Private collection: medicine man
In the dry Northern Cape is a passionate car collector who was only too happy to share his lifelong love of cars with us
DURING my school days in Windhoek, there were always two 1930s RollsRoyces at the annual carnival and they fascinated me.” This memory laid the foundation for Kobus van der Walt’s interest in cars.
It was after nishing his studies and embarking on a edgling career that he rst investigated the possibility of buying a second-hand Rolls-royce in the UK and importing it to South Africa. However, with study debt to pay off and just an entry-level pharmacist salary at his disposal, Kobus realised one of Britain’s nest – even a second-hand one – was still beyond his means.
“I then started to save money to get married, followed by another two years at university. After that our children arrived and it was only around 20 years ago that I could really start to indulge and enjoy my passion for cars.’
“The rst classic car I bought was a 1947 Jaguar 1,5 Sedan but it wasn’t in a great condition. Next was a 1956 Mercedes 300 ‘Adenauer’ and, after this purchase, I joined our local Kalahari Ou Motor Klub, which was of great bene t to me as the members were very helpful. At this stage, I exchanged the Jaguar for a 1928 Ford Roadster.”
There is one car Kobus regrets selling: “At one stage, I owned a beautiful Jaguar E-type V12 Coupé but I sold it around ve years ago. I now want to pull out my hair as I can’t afford to buy it back.
“Later, my interest in Mercedes-benz grew as the very rst car I owned was a 1959 180d Ponton. [His second car was a Volvo 544.]” This explains Kobus’ af nity for Pontons, of which he owns four.
He explains the MercedesBenz Club of South Africa is especially useful in terms of members assisting with parts, which would otherwise have to be imported at great expense.
“Most of the Mercedes- Benzes I have bought were already in a good condition. Now and then I’ll need to work on a carburettor or I’ll have the upholstery or roof lining redone. A few of them have been repainted, but other than that these cars are not extensive restoration projects. If an engine has to be overhauled, I’ll send it away for a specialist to do.”
Another garage reveals a number of much older cars. There are two pre-war Ford A Roadsters from 1928 and ‘31, as well as a ‘24 Dodge Brothers Touring with a soft top, all of which, he tells me, were in great condition when they were purchased.
As is often the case, classic cars seem to nd their way into Kobus’ garage: “I don’t really search for these classic cars. They tend to cross my path,” he chuckles.
As Kobus doesn’t live in Upington permanently, he makes a point of driving the cars when he is in town. “There are regular enquiries to use the cars for weddings, and a friend of mine pilots the cars for these events. I would like to keep them here in Upington for now as they are better preserved [in the dry air] than taking them to the coast.”
And what of his rst love, Rolls-royce? Well, happily, that was nally requited by a beautiful and elegant 1951 Rolls-royce Silver Dawn.
There is one car Kobus regrets selling: "I owned a Jaguar E-type V12 Coupé but sold it five years ago. I want to pull out my hair because I can't afford to buy it back"