The International Public Art Festival came to Cape Town early this year. I went down to Salt River, the suburb where it was all happening, and came across something special, a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible.
The Starfire was the top sporty big Oldsmobile for 1962, available in convertible or 2 door hardtop only. This may be the only one in South Africa. They were not officially sold here, and anyone wanting a large American status symbol, and paying a high import tax, would have likely have gone for a Cadillac.
Ive seen this car around, it lives in the area, but I’ve never been able to get close. The owners run a car hire business which includes the ’56 Chrysler below, and I understand this car is part of the stable.
Seeing the car face to face I really like the styling. After some of GM’s overwrought late 50’s exercises this is clean and elegant. The side flash looks like a nightmare to align, but adds a fun sporty touch.
I found these cars grouped in the local sport ground parking lot. I love the chopper bike, in the early ’70’s that was THE bike for teenagers to have. No such trendy nonsense for me. My parents were oblivious to the needs of a 12 year old trying to to keep up with the Jones’s.
I’ve photographed the ’56 Chrysler before, can’t remember if I shared the pics; one of the standout details are opening quarter windows at the rear edge of the rear windows.
An awesome piece by Dekor_one. Salt River is a semi industrial and residential suburb very close to the city centre.
How these guys work on this scale is beyond me, snazzy crane.
And the finished piece, by Maye. Not sure if this image will show the vibrant colour of the original.
A piece by Kipper Millsap in a business yard. I stuck my arm through the motor gate to take the picture, constantly looking if a guard dog was going to take a chunk out of me. The things we do for CC.. The van is a Peugeot Partner I believe. French cars don’t sell that well here but do well in the small delivery van market.
I love buildings that look like faces. Conform, aka Wayne is a prolific local street artist.
A Toyota Tazz in front of Herstory, a piece still under construction. The Tazz was first sold here as the Toyota Conquest in 1988, as the 5 door version of the Corolla. In 1996 it was repositioned as the Conquest Tazz, to slot in below the new incoming Corolla, and was finally discontinued in 2006.
This Tazz front end looks a little modified by masking tape, they were going for the assymetrical look…
A while back William Stopford asked ‘what do young people drive in your area’, and the answer in South Africa is usually VW.
This is a VW Polo Vivo GT. When a new Polo is introduced here the previous one stays in production, is decontented to keep the price low, and is called Vivo, big business!
There are VW’s everywhere, I wasn’t specially seeking them out. This slightly dishevelled Polo GTI is parked in front of a work by Conform.
Old Beetles are all over, some get upgraded, this one just keeps going in original condition minus running boards.
…And this Jetta wasn’t going anywhere so Bona-Berlin just incorporated it into the artwork!
And this VW Caddy, parked next to much older art in neighbouring Woodstock, is being lived in I gather. People were moving around in the back.
I came across these guys doing an engine swap under a makeshift tarpaulin.
A Piece by Nardstar, unfortunately most Honda Ballades from this series have rusted away.
These kids were ‘helping Dad’ to mix paint for his new piece, see below.
I’ll go back later to see the final result. See the string taped to the wall, that is used to place paint lines.
Of course street art can be mobile too.. I bumped into this Kombi on the way home. Hope you enjoyed the tour.
You can tell the dude in orange shorts is a Real Photographer (TM) because Real Photographers (TM) always get into contortionist poses when they Shoot Film (TM). Ordinary people just hold the camera and take a picture.
Your posts are a delight, Pikesta. The photos are somehow always very full of life.
Exactly my sentiments. They always make me want to go there, all the colors, shapes and…the cars too.
Thanks so much Justy, I love it when people walk into my field of vision and I snap away. They are generally oblivious to me being there.. No-one ever gives me a funny look. Having people in a car pic adds context, especially old cars vs local street life.
Well said. And, we must complement the excellent artists whose work we got to see.
It is interesting to see the big Olds and Chrysler then the VWs but not much in between.
I don’t recall seeing that Chrysler here before, but I think that basic green color might be original as I have shot a 56 New Yorker sedan in my area in that same shade.
I am still not completely there on the 62 Oldsmobile. I would take a 61 or a 63-64 over it. I just find the 62 to have too much stuff in the service of too few styling ideas.
The ’62 Starfire is one of my all time favorites for the same reasons that JPC is not quite there.
When new, these were indeed – over the top – and to my 18 year old GM chrome and stainless loving mind, these were the best of ’em all.
The bold stainless side strip is more noticeable in the dark red color, and I had the opportunity to ride in a red over red one when it was new. When my friends went into the home we were visiting, I hung back, sat in the front seat, and quietly absorbed the multi-hued red interior, the thin shifter, and the console mounted tach, with all of the awe and fascination that GM was so easily capable of creating with their products.
Back then.
That’s what I remember about the Starfire, the interior. When I was in 6th grade, my first girlfriend’s parents had a blue Starfire and we used to sit in the front seats of that car when it was parked in the garage. That’s one of my best memories of her, along with the discovery that kisses really didn’t taste “sweeter than wine”, dammit.
Hi JP, regarding your point about there not being much in size between the Olds and Chrysler and the VW’s; the Polo and the Polo Vivo were the two top selling cars in SA in Jan 2019. Our car size profile is very similar to Europe, supermini’s dominate, German luxury sedans in between, and then SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner that comes in at number 4 in the sales chart.
Tell the lady in the jeans to get out of the way. I want to see more of those bikes….
OK, here’s a different shot.. I should have spent more time on the bikes!
Trying again..
I’d bet the Starfire’s loaded. Headlight dimmer “eye” is visible atop the dash. Probably has AC and powered vent windows too.
That was the first GM model I recall seeing equipped with “Delcotron” alternator; a model year before the rest of the crowd.