Latest news with #Datsuns
1News
4 days ago
- 1News
Mona Blades: 'Steady stream' of tips 50 years after hitchhiker disappeared
Fifty years to the day after 18-year-old hitchhiker Mona Blades went missing while travelling from Hamilton to Hastings, police say they are still receiving a 'steady stream' of tips and information from the public. On the morning of May 31, 1975, Blades hopped into the back of an orange Datsun station wagon and was never heard from again. The cold case into the suspected murder, one of New Zealand's most notorious, remains open. Not one piece of physical evidence has ever been found, and her body was never located. But Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley says, five decades later, police are continuing to seek information regarding her disappearance. ADVERTISEMENT Blades' disappearance was the subject of an episode of TVNZ's Cold Case in 2018, and Yardley said a 'steady stream' of information had been coming in from members of the public since. 'The information is assessed and reviewed as it is received for potential further lines of inquiry, which police can follow up on.' He said no case is ever fully closed, 'and it is not too late to provide Mona's family with answers they have long wanted". Noting the anniversary of her disappearance, Yardley said: 'It has been 50 years since Mona went missing in 1975, and we would like to acknowledge her family who have been left with a number of questions around her disappearance.' The sightings, suspects, and speculation A stretch of road Mona Blades had been hitchhiking on when she went missing. (Source: 1News) On the day she disappeared, she was dropped off on Cambridge Road (State Highway 1), Hamilton, early in the morning. She was wearing light green slacks, a green rugby jersey under a fawn jersey, a black duffle coat and brown shoes with yellow laces. ADVERTISEMENT Fifty years missing: Revisiting one of NZ's most chilling cold cases - Watch on TVNZ+ She was carrying a hitchhiker's brown pack and shoulder bag containing a set of colourful plastic tumblers as a birthday present for her nephew, who she was planning to visit in Hastings over the Queen's Birthday weekend as a surprise for his birthday. At around 10am she was seen getting into the back of the orange Datsun. A poster showing the orange Datsun. (Source: 1News) Later that morning, a fencing contractor spotted the vehicle parked about 200 metres down a dirt road off the Napier-Taupō highway. He claimed to have seen a woman matching Blades' description in the back, with a middle-aged man in the front. When he drove past a short time later, the car was empty. Blades' disappearance sparked what was, at the time, one of the country's largest manhunts. ADVERTISEMENT Hundreds of police officers from Taupō, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland combed a 200km stretch of highway between Tokoroa and Napier. People search during the 1975 manhunt for Mona Blades. (Source: 1News) But nothing was ever found. More than 500 suspects, many of whom owned or had driven orange Datsuns, were investigated. Auckland police tried to make the case that John Freeman, a man who had rented an orange Datsun the same weekend Blades went missing, was responsible. Two weeks after police announced they were searching for a similar car, Freeman shot and wounded a student at St Cuthbert's College in Auckland before killing himself. John Freeman, one of the suspects in the Mona Blades murder. (Source: 1News) Another person of interest for police was Hamilton man Charlie Hughes, who had since moved to Australia. He has vehemently denied he had anything to do with the alleged murder, and said the constant doubt over his innocence ruined his life. ADVERTISEMENT Charlie Hughes was another suspect in the case. (Source: 1News) In 2003, police investigated a report that Blades' name had been etched on a concrete garage floor at a house in Huntly with fears it could be a makeshift grave. it turned out to be a joke and the former property owner apologised. In early 2012, police dug up the concrete floor of a Kawerau house's laundry room in an attempt to find her body. Nothing was found. Blades' disappearance was then the subject of a 2018 episode of TVNZ's Cold Case, where investigators reassessed every aspect of the file. Experts believed the original investigation had focused too heavily on the orange Datsun. They also believed witnesses may have been misled by the photo of Blades issued by police as her hairstyle was different. A mockup showing Blades as she was believed to have looked when she went missing. (Source: NZ Police ) The investigation also concluded Blades spent longer in Taupō than initially thought, with multiple sightings being made. ADVERTISEMENT Inspector Mark Loper, who led the inquiry then, believed Blades did not leave Taupō alive. Detectives also said they had discovered Blades had some links to gangs in Auckland and Hamilton. Those gangs might have been on the roads travelling to a gathering that weekend. A red car that could have been travelling with a bike gang was also a focus of the new inquiry. A witness had claimed they saw Blades get into a red Toyota station wagon outside the bottle shop at the Spa Hotel. Another said they saw two people carrying a rolled-up piece of carpet into the back of a vehicle matching the description. A red station wagon similar to the one witnesses had described. (Source: NZ Police) However, despite a steady stream of tips and possible leads, no physical evidence, suspects able to be charged, or body have been found. It's now been 50 years since Blades left Hamilton, and her family, as well as police, are still waiting for answers. Sgt Yardley said this week: 'If you have information that may assist in our investigation not yet reported to us, please contact police.' ADVERTISEMENT Anyone with information on the disappearance of Mona Blades was asked to call police on 105.
Wall Street Journal
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
The Auto ‘Invasion' Was a Boon to Americans
Your editorial 'Trump's Giant New Car Tax' (March 28) correctly points out that imported cars give American car buyers more choices at lower prices, enabling them to buy 'more and better cars than they could a few decades ago.' This simple yet potent argument could be reinforced by pointing out that one of the reasons that importing cars expands choice, improves quality and reduces prices is the salubrious effect that competition from imports has on domestic manufacturers. The same is true of every other good too. Those of us of a certain age remember driving the cars that the then Big 3 regurgitated onto the American market in the 1970s and much of the 1980s. With a few exceptions, reliability was lacking, fit and finish was dicey and fuel economy was woeful. When the Japanese began aggressively exporting Toyotas, Hondas, Datsuns and Mitsubishis to our shores, the Big 3 were forced to improve their products to survive. The Japanese thus gave the Big 3 the kick in the keister those bloated, overly contented giants needed to become the vastly more competitive enterprises they are today. Competition, regardless of where it comes from, benefits all market participants. Protection from competition breeds complacency and lethargy to the detriment of consumers and producers. Mark M. Quinn Naperville, Ill.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
SCCA Racer Who Brought Paul Newman to Motorsports, Bob Sharp, Has Died
Bob Sharp needed a way to boost sales of the then-new Datsuns on his Connecticut dealership's lot, which were moving into customer hands at a rate of about 200 a year. So he went racing, first in Datsun 510s, then in 240Zs, then in 300ZXs. Almost immediately, it worked. Sales increased tenfold, to 2,000 a year. Race on Sunday, sell on Monday really worked for him. Success on the track attracted notice, including movie star/racer Paul Newman, who drove Bob Sharp Datsuns and Nissans throughout his motorsports career. Bob Sharp passed away last week at 85, a week and a half shy of his 86th birthday. Sharp was also the father of successful SCCA, IRL, and IMSA racer and team owner Scott Sharp, who grew up in motorsports attending races of his famous father. Throughout it all, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in racing who had a bad thing to say about Bob Sharp. 'Bob was a great competitor,' said fellow Datsun racer John Morton. 'We never had a cross word, never had any kind of a conflict on the track.' Sharp drove for his East Coast dealership, while Morton drove for BRE, Brock Racing Enterprises, representing the West Coast. Both were competing for notice and sponsorship dollars from big Nissan. But that didn't affect either racer's actions on the track. 'In fact, he drove for us in two races with the BRE team, and he was so good at Lime Rock, he won Lime Rock in one of our cars,' said Morton. Peter Brock was likewise complimentary about his old rival. 'We lost a good friend and competitor yesterday (Feb. 28),' said Brock. 'Bob Sharp, team owner, manager, and driver of Bob Sharp Racing, was one of the first to race Japanese cars in America and helped make the Datsun name respected.' Indeed, between 1967 and 1975, Sharp won the SCCA Nationals six times, in B-Sedan, F-Production, and C-Production, and the IMSA GTU title once, racing for Datsun. Sharp's success, including six SCCA titles, 'attracted all kinds of talent to his team,' said Nissan Motorsports upon Bob's induction to the SCCA Motorsports Hall of Fame. '…including the legendary Paul Newman who got his start with Bob Sharp Racing in 1972 driving a Datsun 510 B-Sedan in SCCA competition.' With Sharp's help and guidance, Newman would go on to win in many different Datsuns/Nissans, from that 510 to a 200SX, 280ZX V8, and 300ZX. The friendship between the two Connecticut residents would last throughout their lifetimes. Newman passed away in 2008. 'Bob's name will always be remembered as a great sportsman and friend to all who raced with, and against, him,' said Brock.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chopped Datsun 1600 Roadster Rides On The Wild Side Of Life
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious If you know anyone who thinks gearheads aren't creative, all you need to do is show them this Datsun 1600 next to one that's stock, then step back. This Japanese classic car was customized by Chris Bishop, who not ironically runs a business called Japanese Classics, so the man knows these cars like the back of his hand. After plenty of chopping, the end result is perhaps one of the best-looking Datsuns out there. Overall, this ride smoother than pretty much any Nissan, Honda, Toyota, or whatever else from the same time period. Bishop kept the design nice and clean, instead of committing the cardinal automotive sin of trying to do too much with a single car. The details on this ride are what make everything work, and there are plenty to take in. One of the biggest changes is the sizable rear fender flairs, giving this car a sportier stance. Deleting the side markers in the front fenders helped, as did other nips and tucks done all over. One of the most peculiar changes is the addition of a single yellow headlight, which is something of a signature for Bishop. As for the interior, it boasts some luxuries but isn't opulent by any stretch. Among the finer things added is a two-tone red and black leather upholstery and a Momo steering wheel with a wood rim. Many of the factory features were retained, giving this restomod a curiously authentic vibe. Not just a show queen, this Datsun 1600 is packing some heat with a 2.0-liter SR20DE under the hood. That pushes performance quite a ways beyond factory spec, although we're not quite sure how this particular engine has been tuned. In some Nissans it pushes upwards of 162-horsepower, a hefty amount for such a small, lightweight car. This car just goes to show you don't have to use something like a Plymouth 'Cuda or Toyota Supra to have a fantastic show car. What you do need are good lines and a big imagination, plus the know-how to fabricate your dreams into reality. Images credit: YouTube Ultra-Rare 1988 Datsun 1200 Hits The MarketThis thing is basically a time capsule on Symes Coolest Supras On MotoriousWhich of these Japanese sports cars would you pick?MotoriousSteven Symes
