Olden Beauties
Vint ag
Olden Beauties
e
Ve
hic
les
Jump on the vintage vehicle bandwagon with KARYN CHEW as she takes you on a dream ride down memory lane, and check out interesting insights from young Singaporean vintage car owners themselves!
T
hey reigned in style in their prime, but still continue to hold sway as they ‘vroom’ down on roads everywhere, be it on black city tar roads or up in tricky mountainous dirt roads. Whichever path taken, they are sure to leave a trail of impact behind them! Imagine walking on the sidewalk and you hear the purrs of a soft, subtle engine. Hush – where is it coming from? You have got to find out. A quick spin of your head and you immediately spot the source - a stunning vintage car. Would you just admire that antique beauty from afar or are you passionate enough to actually follow it? Well, Lim Tian Hai, 31, a classic vehicle enthusiast, and co-owner of Kombi Rocks, would do the latter. “I’ll try to hunt down the owner and persuade him to sell it to me, because I’m always looking to expand my collection of vintage cars. Once, I had to wait 10 years before the owner of a 1961 Lambretta Series 1 scooter sold it to me!” Tian Hai recalls unabashedly.
1935 FORD COUPE (PHOTOS BY KARYN CHEW)
When asked how he feels when he spots a vintage car, Greg Chew, 21, an NSF, enthused, “I get very excited! It just makes me have the urge to own one of it badly. I want to know how it feels to be riding in it!” For those automobile newbies out there – a vintage car is typically defined as a car built during the “Vintage era” when, “The Big Three” American automotive companies ruled the industry: Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. It was a time of transition in the automotive world; where cars went from uncommon to ubiquitous. An interest in car collecting has since been sparked worldwide. Even on the shores of Singapore, there are a growing number of avid automobile enthusiasts, especially among the younger generation. This has helped these vintage babies make a roaring comeback!
Tian Hai addressed this growing interest, saying, “I have many friends around my age who are vintage vehicle collectors like myself, they share the same passion, and the amount of young people who own vintage vehicles, be it a car or a Vespa, are definitely increasing.” An example of such would be Pearl, 28, co-owner of Kombi Rocks. Pearl, who drives a black 1961 Beetle, tells us her opinion on the appeal of vintage cars, “Well, vintage cars stand out from the common and mainstream. Not only are they rare, full of charm and a head-turner, there’s rich history in the car.” Owning a vintage car actually requires a lot of hard work and dedication! One example is the tedious restoration work to be done.
‘V’ MAGAZINE “If you pick the right car, one that is well restored and maintained by the previous owner, you’ll have an easy time. But if you pick a relatively rotten one to restore yourself, you can be certain you have to spend a year or more to get it into shape,” says Pearl. Getting the car into shape is no easy feat. Pearl shares her personal experience, “There have been occasions, maybe about once a year, when the car breaks down and I had to change my course of plans. Vintage cars can have temperaments and you need to be ‘sensitive’ to them.” Driving a vintage car seems to be risky business. Still, despite the shortcomings, there is still much to love about these cars. They never go out of style due to their distinct character. Pearl states that ‘idealists and romantics’ are more likely to prefer such cars that possess a ‘personality’, rather than just a vehicle with the sole purpose of transport. What a car will cost you up front is important, but so is its worth down the road.
Unlike modern cars that may depreciate any moment, vintage cars go up in value over time. Vintage cars also yield other benefits such as getting featured in articles, being rented for photoshoots, or resold at a profit to another appreciating enthusiast! Just ask Tian Hai about this, he would know. After receiving many offers when he restored his very first Vespa, he became aware of the demand for refurbished classics. Ever since then, he has been hooked on collecting and reselling all sorts of vintage vehicles. So, what car is this antique enthusiast currently driving? A 1967 Porsche Coupe 912 – 30,000 units of this car were produced, and only two can be found in Singapore! I had the good fortune to see Tian Hai’s car at The Vintage CARnival, the beige two-door convertible instantly mesmerised me. Unique, soft curves make up its sleek body. The steering wheels are also thinner, bigger in circumference. A whole fleet of 25 rare vintage vehicles was also up on display.
/ MISMATCH DESPATCH / 15 A few of these cars, in particular, caught my eye. One was a gorgeous shiny black 1935 Ford Coupe. Another was the DeLorean DMC-12, this iconic car was used as a time machine in the Back to the Future film franchise! If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a vintage car, do not hesitate to get it! These classics can never go out of style and they will continue to cruise down roads everywhere, and transport us back in time. V
Perfection doesn’t come cheap! Tian hai spent: $85,000 on his car, $40,000 on the COE, $80,000 on its restoration.
(CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT) A FORD MERCURY, TIAN HAI’s 1967 Porsche Coupe 912 AND AN AMERICAN GRAFITTI STYLE ‘32 DEUCE COUPE.
“I’ll try to hunt down the owner and persuade him to sell it to me, because I’m always looking to expand my collection of vintage cars.” - LIM TIAN HAI
14 / MISMATCH DESPATCH / ‘V’ MAGAZINE
Olden Beauties
e
Ve
hic
les
Jump on the vintage vehicle bandwagon with KARYN CHEW as she takes you on a dream ride down memory lane, and check out interesting insights from young Singaporean vintage car owners themselves!
T
hey reigned in style in their prime, but still continue to hold sway as they ‘vroom’ down on roads everywhere, be it on black city tar roads or up in tricky mountainous dirt roads. Whichever path taken, they are sure to leave a trail of impact behind them! Imagine walking on the sidewalk and you hear the purrs of a soft, subtle engine. Hush – where is it coming from? You have got to find out. A quick spin of your head and you immediately spot the source - a stunning vintage car. Would you just admire that antique beauty from afar or are you passionate enough to actually follow it? Well, Lim Tian Hai, 31, a classic vehicle enthusiast, and co-owner of Kombi Rocks, would do the latter. “I’ll try to hunt down the owner and persuade him to sell it to me, because I’m always looking to expand my collection of vintage cars. Once, I had to wait 10 years before the owner of a 1961 Lambretta Series 1 scooter sold it to me!” Tian Hai recalls unabashedly.
1935 FORD COUPE (PHOTOS BY KARYN CHEW)
When asked how he feels when he spots a vintage car, Greg Chew, 21, an NSF, enthused, “I get very excited! It just makes me have the urge to own one of it badly. I want to know how it feels to be riding in it!” For those automobile newbies out there – a vintage car is typically defined as a car built during the “Vintage era” when, “The Big Three” American automotive companies ruled the industry: Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. It was a time of transition in the automotive world; where cars went from uncommon to ubiquitous. An interest in car collecting has since been sparked worldwide. Even on the shores of Singapore, there are a growing number of avid automobile enthusiasts, especially among the younger generation. This has helped these vintage babies make a roaring comeback!
Tian Hai addressed this growing interest, saying, “I have many friends around my age who are vintage vehicle collectors like myself, they share the same passion, and the amount of young people who own vintage vehicles, be it a car or a Vespa, are definitely increasing.” An example of such would be Pearl, 28, co-owner of Kombi Rocks. Pearl, who drives a black 1961 Beetle, tells us her opinion on the appeal of vintage cars, “Well, vintage cars stand out from the common and mainstream. Not only are they rare, full of charm and a head-turner, there’s rich history in the car.” Owning a vintage car actually requires a lot of hard work and dedication! One example is the tedious restoration work to be done.
‘V’ MAGAZINE “If you pick the right car, one that is well restored and maintained by the previous owner, you’ll have an easy time. But if you pick a relatively rotten one to restore yourself, you can be certain you have to spend a year or more to get it into shape,” says Pearl. Getting the car into shape is no easy feat. Pearl shares her personal experience, “There have been occasions, maybe about once a year, when the car breaks down and I had to change my course of plans. Vintage cars can have temperaments and you need to be ‘sensitive’ to them.” Driving a vintage car seems to be risky business. Still, despite the shortcomings, there is still much to love about these cars. They never go out of style due to their distinct character. Pearl states that ‘idealists and romantics’ are more likely to prefer such cars that possess a ‘personality’, rather than just a vehicle with the sole purpose of transport. What a car will cost you up front is important, but so is its worth down the road.
Unlike modern cars that may depreciate any moment, vintage cars go up in value over time. Vintage cars also yield other benefits such as getting featured in articles, being rented for photoshoots, or resold at a profit to another appreciating enthusiast! Just ask Tian Hai about this, he would know. After receiving many offers when he restored his very first Vespa, he became aware of the demand for refurbished classics. Ever since then, he has been hooked on collecting and reselling all sorts of vintage vehicles. So, what car is this antique enthusiast currently driving? A 1967 Porsche Coupe 912 – 30,000 units of this car were produced, and only two can be found in Singapore! I had the good fortune to see Tian Hai’s car at The Vintage CARnival, the beige two-door convertible instantly mesmerised me. Unique, soft curves make up its sleek body. The steering wheels are also thinner, bigger in circumference. A whole fleet of 25 rare vintage vehicles was also up on display.
/ MISMATCH DESPATCH / 15 A few of these cars, in particular, caught my eye. One was a gorgeous shiny black 1935 Ford Coupe. Another was the DeLorean DMC-12, this iconic car was used as a time machine in the Back to the Future film franchise! If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a vintage car, do not hesitate to get it! These classics can never go out of style and they will continue to cruise down roads everywhere, and transport us back in time. V
Perfection doesn’t come cheap! Tian hai spent: $85,000 on his car, $40,000 on the COE, $80,000 on its restoration.
(CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT) A FORD MERCURY, TIAN HAI’s 1967 Porsche Coupe 912 AND AN AMERICAN GRAFITTI STYLE ‘32 DEUCE COUPE.
“I’ll try to hunt down the owner and persuade him to sell it to me, because I’m always looking to expand my collection of vintage cars.” - LIM TIAN HAI
14 / MISMATCH DESPATCH / ‘V’ MAGAZINE
