Corber Viljoen of Wat Swaai Jy says classic cars can command huge prices. Here he poses with the BMW 325I which sold for R1.4 million
Old cars from various brands manufactured in South Africa are becoming increasingly popular, says Corbèrt Viljoen, director of Wat Swaai Jy and Vintage Car South Africa.
He adds:
The market for classic cars in South Africa is strong. People always tell me I should export a vehicle to America or Europe, but the market here is possibly the strongest in the world.
Viljoen says cars that are manufactured here in small numbers are highly sought after among collectors.
Models such as the Alfa Romeo GTV6, of which only 207 were built, the BMW 325is and its older brother the 333i, of which only 100 exist, are some of the cars that can cost you millions.
This classic Volvo is also hot property
“Furthermore, if you have any Basil Green Perana model Ford, you should know you have money,” says Viljoen in his shed full of classic vehicles in the east of Pretoria.
It was precisely a 1991 model BMW 325is Evo 1 that Viljoen advertised earlier this month for R1 495 000 that got people talking
This German fireball, built in Rosslyn, North Pretoria, has only 170 000 km “on the clock” and cost a little more than R100 000 at the time.
“There are more of these BMWs built, but they are often stolen and scrapped. You don’t easily find them in such good condition.”
Viljoen says there is also room in the market for more common cars.
The Toyota Cressida 3l GLE which originally sold for R200 000 can command a price of R1.1 million
Said Viljoen:
Currently, the Toyota Cressida is incredibly sought after. Especially the 3.0 GLS and GLE. I try to buy them all up wherever I can. Since one was listed a few years back for R1.1 million, people have gone crazy for it and the market has been stimulated, even though the car sold for only R200 000
“I also think something like a Nissan 1400 pickup in good condition with low kilometres will become valuable. We must also remember that there will always be a market for good, neat, original cars that will retain value for ages.”
Viljoen says there is a new trend among buyers driven by nostalgia.
The new generation of buyers, in their 30s and 40s, want to enter the market for cars that may not be so rare, but rather evoke memories
“They buy vehicles that their mom, dad, grandpa, or grandma drove. Sometimes even the model of their first vehicle. Classic cars are not just for collectors; they are for ordinary people too.”
Viljoen admits he is one of those buyers. Despite the hundreds of vehicles on his property, he is on the lookout for a yellow Volkswagen Beetle that his grandmother bought him in grade 7. To date, “Toktokkie,” as the Beetle is nicknamed, still eludes him.
The classic Dodge Plymouth is sought after
“I’ve searched everywhere, but I can’t find it. I drove that Volla to school every day from grade 6.” It was precisely Toktokkie that sparked his love for the classic car market and led to the formation of a business that can boast an annual turnover of over R100 million.
“In grade 7, I traded the Volla for two Minis. I fixed one up and sold it. Later, in matric, I had ten cars,” says Viljoen.
After school, at my mother’s insistence, I got my pilot’s license, but cars were always much more interesting to me
Even though he sold Liberty Life policies as a broker for a while, he continued to trade in vehicles.
“I had to get a job to keep the lights on and occasionally bought and sold an old car. Eventually, it reached the level it is at now. Together, my wife, Nadia, and I run the business.” He sells between 25 and 35 vehicles a month
“On a good day, I probably get 140 calls, if not more. But this is what I live for. I can’t sit still.”
His plan is to open a branch in the Cape Winelands.
The showroom will almost be like a museum that people can walk through. We also want to open a restaurant where people with their classic vehicles can gather and enjoy a pizza or burger and a beer
Jannie Rossouw, a visiting professor at Wits Business School and also a lover of classic cars, disagrees with Viljoen about the size of the South African market.
“Only a select group of people can afford to buy and maintain such rare cars. Classic cars and motorboats are among the things people unfortunately get rid of first when times start to get tough because it’s a luxury.
“It’s a niche market with few true collectors who can compete to their heart’s content.”
Rossouw owns a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL convertible (1982 model) and a 190E sedan from 1993. “The 280SL was also built in South Africa at one stage, which many people don’t know.”
“And the 190E is just a nice compact car that rides amazingly smooth. It’s at my house in Kleinmond, so when I’m in the Western Cape, I like to drive it around – and that car rides as nicely as anything else.”
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