GENESIS OF A PETROLHEAD

To some, cars are merely a mode of transport, while others derive endless pleasure from owning and driving them. At 88 years, I rmly belong to the latter category. My rst car, at the age of four, was a brightred pedal car. We lived in Johannesburg and, when an opportunity arose, I slipped out of the front gate and headed for Zoo Lake. Alas, a police van picked me up and took me home. My car was con scated and I was given a damn good hiding.

When I was nine, my father bought a 1939 Plymouth. I was thrilled! In 1952, I accompanied him on a trip from Stellenbosch to Johannesburg and monitored the vehicles encountered. The total was 47 on the entire trip, which included Plymouths, Mercurys, Fords and Oldsmobiles and not one large truck.

In 1954, I took over the Plymouth. Having reached courting age, the steering column gearshift and crosswise front seat were very convenient. After marriage, we lived on the West Coast with its atrocious roads. The 17-year-old Plymouth suffered dreadfully and was replaced by a 1956 VW Beetle. Although underpowered, this little car handled the poor roads with aplomb.

Over the years, I have driven countless cars, thankfully all accident-free. Currently, I own a 2014 81 kw VW Tiguan TDI. With its superb manual gearbox, it’s satisfying to drive in town, over long distances and on rough roads. Average fuel consumption is 6,2 L/100 km. I often wonder whether those beautiful high-performance cars can really be justi ed in terms of cost, safety and fuel consumption. That is obviously an old codger’s comment… ALLAN HEYDORN By email [Great memories here, Allan! For your efforts, enjoy our winning-letter prize – editor.]