Not as old as classic

There’s nothing as precious as witnessing a vehicle produced in the Forties or Fifties, so well taken care of that you might mistake it for being new. Saturday was one such opportunity that only comes along once a year. A colossal number of legendary vehicles were on display and open for the public to see. Digging deeper into what the Old Wheelers Club is and when they started.Many have heard of the name, and that’s how far their knowledge reaches. Founded in 1986, with the aim of promoting all things related to motor vehicles older than 25 years, the club has still retained ten of its initial 26 founder members. The club has had its fair share of memorable events, providing cars for the Queen’s independence celebration visit, participating and assisting the 1999 London to Cape Town rally and the most recent - opening the doors of their clubhouse on 26 January 2013 which took them quite a while, considering the club will be celebrating its 30th birthday next year on 30 July 2016.The club operates on a structured membership system. Members can be either social or full-time members. Full time members take an active role in club activities and are required to own an “old wheeler” but provision can be made for sponsors and event organisers. In order to make use of the facilities of the club (which include a bar and a private motoring museum) patrons would need to be members of the club or invited guests. The club also operates a few subdivisions such as the BMW motorcycle group, the Harley Davidson owners group and Land Rover owners Namibia.One of the founding members and current chairman Steve Hirst shared some info on his car collection consisting of a 1962 Land Rover, a 1952 Austin, a 1959 Rover, and a 1962 Jaguar. He also owns two vintage motorcycles namely a 1958 Norton and a 1968 B.S.A. All the cars are in working condition except the Rover which is currently having the engine overhauled whilst the Austin is having its paint job refurbished. Hirst made note of the main headache faced by collectors of classic cars which is availability and cost of spare parts, but was quick to mention that the internet has made procurement easier over the years but patience is still required.The founding chairman Peter Breitenstein has rebuilt several cars and has sourced parts from all over the world. He has reportedly spent over N$500 000 on one of his project cars over a period of 17 years to make it new – or rather “better than new”. Owners of old wheelers consist of three main groups according to Hirst - hoarders who buy old wheelers simply to own them; restorers who take pride in finding a car in a dreadful state and nursing it back to its former glory and drivers who maintain their vehicles without them necessarily being ready for the ‘concours d’elegance’ and are not afraid of using them regularly going by the motto “drive it don’t hide it” which sums up Steve’s approach quite well. He concluded by saying, “I like my cars nice, but not too nice to drive.”The club also provides services for hire like renting out its hall, and you can hire one of these old wheelers with its chauffeur for events like weddings, photography or any general function that may require their services.GARWIN BEUKES

Not as old as classic

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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Not as old as classic

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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