Ignition Magazine New Zealand | April 2023

Classic Ride: CITROËN

2CV

DOES MONEY BUY HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS?

Our State of the Nation findings might surprise you...

SHOOTING STARS

Rising Stars winner's journey to the V8 Supercars.

David Fraser Group CEO

CEO’s message

Find yourself a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. So, the old saying goes, at least. But is it true?

If we take it literally, then obviously not. Even the most enthusiastic business owner or technician has their bad days, when all we want to do is turn on the answering machine, put up a “gone fishing” sign, and lock the door behind us. But when it comes to Capricorn Members, there’s certainly some truth in the sentiment.

We know from our 2022 State of the Nation Report that 31% of Members say they are moderately happy in their career, 46% say they’re very happy, and 16% say they’re extremely happy. Another 5% said they were a little bit happy, leaving just 2% who said they weren’t happy at all.

What made them happy? The top answer, with more than a third of all respondents (at 36%), was “I love what I do”. There were a range of other answers, all around the eight to 10% mark, including having a great working environment (staff or customers), liking being a business owner, there being plenty of work around and the job providing for a good lifestyle. Of those who answered, “I love what I do”, more than half (53%) had also answered that they were either very or extremely happy.

So, there’s certainly a strong correlation between loving your job and happiness in your career. But where does making money come into it? And what about perceptions of success? In this month’s Ignition we dive a lot deeper into the interplay of happiness and success. Don’t miss our special report on that.

Also in this month’s magazine, we catch up with the 2020 Capricorn Rising Star winner, Gab Clift, who is enjoying tremendous success in her career. Nominations for the 2023 Rising Star competition are open until 30 April 2023. If you have an apprentice who has a fantastic attitude, great character and a passion for the industry, please nominate them. Passionate young people who love what they do are the future of our industry, and recognising their talents early can be life-changing, as it has been for Gab.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that, even if we love what we do, we all have bad days. Sometimes we have bad weeks or even bad months. Taking time off, getting away from the business and putting that “gone fishing” sign on the door, can be a great circuit breaker—providing time to recharge the batteries, find perspective, and prioritise life over work. Hopefully, we can all enjoy a bit of that over the Easter long weekend and return to work happy and refreshed.

David Fraser Group CEO

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liability to you or any other person for any loss or damage whatsoever connected with:

reliance on any material in Ignition; or

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INTRODUCING ezi-parts

2.0

A better way to find and quote parts online

That’s why we’re excited to announce a major overhaul of CAP ezi-parts* – our online parts finding and quoting tool. While the fundamentals of the system remain the same, the new-look CAP eziparts has been designed to make things quicker, easier and more efficient for everyone involved.

The parts request and quoting process can now be managed through a single, easy-to-use online platform. That means no more sifting through emails and/or needing to jump on the phone. We’ve also added a bunch of exciting features including customised filtering and in-platform direct messaging.

Parts are the lifeblood of the automotive aftermarket industry. At Capricorn, we understand this and have been working hard to make it easier for our Members and Preferred Suppliers to work together when it comes to sourcing and supplying parts.

In short, this means that you’ll be able to spend less effort sourcing or quoting parts and more time working on other areas of your business (or enjoying more time for yourself). It’s just one of the many ways we’re continuing to improve and make your business stronger with Capricorn.

So, if you’ve been using CAP ezi-parts, you can look forward to an improved experience moving forward. If you haven’t tried it yet, why not make your life easier by giving it a go?

*Terms and conditions for CAP ezi-parts can be found at cap.coop/tc

Looking to contribute to the automotive industry?

Become a Capricorn Director

Capricorn is looking for energetic and passionate Members to join our board of directors. Capricorn is a Member-based organisation and Member representation on the board helps ensure Members’ interests are safeguarded. Member directors use their skills, knowledge and expertise in the industry to help ensure Capricorn is delivering for Members, reflecting Members’ interests and living up to Capricorn’s promises and values.

Are you looking for personal growth and your next challenge?

Do you want to use your experience and industry knowledge to give back to the automotive industry?

Would you like to be part of the team that helps shape the future of Capricorn?

If you answered YES to those questions, then becoming a Capricorn Director could be the right fit for you.

Every year Capricorn holds elections for a Member-elected director in at least one zone. Being a candidate in your zone’s elections helps ensure Capricorn remains a vibrant and healthy cooperative.

We are inviting Members from all zones to participate in our Question-andAnswer Session and Mini-Governance Course. Both events will be hosted virtually throughout April and May at no cost to Members.

Registrations for both events will open soon. Please keep an eye out on our communications channels for more information or visit cap.coop/elections.

Question-and-Answer Session

Designed to give Capricorn Members an insight into the life of a Capricorn Director, we will be hosting a 30-minute Question-and-Answer session with current Member Directors Lydia Stjepanovic and Peter Stewart. Lydia and Peter will discuss how they became a director, and how they have found the experience.

Mini-Governance Course

In 2023 we will also be hosting a MiniGovernance Course, with a target audience of Members who want to learn more about the role of the board, the requirements to be a director, and to understand what it would entail to join a board like Capricorn's. A lively presentation style, with real life anecdotes from one of the most experienced governance trainers in the business, will ensure that you'll stay fully engaged and gain the maximum value from the program.

2023 NZ Director Election

In 2023, Members from the New Zealand (NZ) zone are encouraged to nominate themselves for the director election there.

For Members interested in nominating, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

Be a Member in the NZ zone. Hold 2,000 or more shares in Capricorn.

Be involved in a trading automotive or allied business in your zone and hold a Designation Ownership Interest in that business (see clause 15.10 of the Capricorn constitution for an explanation).

Demonstrate a high level of commitment to Capricorn based on purchases using your Capricorn Trade Account.

Be of good standing, both within Capricorn and the wider community.

Not be a wholesale supplier to any automotive or allied business.

Not have any actual or potential conflict of interest that will create a material risk to the board or your capacity to properly perform your duties.

Invitations for nominations will be emailed to eligible NZ Members no later than Tuesday 20 April 2023. To provide more information to those Members who are considering standing as a candidate in the 2023 Director Elections, Capricorn will at the same time provide a candidate information pack. The candidate information pack will provide details about what is involved in being a Capricorn Director and the process for the 2023 Director Elections. Applications will close on Monday 22 May 2023.

If you have any questions, please email sarah.chamberlain@capricorn.coop

* Shares are issued by Capricorn Society Limited (ACN 008 347 313). No offer of shares is made in this publication. An offer of shares will only be made in, or accompanied by, Capricorn’s Prospectus and any supplementary prospectus which is available on request or may be viewed at capricorn. coop under “Corporate Documents.” Before making any decision to apply for shares you should consider the Prospectus and any supplementary prospectus. Any application for shares must be made on the application form in or accompanying the Prospectus.

Q&A SESSION WITH Lydia Stjepanovic, NSW/ACT Director

Peter Stewart, SA/NT Director

How to BUILD a HAPPY workplace CULTURE

If someone told you how to get 13% more productivity out of your existing workforce, you’d listen, right? What if they told you all it took was making sure your employees felt happy?

That’s what a team of researchers from Oxford University found in 2019. Their results back up the findings of a 2015 study from Warwick University, also in the UK, which put the productivity dividend of happiness around 12%. These may even be conservative figures. In his internationally bestselling book The Happiness Advantage, author Shawn Achor claims a decade of research proves, “happiness raises sales by 37%, productivity by 31% and accuracy on tasks by 19%”. He also points out there are myriad health and quality of life improvements.

Shawn’s TED Talk, “The Happy Secret to Better Work”, has had more than 25 million views, so a lot of people want to learn from his insights. But even if the reality is closer to Oxford University’s results, it’s a brave business owner who ignores the potential positive impacts of happiness on the workplace—particularly when the industry is struggling with an ongoing labour shortage and employees always have the option to move on.

So, how do you make sure your workshop is a happy workplace? It starts with creating a positive culture. In State of the Nation in 2021, we took a deep dive into what Members were doing to create a positive workplace culture. Here’s what you told us.

Ways of promoting a positive culture

Hospitality Managerial Financial

Figure 1: Ways of promoting a positive culture from the State of the Nation 2021 report.

These are all excellent ways to create a positive workplace culture and a great starting point to build your happiness dividend. Now, let’s dive a little deeper—because there’s a lot more to happiness than free pizza on Fridays.

It starts with values

Providing leadership on your values, setting and clearly communicating expectations and boundaries, and being a role model for the behaviour, standards and values you want to see in your staff are always the place to start if you need to turn around a negative culture. Communicate this positively. Get the team onboard.

Hire for the culture you want to create

When bringing anyone new into the business, make sure they share the values of the business and the culture you’re creating. Onboard them properly, ensuring they are clear on your values and making sure they feel welcome. Do not leave someone to “sink or swim” and expect them to be a happy and positive influence on everyone around them.

Foster workplace friendships

Research from the pollster Gallup, reported in Harvard Business Review, found that employees who work with people they consider friends are 50% more satisfied with their jobs. Those who work with their best friend are, “seven times more likely to engage fully in their work”. If you have the right workplace culture in place, that’s a winning formula. If you’re recruiting new staff, ask your team if they have a good mate they can recommend. Arrange activities and events for the team to do together.

Aim for excellence

There’s an old saying that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept. Demanding health and safety regulations are followed, insisting on a clean and tidy workshop, providing clean uniforms for staff, encouraging employees to report hazards, investing in the right tools and equipment and clamping down on unacceptable behaviour all demonstrate you’re serious about being a great place to work and you care about your team.

Have open communication channels

Open communication between staff and management is vital, lest grumbles fester and problems go unsolved. Unresolved issues can be a massive productivity killer. Encourage your team to come to you with ideas and questions, be patient, listen carefully, and make improvements. Similarly, trust them with information about how the business is going, what your goals are for the month, the quarter, the year. Incentivise them to help you meet your targets.

A little praise goes a long way

Recognise good work. Let employees see that you’ve noticed a job well done. Thank them, encourage them and praise them in front of the rest of the team. While grand gestures are good, like an “employee of the month” award, don’t underestimate the value of regular, consistent, small words of praise or thanks in the moment. “You did a great job on that Hilux today,” might be enough to send your apprentice home with a spring in their step, and have them bounce into the workshop the next morning.

Build your team’s skills

Providing training to your team is an absolute win-win. When you invest in training for an employee, you might think you’re investing in your business and future productivity, but your employee sees that you’re investing in their skills and education, and that tells them that you value them and want them to stick around. Pro-tip: Ask your team members what training they’d like to do. This can generate a lot of enthusiasm. Talk openly with staff about their career goals and offer them pathways towards them.

Don’t micromanage

Riding an employee hard can be very demotivating for them and it’s a massive productivity suck for both you and them. Encouraging them by giving them more responsibility shows you trust them and value their skills and judgement, which can improve their general happiness. Encourage them to ask questions where they’re unsure and be patient in your replies. Offer more training where an employee is really struggling.

Give them a stake in the outcome

Consider whether you’re in a position to give your employees a bit of “skin in the game”, perhaps through bonuses if certain performance levels for the whole business are met. If you’re nearing retirement, perhaps you have a team member who you could bring into a management or leadership role, with a view to them buying you out in five or ten years’ time.

Provide flexible working arrangements

Employees are increasingly demanding flexible working arrangements. That’s all well and good for office workers, but technicians can’t log in from home, which can make flexibility harder to accommodate. Look for ways to be creative. Can an employee open up in the morning in order to knock off in time to do the school run? Can they hang back one day a week to close so they can take Friday mornings off for their kids’ assembly? You want a good work-life balance, and so do your employees. In a very competitive labour market, being flexible is a real winner.

Customer expectations for the servicing of EVs

Yet a study by Capricorn of European markets, where EVs are at much higher levels of adoption than at home in Australia and New Zealand, shows workshops are going to have to change their customer service model, as well as their business model to attract and retain customers in the brave new world of the electric aftermarket. If you’re planning on still running a workshop beyond the end of this decade, the insights in this article are for you.

First, a little about the study. In September 2022, a small team from Capricorn toured the UK, Norway and Sweden—three markets at different stages of EV adoption. For example, more than 80% of new car sales in Norway in 2021 (and it’s more than 90% now) are EVs, and 20% of all cars on the road are EVs, which makes it an excellent case study for what we can expect closer to home as EV adoption increases. The Capricorn team visited a wide range of organisations including vehicle manufacturers, workshops, consulting firms, and OEM-branded dealers, and reported a wide range of findings, including some fascinating insights into customer service expectations in the EV aftermarket.

The team, including Capricorn General Manager of Innovation and Corporate Development Kim Radalj, found many areas of servicing are set to change. While body and tyre shops will experience fewer changes, mechanical workshops will experience huge amounts of change. Thirty to fifty per cent of the service tasks currently undertaken will no longer exist. At some point in the coming years, your workshop will perform its last oil change—although we’re not quite there yet. Given oil changes are a main trigger for service intervals and a source of profit for workshops, many workshop owners will be wondering where their profits will come from.

How to keep customers happy during the transition to electric vehicles.

The transition to electric vehicles is set to shake up almost everything about running a business in the automotive aftermarket.

While a lot of the focus to date has been around the investments in equipment and workshop training, very little of the conversation has been centred on the expectations of our customers.

The good news is OEMs are still suggesting annual services. While the evidence is that some motorists are questioning the value of these, some OEMs are providing highly itemised service schedules to encourage servicing.

What will a service look like? Dehumidifiers, cabin filters, wiper blades, washer fluids, air conditioning systems, air pumps and battery cell maintenance are all likely to be key. Even tyre shops may be affected, as high torque from electric motors is wearing through rubber compounds, meaning tyres are being replaced with higher frequency—although tyre manufacturers will be developing new compounds to combat this.

But what did the study tour team learn about customer behaviour from the European experience?

Firstly, EVs are quicker to service, which means workshops will have to adjust to a “higher churn” model of operation, getting vehicles in and out quickly, rather than having customers drop them off at the start of the day and pick them up at the end. Most workshops simply will not have the forecourt or car park space to hold all the vehicles they’ll be able to service in a single day.

Consequently, customers are more likely to be hanging around the workshop while their vehicle is serviced, so keeping customers happy is likely to involve providing facilities for them to amuse themselves, like a lounge space with wi-fi and perhaps even a coffee machine, rather than a small and potentially unloved or forgotten waiting area by reception.

Secondly, when customers get their EV serviced, they expect the workshop to return the vehicle with a fully charged battery. This is a fundamental shift—customers don’t expect you to fill up their fuel tank for free. As a result, charging can create additional congestion while batteries are charged. In Norway, many workshops are investing in charging infrastructure on the apron

and in adjoining car parks. This sounds expensive, but installation only becomes really costly when installing fast or ultra-fast chargers that require upgrades to local networks.

Everything about the transition to EVs is a learningas-we-go experience. Perth-based customer service expert Chris Smoje, author of All-In Culture, said the key to keeping customers happy through a potentially difficult transition was communication.

“You’ve got to go through things with the customer and be very humble,” he said. “Remember, they’re learning, too. As staff members we should not have the expectation that all of a sudden customers know what is needed.

“If the servicing times are shorter, a customer might say, ‘is that it? Are you sure you’re not missing anything?’ We’ve got to be very careful and take them on the journey as we transition to something new.

“If a customer asks you something you don’t know the answer to, you can always say, ‘that’s the first time I’ve been asked that, I’m learning as well. We’re going through this for the first time, too’.”

Chris said when it came to shifts like customers expecting fully charged batteries, it was important to be open-minded to change. If a customer gives feedback (for example, “I expected my car to be fully charged”), use that to inform and improve your customer service.

“Lean into the things the customer is saying,” he said. “If you are in tune with your customers and responsive to their needs, your business will evolve faster.”

He said market leaders, like Tesla, were likely to set customer expectations for the aftermarket to follow.

Improving workplace morale without breaking the bank

by Geoff Mutton

Staff shortages in the automotive industry are nothing new and as 2023 rolls on there are no signs of relief. The industry as a whole is extremely busy, and most workshops are booked out well in advance. In such a climate, managing and retaining existing staff is more important than ever.

While remuneration plays an important role in staff retention, studies continually show that workplace morale and happiness carry much more weight, especially among millennial employees.

What follows are some simple ideas for the creation of happy workplaces, without breaking the bank.

Praise and recognition

Feeling unappreciated is one of the main reasons people quit their jobs. Delivering impromptu praise for a job well done is highly recommended and so easy to do. But be consistent. If a team member deserves to be recognised for outstanding work, tell them immediately. If it can’t be done in person, send a private text message after hours to the staff member. The unexpectedness of the gesture gives it a greater impact.

Avoid micromanaging

This is a common flaw in the aftermarket workshop industry, a leftover from workshops’ early days, starting out as sole traders. As the business grows, technicians are added to the staff, but the owner, through habit, wants to be 100 per cent across all staff activity, on every job, every minute of the day. If employees feel they are constantly

on their boss’s radar, they are not going to perform the way they normally would, and resentment will soon follow. So start trusting your employees and let them do the job they were hired to do. No doubt they will get some things wrong, but over time these issues can generally be fixed with training and experience.

Physical working conditions

The days of grease monkeys in grotty workshops are over. Today’s working environment will dictate the level of workshop morale. To attract and retain the next generation of technicians, the whole workshop environment, including the office, lunchroom and staff amenities, must be clean and tidy. Heating and air conditioning are significant investments, but they make a huge difference to workshop morale during extreme weather conditions.

Invest in your team’s growth

Employees need to constantly grow in order to feel fulfilled. When employees feel stagnant, that’s when many start scrolling through the job ads. Training is also essential for survival in the industry, so training needs to be non-negotiable. Some staff may resist training but persevere and you will notice a spring in their step after the first session.

Give them challenges

Good technicians will look for a new job if they feel stagnant and unchallenged. Appreciating that servicing and simple mechanical repairs may constitute the majority of the workshop’s activity, there will always be a steady flow of more challenging work. Job satisfaction will improve if employees are challenged with different jobs from time to time. It’s a fact of human nature – a sense of satisfaction follows the completion of a different and challenging job.

Give staff a big hello

Workshops can be quite manic in the morning with cars lined up, and everyone wants a piece of the boss. It’s not uncommon for staff to be under the bonnet without having said “good morning” to their workmates. That’s not a great start to the day. As silly as it sounds, say good morning to everyone even if it is at 10am, after the morning rush.

Meaningful job perks

Job perks are those little unexpected surprises that staff will recognise as a thank you from the boss for doing good work. Perks come in many different shapes and sizes, and they need to be matched to the employees. Examples include fuel cards, use of workshop vehicles, Friday team

lunches, birthday dinners, in-house coffee machines, flexible work hours, 4-day work weeks, and group morning fitness sessions. The great thing with job perks is that they can be unique to your workshop, setting you apart from others.

Addressing workplace issues

Rifts happen. It is imperative that any issues are addressed ASAP. Doing nothing in the hope the problem goes away doesn’t work. If someone is extremely grumpy, or their work effort drops off, it’s usually an indication that something is bothering them. Sit down with them as soon as possible and sort it out.

Deal with disruptive employees

Staff shortages aside, a workshop cannot afford to allow a disruptive person to infiltrate an otherwise good team. Issues of inappropriate behaviour or poor performance need to be resolved quickly through the use of formal HR processes which may lead to termination in some cases. If you need to do so you should seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity to ensure that you don't allow these issues to progress and become more difficult to deal with.

In summary, while the money is important, being happy at work is worth a lot more and can usually be the best way to retain good staff. Invest the extra time to build a happy workplace and the benefits that follow will be genuine employee friendships, improved personal wellbeing and, for you, a healthier bottom line.

Does

MONEY success

Imagine a Venn diagram with three overlapping circles labelled “money”, “happiness” and “success”. Now take an imaginary pin and stick it in the spot you think best applies to you.

Where did you put it? Do you have it all and your pin is sitting right in the centre, where the three circles overlap? Are you missing one or two circles? Or are you standing there, holding your imaginary pin, unable to find anywhere to stick it?

In our regular landmark State of the Nation surveys, Capricorn asks our Members a variety of questions looking at all three of these “circles”. Taken together, the results provide a fascinating insight into the happiness/money/success Venn diagram of the automotive aftermarket in Australia and New Zealand. So, let’s ask the question: can money really buy happiness and success? And see what State of the Nation tells us.

Let’s start with money. The figures in the chart below represent the average annual turnover reported by Members, by business type. (“Other” includes agriculture, engine reconditioners, franchise dealerships and transmission workshops.)

Business Type

New Zealand

Figure 1: Average annual turnover reported by Members, by business type on the 2022 survey results for the State of the Nation 2022 report.

Does

buy and

Let’s add happiness into the mix. We asked Members how happy they we were in their career. Sixteen per cent said they were extremely happy, 46% were very happy, 31% were moderately happy, 5% were a little bit happy and the remaining 2% said they were not happy at all.

But were the people making lots of money any happier than those making less money? We took the turnover data and overlaid the happiness figures to get a feel for that overlapped slice of the Venn diagram. Here’s what we discovered. See Figure 2 below.

What we learned was that Members are relatively happy in their chosen careers, irrespective of how much money their businesses are bringing in.

When we asked Members why they were happy (or not), the top answer we got (36%) was, “I love what I do”. Ten per cent said the great business environment (for example, their staff and customers) was a factor, 9% said they liked being a business owner, 9% said there was plenty of work around and 8% said it afforded them a good lifestyle. Those who were less positive cited being tired and worn out, and having a lack of income. Having lots of work around (that is, being busy) appeared to be a key factor linked to happiness, irrespective of business size.

% Very & Extremely Happy

Extremely happy

Very happy

Moderately happy

A little happy

Not at all happy

Figure 2 : Happiness in your career from the Capricorn State of the Nation 2022 report.

Doing high-quality work

Being profitable / no financial stresses

Having a good work-life balance

Customers referring you

Earning the trust of customers

Having lots of repeat customers

Having a good workplace culture

Having loyal staff

Being able to pay yourself a steady wage

Owning your own premises

Being able to invest in new equipment & tech

Efficiently managing cash flow

Let’s bring in the last circle of our Venn diagram, success. You might consider that money represents external success and happiness represents internal success, and more of one will lead to more of the other, but that’s not always the case. We asked Members what success looks like to them. Here’s what you said. See Figure 3 above.

The answers to this question provide an enlightening insight into the perspectives of workshop owners. Taking pride in the kind of work we’re doing comes out ahead of profitability, while having a good work-life balance is very high on the list of success factors. But the most important factor determining success, when we look at the data in aggregate, is the strength of customer relationships. Almost nine in ten Members said success looked like referrals, earning trust, and having repeat customers.

This aligns completely with what Members told us when we asked them about the positives of working in the industry. Thirty-six per cent said, “making customers happy”. It was the top answer, ahead of the fun of problem-solving (30%), working on cars (15%) and meeting new people every day (13%).

This suggests that the secret to ensuring your imaginary pin pierces the success circle is finding ways to gain the trust of customers, and subsequently earn their referrals. However, the number one driver of feeling successful, even ahead of financial considerations, is doing work that makes you proud—which might also point to an opportunity to refocus a business if the owner isn’t feeling successful.

There were, of course, differences in the data depending on the size of the workshop in question. Having a good workplace culture and loyal staff was more important to perceptions of success in larger workshops (of more than five staff), while being able to pay yourself a steady wage was more important to views of success in smaller workshops (with one or two staff).

The good news is if your imaginary pin isn’t sitting bang in the centre of your imaginary Venn diagram, you can always do something about it. State of the Nation provides you with some insights and inspiration for what to do next.

If you’re not feeling happy enough, successful enough, or rich enough, ask yourself what changes you can make. Can you take more time off? Can you refocus the business on the kind of work you’d prefer to do? Can you improve your relationship with your customers and generate more loyalty and referrals?

The secret to success is not just identifying what’s wrong but working out how to fix it. If you need help doing that, call in an expert business consultant who can help you create the business plan that will help you deliver that change. While it’s great to imagine your pin in the centre of the happiness/money/success Venn diagram, it’s even better to have a plan in place to help you get there. It is possible to have it all.

Figure 3: Perceptions of success from the Capricorn State of the Nation 2022 report.

A new era of Australian motor racing begins with first GEN3

SUPERCAR

by Paul Marinelli

Despite some two years of notice of the technical changes taking place, admittedly with the process plagued by indecision and multiple design changes, only ONE team had a completed Gen3 specification Supercar ready for the first of several scheduled pre-season test days.

It was the Melbourne-based Blanchard Racing Team (BRT), one of the smallest single-car teams in the championship, that had its Gen3 Ford Mustang chassis BRT001 completed and running for a full day of testing at Victoria’s Winton Raceway on February 1.

In a fitting tribute to this family-owned team, BRT Co-Principal and endurance race codriver Tim Blanchard drove the first ever Gen3 Supercar laps at Winton. He then handed the wheel over to new 2023 season BRT driver Todd Hazelwood for the rest of the day’s shakedown and testing program.

Completely built in-house at the BRT workshop, the final Gen3 Supercar product sets the scene for the latest generation Supercars rule set, which will see Ford Mustangs line up against Chevrolet Camaros for the first time in the modern era of Australian Touring Car racing.

For Blanchard Racing Team Co-Principal John Blanchard, the opportunity to be the first to complete a car to the new regulations was a source of great pride.

“The effort that the entire crew have put into the build of this new Gen3 Mustang is incredible; it is a tribute to the flexibility of a single-car operation,” John Blanchard said.

“The build of the new Gen 3 car started back in September last year, when we started planning and preparing our resources in anticipation. We significantly increased our manufacturing capabilities, minimised outside commitments, picked up parts to save time on freight no

matter where in the country they were, and built as many components in-house as possible to minimise reliance on third parties, and just worked hard and long hours.

“I am very proud of everyone in our business and team for what they have achieved to get this car on track by the first of February — it has been a real team effort,” he concluded.

The team’s new driver for the inaugural Gen3 Supercar season couldn’t be happier with his new steed.

“The team here at BRT have done a superb job with the build of this brand new Mustang.

“They have aimed for perfection in every aspect, and when you look closely at the car, you can truly see the attention to detail. It was great to drive and for a first time shakedown all went extremely well,” Todd Hazelwood said.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard was also impressed, particularly as the BRT Mustang was the first and only Gen3 Supercar completed in time for the first of several scheduled pre-season test days.

“We commend Tim Blanchard and his team for their efforts to get to this point and begin the next phase of their Gen3 journey,” Mr Howard said.

“Gen3 is the biggest change in the history of our sport, and to see the first of 25 Supercars on track, unveiled in its racing colours, was an exciting moment.

“We acknowledge the incredible amount of work by team members, manufacturers, engineers and the technical experts involved in this project, who have worked long hours over the Christmas period and throughout summer to bring their teams to this point.”

Find out more about seeing the new Gen3 Supercars in action during the 2023 season at supercars.com.au.

1st February 2023 was the date that ushered in a whole new era of Australian Touring Car Racing, with the first Gen3 Supercar taking to the track in pre-season testing.

Citroën

everyone loves the 2CV Sure as eggs,

If you had to come up with a shortlist of cars that made every last member of your family smile when you saw one on the road, what vehicles would you include?

Citroën

he original Mini and VW Beetle are no-brainers. The Fiat 500, perhaps? The Morris Minor? Chances are today’s Classic Ride, the Citroen 2CV, would be somewhere up near the top of your list. This adorable ladybird of a car was produced for a remarkable 42 years, from 1948 to 1990. It looks like it was designed by a French tourism marketing board specifically so pictures of it could adorn postcards and tins of biscuits for eternity, alongside images of bicycles, Breton-striped shirts and baguettes. But its original design brief is even odder than that. Citroen wanted to build a vehicle that could carry four people and 50 kg of goods at 30 mph (48 kmh). Famously, the original design brief in the 1930s said the 2CV should be able to carry a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking them—a fact that has been tested by everyone from newspaper columnists to the Top Gear team in the years since. In short, the 2CV wasn’t designed to be just loveable and characterful, it was meant to be a practical vehicle, too. Citroen wanted to create a vehicle useful enough to convince French farmers to switch from horses to automobiles.

An early version of the 2CV had been ready to be unveiled at the 1939 Paris Motor Show, but the show was cancelled when World War II broke out. During the German occupation of France, Citroen’s president, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, hid designs for the 2CV from the Nazis and refused to collaborate with the German authorities. That saw him listed as “an enemy of the Reich” and he faced constant threats of arrest. Boulanger kept developing and improving his design and what we know as the original 2CV was unveiled at the Paris Salon in 1948. It had an air-cooled, 375 cc, two-cyclinder engine, generating nine brake horsepower (hold onto your hats, that’s 6.7 kW, or two horsepower). It trundled along at 40 mph (64 kmh).

The secret to its egg-saving smooth ride was a clever suspension design that used interlinked coil springs, combined with a low unsprung weight, a low centre of gravity and Michelin’s brand spanking new radial tyres.

Citroen was flooded with orders and there was soon a five-year waiting list. Just 876 2CVs were produced in 1949. Almost 6200 were produced the following year, and more than 16,000 in 1951. By the time production finished in 1990, more than five million 2CVs in a variety of cultishly beloved models had been produced.

A van model, the Fourgonnette, was released in 1950, and the twin-engine, four-wheel-drive Sahara was released in 1958. The 2CV would continually evolve between models, embracing the latest technologies and innovations, with a major design overhaul in 1965, including the end of coach-style doors and new gearing on the transmission.

In the 1970s Citroen enlarged the engine from 425 to 435 cc (26 horsepower or 19 kW) and began producing a number of special edition 2CVs, including a yellow edition inspired by James Bond, after the vehicle appeared in 1982’s For Your Eyes Only (complete with fake bullet holes, no less). Popular models included the Dolly and the Charleston.

In 1988 the last 2CV rolled off the production line in France. Production in Portugal finished two years later. The 2CV is the rarest of vehicles: a car that was instantly and universally beloved, became a huge commercial success, and is still beloved today, more than 30 years after production ended. Yet we see very few of them around. The big killer has been rust. Those beetling around the roads today in classic car runs mostly have new galvanised chassis. They’re also a bit high on the maintenance. The kingpins need greasing every 1000 miles (1600 km), the oil needs changing every 3000 miles (4800 km) and it needs a new filter every 6000 miles (9600 km). Still, if you own a 2CV you’re probably not driving it six hours up the coast on a fishing trip, even if you’re taking a basket of eggs and have a ploughed field to cross on the way there.

The secret to the 2CV’s success was its simplicity. Like the VW Beetle and the Fiat 500 Topolino, this was very much a “people’s car”, democratising access to the automobile. The Nazi-hating Boulanger (who is very much the hero of the 2CV story, despite dying in a car crash in 1950), had insisted that sales of early 2CVs were prioritised according to need. Specifically, he prioritised those who had to travel by car for work, and for whom ordinary cars were too expensive to buy. So, doctors, midwives, vets, farmers and priests were among the 2CV’s first owners—spreading the 2CV’s popularity (and eggs, presumably) far and wide.

Car Review

Another year has rolled around and now it’s 2023, which means it’s time to look back over the last year and reflect on what we thought of the vehicles we reviewed.

In 2022 we tackled 58 feature-length car reviews across a wide spectrum of vehicle categories. Our team generally does our Car Of the Year awards for the previous year in January/February; this gives us the Christmas break to mull over choices, and throw brands and models at each other to (eventually) come to some sort of an agreement.

DriveLife is the only online car magazine in New Zealand that does independent, feature-length car reviews, so you know you are getting all the nittygritty details on the car you are looking at purchasing. We understand that whether you are spending $20K, $40K or even over $100K, you want to know what that car is really like. We clock up

the miles on our test cars, so you can be sure we will deliver all the pros and cons for each car we review. For that reason, we know we can be sure the cars we give the following awards to are deserving. If you don’t agree or even if you do, head to our website and leave us a comment. We’re open to debating our choices.

Keep in mind we do have some criteria that must be adhered to, such as the car having been reviewed in New Zealand — so any tests by our man in Japan, Ken Saito, are out. The review has to have been published in the 2022 calendar year, and the car must have been supplied by a distributor or brand — not customers or a dealer.

Time to get into it and see what awards the team at DriveLife handed out for 2022. We’ll start off first with a description of the award, and then move to a summary of the winner by the person who reviewed the car.

2022 DriveLife BEST VALUE CAR OF THE YEAR

The value for money award is a subjective thing but is sometimes overlooked. Regardless of the cost of the vehicle, this award represents excellent value in technology, performance, safety — or just features — compared to their competitors.

WINNER BYD Atto 3

After driving the MG ZS EV from Auckland to Wellington and seeing just how good it was, I wasn’t expecting the BYD Atto 3 to be that much better. And let’s be honest, the two cars are very similar, but the Atto does pip the MG HS EV at the post for a better EV range for not much more money. The Atto 3 has given buyers a second option over its MG rival, and people are flocking to it.

And it’s not only the bigger and better ‘blade’ battery it has — along with that longer range — it’s also its list of features and luxury interior that put so many other more expensive cars to shame. The BYD Atto 3 is a deserved winner of our Best Value Car of the Year award.

2022 DriveLife BEST GADGET OF THE YEAR

This award is for the coolest feature or technological advancement, the one that feels like it comes from Q’s lab waiting for James Bond to arrive.

WINNER BMW iX: Panorama Glass Roof Sky Lounge

If there’s one thing that will wow your passengers, it’s the iX’s ‘Panorama

Glass Roof Sky Lounge’. Unlike other cars that have a full-length glass roof with no sunshade (and that’s most of them), the iX has a fantastic party trick up its digital sleeve. Sun too hot on your head? Tap a button, and the roof clouds over. Yes, the Porsche Taycan does the same, but we haven’t reviewed that car so at the moment, it’s this amazing feature from BMW that takes the prize for 2022.

2022 DriveLife DRIVER’S CAR OF THE YEAR

This award goes beyond you grinning when you approach the car, eager to get behind the wheel. To be eligible for this award, the car has to make the driver grin about the drive, without even seeing the car; that’s the sign of a true Driver’s Car of the Year.

WINNER BMW M240i

The new M240i is a bit of a wolf without the sheep. You know it means business right from first sight, but it’s not loud enough for you to think it’s capable of what it is. It hits the Goldilocks zone, where it’s not too sporty or slow, quiet or loud, flashy or subtle; everything is just right.

As a Driver’s Car winner, the BMW M240i doesn’t have many other vehicles that come close for driving feel, comfort, spec and overall experience, without the cost of a top-spec M vehicle.

2022 DriveLife ECO WARRIOR OF THE YEAR

This award is for the vehicle that just wanted to stick it to the oil companies of the world. It’s all about reducing running costs while doing your bit to save the planet.

WINNER Kia EV6 GT Line

I still remember the EV6 as being the first EV I drove from Wellington to Hawera (a 300 km trip to work on our project car) that made it in a single charge. Sure, it has a chunky 77.4 kWh battery pack, but after 1,000 km of testing, the car returned 18.5 kWh/100km for energy economy — that’s an excellent result for such a big, heavy (2.2t) car.

The EV6 is built on a pure-EV chassis, and Kia has made the most of that fact. The whole packaging of the car for occupant space and ease of use is obvious. It’s such an easy car to live with too; it looks fantastic and is extremely comfortable. I dare say it is one EV that could win over some hardcore petrol-only buyers. It’s that good, and we can’t wait for the launch of the EV6 GT coming very soon. That model should be even better.

2022 DriveLife FAMILY CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is all about practicality, and if you could only have one car, then which would be the best all-around vehicle for the family of today? Family on a long road trip? Seven seats? Space for everything? Can it take knocks from unruly kids and the dog in the back?

WINNER

Mitsubishi Outlander

VRX PHEV

Just look around you when driving anywhere — you will see an Outlander. Going on holiday? Look for the loaded-up Outlander. While the VRX model we tested is extremely luxurious, there’s still hard plastics where they count, so the car can take that rough-and-tumble of family life.

Then there’s the sheer driveability of the car; it’s brilliant. While I reviewed the Outlander, John got behind the wheel and was also impressed. This is a car that’s hard to fault.

Previous to 2022, you could only have five seats in your Outlander PHEV, so it couldn’t win our Family Car Of the Year award. But Mitsubishi now offers a seven-seat version. This makes the Outlander PHEV even harder to beat as our Family Car Of the Year, and so be it — it wins, and by a good margin.

2022 DriveLife HOTTEST CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is all about looks. Which vehicle would create the best bedroom poster, or desktop or phone background?

WINNER Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

In many ways, the new Corvette Stingray is not a perfect car, but it is a stunning car. Many people said it looks too much like a Ferrari, which is not a bad thing.

In this case, the Corvette came out on top as the Hottest car of 2022.

2022 DriveLife LUXURY CAR OF THE YEAR

The Luxury Car of the Year award represents the pinnacle of what manufacturers can offer in terms of comfort, quality, and style.

WINNER BMW iX

While it wins our Best Gadget award for its fancy roof, the iX also wows with its levels of luxury. My wife and I took the iX to Haumoana over Easter in 2022, and in the end covered over 1,100 km in this model. Luxury cars should be amazing on a long trip, and the iX excels in that situation. Ignoring the 240 kW of power and 630 Nm of torque, the iX still impresses on the luxury front with amazingly comfortable and luxurious seats, two screens with outstanding definition, audio speakers hidden under fabric, and a flat floor with huge amounts of room for all passengers. Rear legroom and headroom are outstanding in this car.

Add in the massaging function of the front seats and a superb Harmon-Kardon sound system and you have a car that’s our winner for Luxury Car Of the Year.

2022 DriveLife TOUGHEST CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is about the rough and tough. Which vehicle would take you over the toughest terrain while trying to survive a zombie apocalypse?

WINNER Toyota Landcruiser 300 GR Sport

When the going gets tough, the tough say “Land Cruiser”. There’s no refuting that the Land Cruiser is one of the toughest names in the car world, owing to its reputation for reliability and off-road capability.

The new Toyota Land Cruiser 300 is no exception, building on the hardy reputation forged by its predecessors. Today, it’s better equipped and more refined than ever. The new twin-turbo V6 diesel delivers oodles of torque, and it no longer costs half your pay to brim the tank.

The Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport is the most purposeful Landie of the lot. Out of the box, it has adaptive suspension, Multi-Terrain Select, E-KDSS, low-range gearing, disconnecting sway bars, and three differentials — two of them lockers.

In short, it’s designed to get you from here to over there, no matter the terrain. That’s why it’s our Toughest Car of the Year.

2022 DriveLife UNEXPECTED CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is for the vehicle that turned out to be a big surprise compared to our unjustified expectations.

WINNER

Mercedes-Benz C350e

The C350e seems just like any other Mercedes sedan, which is the core of its magic trick. It’s got everything that the others do, but it’s also a hybrid. A hybrid that is very user-friendly, allowing the driver a lot more control over when and where the different power systems are used. This means the C350e becomes a very efficient car, indeed. This allowed us to achieve a combined fuel consumption rating of 3.0 litres per 100 km over the course of a normal week. Fred took the car for a week in 2023, and managed to achieve 0.2L/100km from the car. More outside-the-box thinking like this would do the market a lot of good.

2022 DriveLife CAR OF THE YEAR

And so it comes to this — our Car of the Year for 2022. This award is for the best car of the year and is only open to those vehicles that we rated the highest in our reviews. We take many things into account to bestow our Car Of the Year award, so it’s not focused on just one aspect.

Please note this is not the Cheapest Car of the Year award. It isn’t about cost — it’s about being the best car overall that we have reviewed. Cost is taken into account, but so are all the other factors that come into what makes a car the best car we have reviewed.

WINNER Kia EV6 GT Line

Every year, we argue about what car should win this award. In 2022, DriveLife reviewed 58 cars, and 27 of those scored over an 8.0 (none got a 9.0 or higher). So as a team, we sit there and thrash out who should win our DriveLife Car of the Year award from those that score above 8.0. It’s never easy, and 2022’s selection was no picnic.

The Kia EV6 had some tough competition. The Kia Sportage is a superb SUV, the Ranger is a great allround vehicle, and then there are cars

like the BMW M240i, Hyundai i20N, Toyota Landcruiser, and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. These are all cars that the EV6 GT Line had to come up against, and beat. But beat them it did. Here is an EV that has a great range, comes with stunning space-age looks, has fantastic build quality and excellent performance, is spacious and very well-equipped, and drives beautifully. While some people bemoan an EV’s range, the GT Line

we tested has a range of around 480 km. It’s a car I could absolutely live with, and enjoy driving every day of the week.

While we sat there discussing our Car of the Year contenders on a spreadsheet, my eyes kept wandering back to the EV6 GT Line; I already knew it was the winner from the outset. Kia has good reason to be proud of the EV6 GT Line; it’s a stunning motorcar in all respects.

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Former Rising Stars winner

Gab Clift on her life

winning and her new job with TripleEight Racing.

Do you have an exceptional apprentice who deserves wider recognition? Thirty-eight per cent of Capricorn Members across Australia and New Zealand currently employ at least one apprentice, according to our State of the Nation Report 2022. One of those apprentices will be our next Rising Stars winner. Could it be the young (or even not so young) man or woman whose talent and ambition you recognised early, and who is learning their trade from you and your team right now?

The Capricorn Rising Stars competition is all about recognising effort, rewarding hard work, and helping workshops retain their future leaders. Unlike other apprentice competitions that focus purely on the technical proficiency of nominees, Capricorn Rising Stars prioritises rewarding apprentices who demonstrate a passion for auto, a positive can-do attitude and a strong commitment to forging a long career as a repairer.

In 2020, the winner was Gabrielle Clift, then an apprentice at Highfields Mechanical and Off Road in Highfields, Queensland. We caught up with Gab, who also won the Motor Trade Association Queensland's (MTAQ)Apprentice of the Year in 2020 and is now a fully qualified technician, to find out how being named the Capricorn Rising Stars winner had changed her life.

“My career has been extraordinarily busy, fun and exciting,” she said. “I was asked to be a mentor for women in the industry through the MTAQ and I also did work experience with Triple Eight Race Engineering, the Red Bull Ampol Racing V8 Supercars team. They were so happy with me that they've actually offered me a job.”

At the end of 2022, Gab left Highfields and moved to Brisbane to start her new job—with the blessing of very proud Capricorn Members, Craig and Katherine Baills, owners of Highfields Mechanical.

“They were really happy for me,” she said. “When I got the offer I went to Craig and said, ‘I don’t know what to do, I feel loyal to you guys’. But he said, “Gabs, you will not get another opportunity like this. Mate, you need to take it. Worst-case scenario, if things go south, you’re always welcome back here’. So, having his and Katherine’s support made that decision a lot easier.

“Craig and Katherine are phenomenal bosses. They have a very high standard, they’ve supported me through thick and thin, they have very positive attitudes and they’re positive about the industry. I can’t thank them enough for everything they have taught me. They’re legends in my book.”

Gab is now working in subassembly on V8 Supercars, disassembling, reassembling and inspecting brakes, transaxles and pedal boxes in the workshop and at race meets.

“Winning Capricorn Rising Stars, and then MTAQ Apprentice of the Year, was a huge thing for me because without it I would still just be a local girl, a local mechanic,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to inspire and help other people, whether it be in my own town or worldwide. I’ve got to meet so many people—general managers, CEOs—people it’s strange for a 24-year-old mechanic to meet. I want young people to know there’s an actual career here.”

Gab’s passion for the industry, her work ethic and her character made her an excellent Capricorn Rising Stars winner.

Nominations for the 2023 Capricorn Rising Stars competition close on 30 April. Five finalists will be announced in the middle of the year, with the winner announced in August.

Capricorn Rising Stars’ unique judging criteria creates a level playing field for nominated apprentices, from first to fourth year, in all types of workshops, to be able to compete against each other.

If you are a Capricorn Member and have an apprentice who demonstrates outstanding character and potential as they continue to learn the ropes and further develop their skills, we encourage you to nominate themfor the 2023 Capricorn Rising Stars award.*

Gab (second from right) and the team at Highfields Mechanical and Off Road.

since

“

It’s an awesome opportunity as there’s great exposure for the business as well,” Gab said.

Nominating workshops of the top five finalists each receive a subscription to The Workshop Whisperer’s Service Advisor Pro online program, each valued at $3,000 (plus GST) to be used within 12 months of the finalists being announced, and a 12-month Repco Autopedia technical support service subscription.

The winning apprentice will receive a major prize from Capricorn of $5,000 (AUD or NZD, depending upon location). Each of the top five finalists will receive a $1,000 (AUD or NZD depending upon the location) prize from Capricorn, plus a $1,000 Repco voucher (valid for 12 months from the date of issue) and tickets to two Repco Masterclass Clinics.

What’s Gab’s advice to any apprentice who is nominated by their employer?

“Absolutely go for it,” she said. “Any opportunity you are given, take it. When they nominated me, Katherine and Craig said there were some really good opportunities that came with it. I thought, ‘yeah, I suppose’. And then I got to the finals and, wow, it was really cool. It just opens doors for you. It changed my world.”

Nominate your apprentice for the 2023 Capricorn Rising Stars at cap.coop/stars

*Terms and conditions apply which can be viewed at cap.coop/tc

Gab Clift, 2020 Capricorn Rising Stars Winner.

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FUN ZONE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 5 Differences To Find

Email your entries to ignition@capricorn.coop before the 30th of April 2023. Winners will be selected by a random draw of the correct Member entries occurring in West Perth on 1st of May 2023. The winners’ names will be published in the June edition of Ignition. Please ensure you include your Member number and email address when submitting your entry.

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