A quiet corner of New Zealand has become the unlikely stage for one of the world’s most impressive private collections of classic Italian cars. Rare Alfa Romeos, vintage Ferraris, Lancias, and Maseratis — many of which have never been seen outside Europe — now live in a purpose-built automotive sanctuary, maintained with obsessive detail and a passion as pure as any found in Modena or Maranello.
This isn’t a museum. It’s a private collection — curated by an anonymous enthusiast, and brought to public attention only recently thanks to a rare open-door event for automotive journalists.
What Makes This Collection Unique?
The New Zealand collection includes:
- Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale – One of just 18 ever built
- Ferrari 250 GT Lusso – Impeccably restored, concours quality
- Lancia Stratos HF – Original rally-spec chassis, unrestored
- Maserati Ghibli SS (1970) – Full matching numbers, manual
- Fiat 8V Zagato – Even rarer outside Europe than a 250 GTO
Each car has been individually sourced over two decades, primarily from Italy, and many were hand-restored in Emilia-Romagna before being shipped to the Southern Hemisphere.
“It’s one of the most pure and uncommercialised Italian collections I’ve ever seen. Not curated for social media, but for soul,” commented Giorgio Nada, publisher and automotive historian, during his recent visit.
Hands-On Impressions: A Rare Invitation
I was among a small group of automotive writers invited to experience this collection firsthand. The location remains confidential — part of the agreement — but what I saw was staggering.
Stepping into the hangar-like space, the air was thick with the scent of leather, oil, and warm metal. Each car sits as if it just rolled off a Mille Miglia stage or out of the paddocks at Monza. One by one, a handful were started. The 250 GT Lusso’s V12 barked into life with mechanical immediacy, followed by the distinctive rasp of the Stratos, as raw and unruly as ever.
What struck me most wasn’t just the rarity — it was the absolute absence of ego. No branding, no velvet ropes. Just a man, his machines, and an uncompromising devotion to Italian motoring history.
Why New Zealand?
The collector — who prefers to remain unnamed — reportedly relocated from northern Italy to New Zealand in the early 2000s. With ample space, minimal bureaucracy, and a milder coastal climate ideal for car preservation, the South Island became the perfect location for his long-term dream: to create a “private Modena abroad.”
Importation was slow and meticulous. Many of the vehicles retain Italian registration plates and historical documentation, with some models being the only examples in the Southern Hemisphere.
Italian Rarities Abroad: Not Just a Vanity Project
This collection’s quiet emergence raises a broader point: Italian automotive culture is no longer just European. It’s global. And passionate collectors are preserving not just the vehicles, but the design language, performance values, and artisanal legacy of Italian marques.
“Classic Italian cars are moving east and south. As values climb in Europe, serious collectors in Asia-Pacific are becoming custodians of this history,” explains Andrea Zanon, director of Europe’s Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo.
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The Future of the Collection
While there are no plans to commercialise or open the space to the public, the collector has reportedly begun digitising the archive, working with Italian historians to document and verify each vehicle’s provenance. There’s even talk of loaning select models to concours events in Europe and Japan.
Among them? A 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, long believed lost, now confirmed as fully restored and road-ready — with a possible appearance scheduled for Villa d’Este 2026.
Final Thoughts
In a world of overexposed supercars and speculative collectors, this hidden Italian garage in New Zealand is something different. It’s a reminder that automotive passion doesn’t always shout — sometimes, it simply stewards.
As a writer who’s seen many high-profile collections, I walked away from this one with something rare: silence. Not just the quiet of a remote valley — but the deep, unmistakable respect that only timeless machinery and human craft can evoke.
