Cape Town - A 1963 MK2 Jaguar and a Jaguar limited-edition Super V8 were ruined when a water pipe burst in the underground parking of a block of flats in Table View, flooding the area and damaging vehicles worth millions.
Roger Robeck, a car collector and chairman of the Cape Jaguar Club, said two of his cars had been in the underground garage.
“The pipe burst in the middle of the complex entrance at 3am. Two of my cars have been ruined.”
Robeck owns nine cars including a 1957 Austin Healey, a 1948 Hudson Commodore and a 1990 Jaguar XJS V12 convertible, all of which were at other premises.
“The Jaguar V8 supercharge is buggered and this is a special edition. It’s a write-off because the electronics and engine were covered in water.”
Cup holders were filled with water, and an iPad and phone submerged.
“I’ve had the car for 18 months and it was worth R1.2 million.”
Other residents were also anxious as they opened their garage doors to assess the damage.
Minki Seale was more concerned about paintings stored inside her garage than her Mercedes-Benz. “It is 20 years of painting and I can’t get that back. I’ve been crying this whole morning.”
Seale said the paintings had hung in her Knysna holiday home, which she was packing up. “No one would understand what I put in here.”
She was even more distraught after opening the boot of her car to find private documents soaked.
“Oh my God, my life is in here and it is ruined.”
The water was pumped out of the garage by 11.30am.
Heilie Keet, the owner of a Mercedes-Benz, said it was “a complete disaster”.
City of Cape Town media spokesman Simon Maytham said they were looking into the matter.
Cape Argus