giltrap Group Taupō Historic GP event this January. Photo / Supplied
“I look at it today and I can’t even fathom that it was 20 years ago,” Reid said in a recent video produced by the Giltrap Group, documenting Black Beauty’s resurrection, Reid said.
“The car doesn’t look 20 years old, it’s such a timeless car and I’m just really looking forward to getting back in and sliding it around.”
Reid said he can’t wait for the next time he drives the car again.
“It’s like we have a bond.”
A1 Team New Zealand enjoyed four successful seasons in what was dubbed the “World Cup of Motorsport”, including finishing runners-up in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, with Matt Halliday and Jonny Reid sharing the driving duties.
The team won six races and scored 19 podium finishes across its remarkable, if brief, history.
Highlights included starring performances at the pair of A1 Grand Prix of Nations events held at a then newly renovated Taupō Motorsport Park in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
With Reid behind the wheel, Black Beauty finished third in the Sprint and Feature races in the 2007 event.
In 2008, Reid went better; Black Beauty qualifying on pole and going on to win the Sprint Race ahead of Germany and France in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
As well as its on-track results, the car further entered the public consciousness via key publicity events, including driving across the Auckland Harbour Bridge and racing an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 at Auckland International Airport.
Black Beauty’s return to Taupō Motorsport Park is expected to be a highlight of the Giltrap Group Taupō Historic GP in January with an incredible array of classic cars and star drivers in action across the weekend.
Jonny Reid and A1 Team New Zealand take the checkered flag to win the Sprint race in Taupō in January 2008. Photo / Andrew Cornaga/PHOTOSPORT
The event celebrates the rich history of motorsport with an international line-up of Formula Atlantics joining their New Zealand counterparts for intense on-track action and captivating off-track displays.
A standalone race field dedicated to these iconic cars will see fierce competition for the coveted 2026 Historic GP title.
Alongside the Formula Atlantics, fans can enjoy historic categories such as HVRA Saloons, Arrow Wheels Heritage Touring Cars NZ, Classic Saloons, and Euro Class, while the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy nods to the future stars of motorsport.
The packed weekend includes show and shines, demonstration laps, engaging displays, and the fan-favourite Grid Walk.
