Adelaide’s hottest historic cars and the revhead owners who love them
You can appreciate a nice looking set of wheels, but these South Aussies REALLY love cars.
Lifestyle
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There is no question that South Australia is home to some of the most passionate car enthusiasts in the country – with plenty of head-turning classic, modified or historic wheels easy to spot out on a Sunday drive.
From hosting the ‘golden era’ of Formula 1 racing and the Adelaide 500, to the just-announced V8 Supercars event slated for 2022, a deep love of motoring is something SA holds dear to its identity.
And not only does SA love its motorsport, but the state boasts a large number of registered historic vehicles.
In 2017, the previous Labor government reviewed the historic registration scheme, and encouraged more people to register older vehicles for 90 days a year for a discounted rate.
As of the end of November, state government data showed 33,920 historic vehicles, including 784 left-hand drive and 304 street rod vehicles, were registered.
A total of 62,915 vehicles manufactured before 1989 were registered on SA roads.
The figure does not account for vehicles unregistered, or sitting in garages and warehouses around the state.
Census data from this year shows South Australia has the second oldest average age of vehicles in the country at 12 years, falling just short of Tasmania at 13.3 years. But Census does not collate classic car ownership, or account for vehicles that are unregistered.
For those that enjoy driving their classic, modified or historic vehicles, car nuts around the state host 22 individual ‘Cars and Coffee' style events each month at local shopping centres, car parks and public meeting spots, where enthusiasts and friends can catch up in the early hours of Sunday mornings to chat all things motoring.
One of the state’s most popular events, Cars & Coffee Unley, regularly attracts more than 200 cars packed into the Unley Shopping Centre on the third Sunday of the month.
Event organiser Tom Stuart, 23, of Parkside, said it was a “phenomenon that’s transcended beyond just being a scene from an everyday shopping centre car park”.
“It’s a social gathering, a melting pot for enthusiasts where every make, model and vintage of automotive expressions are welcomed.”
Mr Stuart said people often brought their pets and children to the event, which was aimed at enthusiasts of all ages.
“It’s the sort of event where you’ll find a Lamborghini parked next to a Kombi van,” he said.
So who are some the people behind the wheel of SA’s prized classic cars?
The Advertiser spoke to four of the state’s young car enthusiasts who share a love for showing off their cars for others to enjoy.
Adam Cannell
He’s never been one to follow the trend, and Adam Cannell’s car builds certainly stand out among some of the finest on Adelaide’s car scene.
His current garage is an enthusiast’s paradise, with a Nissan Skyline GT-R ‘Hakosuka’, widebody Porsche 911, Morris Minor drag ute and Mazda FD3S RX-7 a selected few from the collection.
At local Cars and Coffee meets, Mr Cannell’s tastefully modified cars, comprising top-shelf parts, always draw a crowd.
Similar examples to the legendary and unbelievably rare Hakosuka, that Mr Cannell said he described to his wife as a “celebrity” due to its cult status, are selling for over $150,000. The Porsche? North of that figure, too.
“Same with the 911,” he said. You almost don’t want to drive them because people almost crash into me because they’re looking at it.”
One of the most approachable people you’ll find at a car meet, the 37-year-old of Craigburn Farm said he had worked his way up to high value cars by buying and selling popular makes and models that had a racing pedigree.
“I’ve always chosen something that’s raced at Bathurst, or got a race pedigree or cult following, and worked my way up,” he said.
“I don’t sell a car until it triples in value, really.”
And the strategy has worked. Mr Cannell has been able to renovate two investment properties and got his family to “the next level”.
While attempting to be original, the diesel workshop owner finds tool work “relaxing”.
“I would say the fact that you can tune out … that it sort of is an escape … it’s quite relaxing.”
Matt Kelly
Matt Kelly has always been a competitive type.
He started downhill mountain bike racing at 11-years-old, and now, at 22, the Hahndorf apprentice mechanic has built a race car from the ground up.
Mr Kelly has competed in the last two Adelaide Rally events in his BMW E36 325i. The car started life as a daily driver belonging to an elderly woman, before Mr Kelly – equipped with a vision to buy a white sedan with no sunroof – spotted it.
“I saw this one in the carpark and literally waited for her to come back to her car,” he said.
After stripping the car, installing racing seats and a roll cage and competing in his first rally with the stock six-cylinder engine, he found an S50 motor out of the E36 M3, but like all car enthusiasts, he still had more to do.
“I ended up getting the S50 to sort out the power issue but there’s still things I need to check off – suspension, brakes.”
He placed fifth in the Rally’s Modern Challenge category, held in November, but thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience.
“I’ve always enjoyed learning, so getting into motorsport … I was super new and didn’t know much about it, but I wanted to learn,” he said.
“I do really love hanging out with my mates, that’s a by-product of being in it, because all my mates are into cars as well.”
Tom Stuart
Cars have always been about more than just getting from A-to-B for Parkside’s Tom Stuart.
Growing up with his grandfather’s love affair for MG British roadsters, and the eventual passing of the baton of MG ownership, Mr Stuart has a passion for 1960s and 1970s cars running through his veins.
Falling in-love with classic cars, the 23-year-old is eager to keep the passion alive.
“These gorgeous cars that have so much soul and personality,” Mr Stuart says.
“I had always had a bit of a fascination with them … over time that grew and got to the point where I was lucky enough to be driving the MG B as my first car,” he said.
His daily drive is a luxurious Toyota Crown Majesta, lowered on factory airbag suspension and 20-inch wheels, making the MG B that much more special.
While the Crown Majesta boasts “cool Japanese quirks” like guided voice navigation, retractable foot rests, a bar fridge, and TV screens, he said modifying a car is more than just throwing money at a machine.
“I found that it led me down a path of finding other people who shared similar experiences as me,” he said.
“I don’t think of it as investing in the car itself, I think of it as investing in the flow-on effects.”
Those flow-on effects include being involved deeply in subsections of car culture, for example the classic British roadster or “VIP” Japanese luxury car scene.
But for Mr Stuart says being involved in the automotive community has helped him develop as a person, no matter what car he happens to be driving.
“Having a car that I enjoy driving … I’ve found that it’s improved my mental health greatly.”
Jay Medlen
Seeing a car riddled with patina paint and rust would turn many an enthusiast away, but wear and tear is something that Jay Medlen cherishes.
Mr Medlen, 39, of Lockleys, works at Porsche restoration specialist RSR Sports Cars, in what many enthusiasts would call a dream job.
And while seeing a car “you can see through because it’s so rusty” turn into something that belongs on the showroom floor is “incredibly rewarding”, Mr Medlen says it has made him appreciate untouched survivor cars.
Like Mr Stuart, Mr Medlen is a 1960s car aficionado, with his current garage consisting of a 1960s Mercedes 220SE, Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 912.
Besides “slamming” his cars on adjustable airbag suspension, Mr Medlen enjoys leaving their engines stock and paint original, in order to preserve the “time capsule” vehicles.
His Mercedes has visible patina paint, something he said “took a while to adjust to” having previously owned immaculately presented cars.
“It’s all original paint … getting a bit older now, I really like to find a survivor car,” he said.
“It keeps their character when they’re all original and it tells a story.
“The rattles the bumps, the wind blowing through the seals – to me that adds character.”
As well as working on cars every day, Mr Medlen designs helmets for his side business, JDesign for casual to competitive racers.
“It gives me the enjoyment to get to the track and see your artwork come to life.”
Do you have a classic car in your garage? Snap a pic of you with it and enter it in our summer photo competition.
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