Cromwell's oldest rev-head? 81-year-old former bus driver celebrating Lamboghini win
By reporter Sam Smith:
This might just be Cromwell’s oldest rev-head.
Ivan Fahey, a former volunteer bus driver at Highland Motorsport Park, will now be cruising round town in a 2014 Lamborghini Huracans following the win of a lifetime at the weekend.
The 81-year-old was at the park for the 10th anniversary celebrations where the car was being given away to mark the occassion.
The Lamborghini, which is priced at between $250,000 and $445,000, was used for hot laps at Highlands sister circuit Hampton Downs and can accelerate from 0 to 100km in as little as 2.9 seconds.
The two-seater luxury car was bought directly from Lamborghini by Highlands owner Tony Quinn and fitted with a roll cage for use in the road rally race Targa NZ.
Fahey says he is over the moon with his win and has a smile on his face that is permanent.
“I am not a winner of raffles, so this sort of thing doesn't happen to me, but this time it did,” he said.
Fahey is no stranger to motorsport, having been an avid watcher for over 60 years and a volunteer at the park where he claimed his victory.
“I drove their little bus ... I used to deliver spectators around the circuit to different vantage points and do town pickups and drop-offs,” Fahey says.
“I did that for about four, maybe five years. I have always been a supporter of Highlands because I see it as being a great facility for our town of Cromwell.”
Fahey owns two cars; a BMW 5 Series and a Suzuki Grand Vitara, but has no plans as yet to make his new acquisition his drive of choice.
“It will get used from time to time. I took it out yesterday. It was exciting. It was fantastic. It was very easy to drive. This car is unreal. The engineering means it is built to go fast.”
Fahey says his phone has been running hot since the win, with friends and family enjoying his win as well.
“They are pretty excited for the old man. A remarkable number of people have phoned me and sent me texts and messages.”
As for his new new-found fame? Fahey says he doesn’t think it is warranted: “I am just a country guy who's not used to all this attention”.
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The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
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Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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