Rubber, steel and a whole lot of heart
Driving around Umhlanga, you may catch a glimpse of something whizzing past you and hear the roar of a mighty engine. At other times, you hear a low rumble and see a car as old as your grandparents enjoying a cruise around the town. I’d describe sighting the former as thrilling while the latter would inspire a sense of awe and reverence.
As someone who has acquired knowledge about cars from racing games and the occasional episode of Top Gear, I’ve always wondered about what the significance of classic cars were and the team at The SMG Collection, a niche brand within SMG that provides car enthusiasts with the finest pre-owned luxury cars around, including a selection of some lovely classic cars, gave me quite the inside look into this world.
I’ve learned that we can’t call any car a classic. Certain requirements must be met before we can refer to them. After researching further into the topic, I found that there’s much debate about how old a car has to be before it can be considered a classic car. Age-wise, the general consensus seems that a car must be 30 years and older to be considered a classic. Cars between 15 to 25 years old are often labelled as modern classics. Once you classify them by age, you can then place them into sub-categories according to whether they are limited editions, with special features and made for a specific purpose (like racing) or perhaps only a certain number of that particular build was made.
Humans are truly unique creatures, and we love expressing that individuality and setting ourselves apart from the crowd. We love to acquire distinct valuables that nobody else has, which is uncommon in our social circles. Having a car from 50 years ago, of which only 100 was produced, would make you stand out quite significantly. But it’s not just the age of these cars which are interesting about them.
Looking at the quality of the builds, back then, these cars were considered “over-engineered” for their time. This means that the quality of the vehicles, engines, materials and even the engineering process was of the utmost quality. The designs used are timeless, created by minds who were forward thinking and designed and built these cars to last forever. Knowing this history behind the cars, considering their age and the passion poured into making them, ushers a sense of respect and admiration in this community. Speaking to them is like going into university as a first year again. The conversations make you a better person as you learn about patience, hard work and dedication.
As with all machines, they will need to be run and have maintenance services done regularly on them and the restoration process can take anything from three weeks to six months. It depends on the time, effort and money you’re willing to put into it and what you want to get out of the car. Do you want to keep it for display, or would you like to take them out for regular drives? At The SMG Collection, they have partnered with reputable garages to carry out their restorations and have seen cars coming out looking brand new.
This respect-driven community is dedicated to preserving these incredible pieces of history and superior engineering specimens. One thing I can take away from learning about classic cars is that there’s not only a monetary value attached to them but also a sentimental value. Having these cars around from all those years ago, help us preserve history from a time period where everything including cars, had meaning, and let’s hope that new car builders take a page out of classic cars books for the cars of the future.
Words: Cristina Govender