Leaving home at 6am recently on my way to work I found a beautiful Jaguar XJ6 series 1 SWB covered in dew on the Blouberg beachfront. Seeing classics is not difficult in Cape Town, so lets see what else I run into on my daily commute across the city.
Old XJ6’s are not uncommon here, but the perfect original condition of this one is unusual. Original hubcaps, wow!
I got thinking about this post when I dropped the above picture earlier this year at the Cohort, titled ‘on my way to work’ and Matthew with 2 Ts commented saying if only his commute looked that good. This Peugeot 206 is hardly a classic, but I love the lines. I am appreciating them more now than when they were new, and the cabriolet is really appealing.
After a few k’s I peel away from the sea to cross the peninsula. I travel up Koeberg Road, always a source of automotive entertainment. Love this Borgward Isabella, these were popular here when new and many are still around, some being used as daily drivers well into the ’90s. Although this business is auto related, this car was not for sale, and I guess the owner is just showing off his personal collection in the front of the store.
At the same location on a different day, a ’69 Mercury Cougar and the same ’60 Morris Minor. I love the early morning light when it is shining in the right direction..
Further down the road; same story here, my kind of car dealer, the ‘not for sale’ classics stand in the showroom and the late model car stock slums it outside. This Alfa Spider is one of my all time favourite cars.
Keeping with an Alfa theme, here is a lovely ’63 Guilia 1600 ti seen on the way home. Cape Town traffic is really thick and unpredictable. I often adjust my route to suit the conditions, and taking detours through the industrial areas I get to see beautiful metal like this. When I was a kid in the 60’s Alfas like this were really hot stuff, a bit like BMW is today.
Love the lines on this ’66 Barracuda, but they always seemed a bit underwheeled to me. Those hubcaps dont look correct to me, otherwise love how complete this car is.
In summer the sun goes down around 8pm so after work I have time to get in a couple of pictures. I love the roll bar, not quite sure what the owner of this VW CitiGolf has in mind.. this pic was taken about 5kms from Killarney race track, so maybe he is planning on hitting the track some time soon.
And lastly, as you can see from the morning sky this week, Winter is moving in. After Easter I will be travelling to work in the dark. Paul, this might interest you, the circa 1997 – 2004 Toyota Condor 3000D 4×4, a 3 litre diesel, super rugged and straightforward, created for developing markets in Indonesia from the Toyota Kijiang.
Those XJ6 photos are beautiful. Any way I can get full-res versions to use as my desktop wallpaper?
Just downloaded the first Jag pic for wallpaper on my old PC. Nice!
Thank you Pikesta.
Hi Tom, you are welcome to the pics. Ive tried sending two responses to you but I don’t think they went through. Let me know how I can best send them.
Now I need to know about Toyota Condors. More time spent on Google that I’ll never get back.
Reminds me to time spent outside of the U.S. in the Navy. Totally different world of cars.
Hi Lee, Ive just dropped two more Toyota Condor pics at the cohort, a hearse and a fire support vechicle. They are also popular as informal taxi’s. Info is a bit light on Google for Condor, I was looking myself for this article.
Nice article and nice selection. The last time I found alphas and Morris Minors together was Panama during the 70s. There was a relatively active racing scene there at the time. Couple of my friends thought that was a good way to rid themselves of their money. Nostalgia.
Agree on the “underwheeled” look of the early Barracuda, a nice set of period alloy wheels are what they all need.
Early Barracuda wheels and tires were very small, 6.50 x 13 on an uncommon small lug pattern 5 x 4 which looked smaller than they were on the Barracuda. Think of these as being the same size on early Japanese cars which were smaller. The more desirable 14″ wheels in the 5 x 4 lug pattern have always been hard to find, even when these cars were new. But the change in handling, tire life and overall drive-ability make it worth it and the fact they look better also.
Very nice!
I believe that those wheelcovers on the 66 Barracuda are correct base-level wheelcovers. We are so used to seeing either optional fake-mag wheelcovers or Mopar wheel upgrades on these that the original Valiant-style covers look wrong. And for the record, I agree that it needs more wheel.
Where are all of those Rear Wheel Drive PEUGEOT 504,404s.
More in North Africa than South Africa — though I’m sure a few are still around down near Pikesta’s neck of the woods….
Fantastic photography – thanks for these great pics and post.
Hi Joseph, thanks! You especially, and all the other writers and photographers here inspired me to get out and start taking pics and begin submitting to CC.
I think I will have the Guilia as my main, with a side of XJ6 and perhaps a little Condor to finish up. Thanks for the outstanding selections of the day!
That 206 you got there is a GTi. Would love to put my hands on one. The Pug shop that is on my way back home usually have a couple, but they want serious coin for them. They also recently got a 205 GTi.
The pictures are fantastic. The news I’ve been reading from ZA not so much 🙁
That Condor is adorable, it looks like a 5/8 scale FJ80.
Awesome pics, but your narrative deserves a mention, as well…Very good storytelling. 🙂
On the Jag XJ6, those aren’t hubcaps…More like a baby moon lug cover, on some nice chrome Jaguar road wheels.
Love those chrome mag wheels on the early XJ6 and sometimes, on E-types. Those always looked elegant, to me.
A set of aftermarket rims would’ve cheapened the look.
Love the Alfas, the Mk 1 Golf/Rabbit, and the vintage US iron.
Those Peugeot 205/206s, are classics, in their own rite… Especially, in GTi guise.
The 2005 multiverse science fiction program “Charlie Jade” was set in Cape Town. The title character, a detective, drives an Aston Martin DBS6 in what is known as “Cape City” in his home universe. This has nothing to do with car-spotting in the real Cape Town, probably not many DBS6s on the street, but I was reminded of this little-known South African series. (Low-def episodes are on youtube.)
I’ve made no secret of my love for the XJ6, and those pics certainly do this one justice.
Well dear Pikesta you made my day with the XJ6 on the beach, so here’s the ‘Indian” Peugeot 206 commercial just for you !
Great stuff yet again, Pikesta!
Just saw a 206 here in Burma — a most unusual event, I can assure you! But those are road cockroaches in many other countries.
Love the Alfa and the Jag. And that Isabella’s going to have some company on CC in a few days…
Same latitude, but unfortunately São Paulo doesn’t have the CC trove you have at your disposal…makes me jelous!
Thanks for all the comments guys! Rammstein, that Peugeot ad is hillarious, great ad too..
Alberto, I love your photos of Brazillian cars, like the DKW-Vemag and the VW Brasilia.