The stunning cars of the Old Tannery in Wellington

The next time you drive through Wellington, or find yourself near this Winelands town, make sure you stop at the Old Tannery for a coffee and to enjoy a true petrolhead's space. 

Words and images: Wilhelm Lutjeharms 

The imposing stature of a pre-war Bentley Le Mans Tourer 8-litre greets you as you walk into the room. It is a 1930 model and as expected one of only, at a rough guess, around 10 or 15 pre-war Bentleys in South Africa, and said to be the only 8-litre in the country.

It might be the centre of the collection, but look to your left and there is a cozy seating space while the area is further decorated with books, old jerry and oil cans and vintage furniture. There are also vintage fuel pumps, model cars and a variety of memorabilia we associate with the automotive industry or from the middle of the previous century. In the one corner there is even a number of motorbikes, all part of the collection.

I make my way clockwise around the room and it is clear that the collection is focused around Ford Model Ts. What is immediately noticeable, is the condition of the cars – they are immaculate. 

• Find a classic car for yourself here.

The roofless cars look the most interesting while the practicality of the close-topped cars is evident. With the engine lids opened, the simplicity of these early cars is on display and so are their cabins and any other mechanical systems and parts. 

The Old Tannery, which hosted a motoring get-together in the recent past, will have another event on the 19th of November. However, currently a lot is happening on the premises and large-scale renovations are taking place while new shops are being set up. It certainly looks like the investors want to make this one of the main attractions in the area, not only for car enthusiasts, but for travelers, families and those looking for a good meal.

The collector’s story

The owner of the Model Ts starts talking passionately about his motoring journey.

“I’ve owned a number of interesting cars in the past. These included, for example, both the Phase 1 and 2 Renault Clio V6s. I really regret selling them, every day. I bought both from a fellow collector who specialised in Renaults. I owned them for around four years, and then out of the blue a private number phoned me from overseas, showing interest in both cars. Sadly it was a deal too good to miss.

“I remember being in primary school and already then my dad was restoring cars. These cars included a split-window Volkswagen Kombi, a 2-door Colt and several Volkswagen Beetles. He taught me so much, everything I know today about restoring cars...

“One of the most notable characteristics about restoring a car is that you need to have finesse. I firmly believe that there are only a few people in this country that truly know how to restore a car.”

The collector’s path with cars has taken several turns during his life, however. “I farmed for several years and during that time I had a large collection of cars. When we moved to the Cape around 10 years ago, I sold most of them and only kept two cars. One of the cars I kept was my 1940 Ford bakkie which is now completely restored.

“Then I started looking for cars again – which at times can get out of hand! For me it doesn’t make sense to have a wide variety of cars, which is when I decided to specialise in Ford Model Ts.” Needless to say, the collector has been a huge Ford fan throughout his life, even though he has owned, and still owns classic and new cars from other brands.

“If there is one guy who knows all there is to know about Model Ts, it is Philip Kushke in George. He is able to look at a Model T and tell you exactly what is standard and what is not. He has taught me nearly everything I know about these cars today.

“The reason I enjoy and appreciate Model Ts is because it has such an interesting history. It is a difficult car to work on, but also fun at the same time. Then there is the challenge of driving these cars, which is a learning curve on its own. At the beginning I owned three models Ts, and I still couldn’t drive them. It took me a long time to learn how to drive them and currently I’m busy teaching my wife how to drive these cars. But that is all part of the journey with these cars.”

Benefit of collecting Model Ts

He admits that an element that makes the collecting of these cars relatively easy is that there are a number of companies in the USA where you can buy and order parts for these cars. Making use of international courier services, these parts can be at your door step within a week. 

Currently there are just over ten Model Ts in his collection at the Old Tannery. The collector admits that fellow enthusiasts will inform him if there is a Model T up for sale or when people are looking for a good home for their car. “I’ve recently acquired a 1912 Model T from a lady whose husband sadly passed away up north, so I travelled to there to fetch the car and bring it to Cape Town.”

He prides himself on the fact that all of his cars are period correct and that everything on a car is like it should be. “For example, this 1914 Model T Racer behind us. It has a 1914 engine in it, it has the correct differential, the correct cooling and steering systems. That is important to me.”

At home he is busy restoring and rebuilding a few more of these pre-war cars and he even owns a 1913 Model T that has never been restored – surely quite a rare find these days! One thing is clear, this is an alive and ever-evolving collection.