The classic curator
All my cars are one-click starts, except for the 1969 Austin Cambridge.
WHEN WAS the last time you saw a car the is hand-cranked from the front? The answer most persons will give is, never. “My cars might not be pretty charming with that modern attractiveness, but they are functional,” said Darmand, a car enthusiast who holds a PhD in electrical engineering.
“All my cars are one-click starts, except for the 1969 Austin Cambridge,” he added. As general manager of Petrojam Ethanol Ltd, Darmand regards himself as a curator o Jamaica’s, old original transportation system. “It’s a 1930 technology I have on the road in modern 2017 and driving with ethanol in it,” he said.
“When you see a car, you can’t help but think how marvellous the process is. Ten years ago, someone created such a master piece. Ten years before that, someone was drawing it. Ten years before, someone was conceptualising it.”
LOVED ACADEMICS
Darmand hails from the western end of the island. He attended Barracks Road Primary School and Cornwall College, before moving on to the College of Arts, Science and Technology (now UTech).
“Although I gave some trouble at school, I loved the academics I loved schoolwork, I was in love with english, maths and chemistry.” According to Darmand, “you pass this way but once,” and so his mantra is, “do it regardless, no matter the obstacles and stumbling blocks”.
Darmand was awarded the GraceKennedy Foundation award for academic excellence and also received the USAID scholarship to attend the North Carolina A&T State University.
“As a researcher by profession, before I purchase any motor vehicle, I have to do a background check-up. I examine the age of the motor vehicle, the story behind it, availability of spare parts, and relevance to the transportation sector.” The classic car enthusiast further stated: “We are the vanguard of the old Jamaican transportation system on whose backs the Jamaican society was built.”
Darmand keeps his classic motor vehicles so that others can view them and enjoy a moment of nostalgia. Of course, the next logical thing to think about when dealing with vintage cars is the availability of parts. “Classic car parts are not available from the spare parts establishments. One has to make good use of the oldtime mechanic to make the parts and then to fit those parts according to specifications of the vehicle,” he said.