Johannesburg - Have you been lusting after a 1950 Jaguar XK120? What about a 1969 Ferrari 365GT 2+2?
If you’ve got the bucks, you’re in for a treat on 10 and 11 August when Coys International auctioneers descend upon Steyn City in Johannesburg to host their first classic car auction in the country.
The auction will be headlined by cars from the Plit Portfolio which will go under the hammer on the Saturday evening of the Concours South Africa classic car event.
The Plit Portfolio is an amazing collection of vehicles owned by Johannesburg-based classic enthusiast Wayne Plit, and the cars up for grabs only represent a small portion of his collection that began way back in the late 1980s, its earliest acquisitions including a 1964 Lancia Flavia Coupe, followed by a Ford Escort RS2000.
Wayne Plit will see 75 of his cars and bikes go under the hammer. Picture: Supplied
“My first car was a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, which I took over from my father in 1984, which already had about 500 000km on the clock,” he said. “And I rebuilt that old boxer Beetle engine many times. So that’s where my passion began.”
He notes that his 1964 Lancia Flavia was his first bona-fide classic.
“The Ford Escort RS2000 that came next was followed by a BMW 333i, and after that well, as I became successful in business, I invested almost all my capital in classic and collectable cars.”
A year ago, Plit’s collection rose above the 250 vehicle mark.
“I currently employ five people just to keep them maintained and exercised, because you can’t let these old cars stand around or they’ll deteriorate,” he said, adding that although he is truly addicted to these old cars, he has reluctantly made the decision to rationalise the collection. “This auction is the first step, where I will be putting up 75 of my cars, and some classic motorcycles for bidding.”
Porsche 964 RS N-GT is an extremely focused racing car in road-legal trim. Picture: Supplied
Classic cars are gaining prominence as, quite literally, investment vehicles. Around the world, car collectors and business people with cash to burn (and childhood desires to quench) are spending money on well-known brands such as Ferraris, Jaguars and Porsches (and even odd-named cars that you’ve never heard about before) from yesteryear.
On the topic of Porsches, you can get your hands on a rare 1990 Porsche 964 RS N-GT at the auction. This car is said to be an extremely focused racing car in road-legal trim. It is devoid of niceties such as interior trim and sound deadening, and weighs some 155kg less than an equivalent standard 964-series Porsche 911. All the work on the car was carried out by the Porsche factory in Germany.
The RS N-GT was brought into South Africa by Bruce Joelson, who was known for heading up Elna Sewing Machines locally, and sponsoring SA Superbike champion Dave Petersen. It is one of only 290 similar examples on the planet.
Rory Byrne will attend on Friday. Picture: supplied
Get yourself ready for some tyre-kicking like never before in a few weeks. And, if you’re situated outside of Gauteng, the organisers say this is one car meet that is worth every bit of effort to attend. For more information, or if you’d like to put one of your classic cars up for auction at the event, contact Paul Kennard on [email protected].
The organisers of Concours South Africa have also confirmed that former Formula One designer Rory Byrne will be attending the event on the Friday 10 August when he’ll be inducted into the SA Hall of Fame.