The Last Fleet: Jim Wilson's Volkswagen Collection
Jim Wilson — founder of Phantom Billstickers and first manager of The Exponents — spent decades collecting and restoring classic Volkswagens with the same boundless energy he brought to everything else. Five of his finest cars are now offered at Webb's June auction.
A collector who drove with his heart: the story behind the Jim Wilson Collection.
Wilson wrote that his only regrets about dying were that he couldn't take his dogs, his wife Kelly, and his Volkswagens.
Jim Wilson passed away in early 2026 after a long illness. He had built Phantom Billstickers from a Christchurch footpath in 1982 ("a bundle of posters, a bucket of paste and a brush" according to Wilson) into a multi-million-dollar national business that reshaped how New Zealand advertised live performances . He was also The Exponents' first manager, the man who got them signed to Mushroom Records; Flying Nun founder Roger Shepherd credited him with creating the Christchurch live music scene that fostered the label's first wave.
He passed his driver's licence in April 1968, the day after the Wahine disaster, as he once wrote, and never really stopped driving. In his blog A Tinker's Cuss, he wrote with characteristic candour: "In my lifetime I have owned probably thirty Volkswagens and I loved every single one of them whether or not one could see the road through the floorboards."
The five vehicles offered in the Jim Wilson Collection span the breadth of his collecting life. Most were sourced internationally, restored by specialists he trusted, and kept with quiet attentiveness — fuel lines checked, fire suppression fitted, and, in more than one case, Best in Show trophies earned.
The Collection
1952 Volkswagen Beetle Split-Window — Est. $140,000–$160,000
The crown jewel of the collection. Found in California already beautifully restored, it was imported in 2023 and converted to right-hand drive by Revive'm near New Plymouth. It retains its distinctive early side vents and original whitewall tyres, and won both Best in Class and Best in Show at the 2024 VW Nationals in Kaikōura.
Jim Wilson's 1952 Volkswagen Split-Window Beetle: Best in Show, VW Nationals Kaikōura, 2024.
1958 Volkswagen Samba Deluxe, Red & Black — Est. $140,000–$160,000
Originally a panel van believed to have spent time in Christchurch before 1992, it later arrived back in New Zealand where it was sign-painted and used for concert promotion — entirely in keeping with Wilson's world. After a complete strip-down and rebuild by Revive'm over several years, it emerged in red and black with period brown leather upholstery, upgraded mechanicals, and a 2025 Best in Class and Best in Show to its name.
1963 Volkswagen Samba Deluxe, Blue & White — Est. $190,000–$210,000
The most powerful car in the collection. Restored by Hopkins Restoration Works in Mullaway, NSW — a workshop with a serious reputation in the Volkswagen world — this 21-window Samba was already a prize winner in Australia when Wilson acquired it in 2021. Under the skin: a 2.3-litre motor with a Super Race Crank, Mahle forged pistons, Eagle Race cam, MagnaSpark ignition, Kennedy race clutch, Freeway Flyer transmission, and disc brakes. Its previous owner was the personal trainer of Hugh Jackman; Wilson noted with evident satisfaction that Jackman himself was often seen driving it around Bondi Beach. It goes, as Wilson wrote, "like a cut cat."
1956 Volkswagen Beetle, Green — Est. $30,000–$40,000
A quiet sage green numbers-matching Beetle, faithful to its original 6-volt electrics, with approximately $40,000 invested in restoration to date. A local mechanic reportedly declared the underside perfect: "You could turn this car upside down and eat your dinner off it."
1967 Saab 96 V4 — Est. $20,000–$25,000
The outlier — and perhaps that was the point. Wilson was drawn to cars with character over cachet. The Saab 96 V4 fits that sensibility precisely: an idiosyncratic Swedish front-wheel-drive design that earned a devoted following and is now genuinely rare in New Zealand. A good entry point into the Wilson collection.
Chris Wiseman
Head of Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia
The Jim Wilson Collection is offered as part of Webb's Collectors' Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia Live Auction on Sunday 7 June 2026 at Webb's Fine Art, 33a Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland. The wider catalogue includes significant European, British, and Japanese collector vehicles — among them Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Alfa Romeo models spanning the 1940s to the 2010s.
Webb's Collectors' Cars department welcomes consignments of significant vehicles year-round. Whether you are looking to sell a single car or an entire collection, our specialists offer complimentary, no-obligation appraisals and industry-leading expertise.
Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia
Live Auction | Sunday 7 June, 2.30pm
Auction Details
Launch Event
Tuesday 2 June, 6pm
On View
3—7 June
Location
33a Normanby Road
Mount Eden, Auckland
Contact
Chris Wiseman | Head of Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia
chris@webbs.co.nz | +64 22 187 7693