Michel Bega

By Michel Bega

Multimedia Editor


PICS: Extremely rare classic and vintage cars to go under the hammer

The collection of 140 classic and vintage cars, belonging to late collector Louis Coetzer, and will go on auction on Saturday.


This weekend will host one of the biggest single event car auctions South Africa has ever seen.

Collectors will have the opportunity to bid on rare vehicles such as a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 Ponton Station Wagon and a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230S Fintail Station Wagon, believed to be only one of a handful in existence and possibly the only one in the world that’s up for grabs.

Creative Rides founder and chief executive Kevin Derrick explained: “Businessman and collector [Louis] Coetzer collected these cars over the past 40 years. He had a love for classic cars, including American cars of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

“He also collected some muscle cars, but his great passion was Mercedes-Benz. He viewed these cars as something that had great value and great forward value as an appreciating asset.”

Coetzer amassed a collection of around 450 cars, “350 of which were running”, Derrick adds.

The collection covered several warehouses and featured many models from Chevrolet, the muscular Fords, Mercury, Mercedes, Pontiac, to Porsche, Buick, BMW, Chrysler, Cadillac, Daimler, Toyota and Jaguar, to name a few.

Over 25 Chevrolets will be available including a 1957 Belair Station Wagon, a 1967 Camaro Convertible and a 1972 Elcamino Van, which according to Derrick should be going for a good deal. The collection also features a stunning 1959 Kingswood.

There are over 10 Fords due to go under the hammer, which include a 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 and a 1973 Ford F100. Two Thunderbirds are also up for grabs – an ’81 model and a ’64.

A stunning Pontiac GTO sits alongside two very clean Strato Chiefs (a ’59 and a ’62) in the showroom.

Pride of place in the collection is over 50 Mercedes-Benz cars. These were the cars that the late Coetzer referred to as “your best investment”.

In honour of Coetzer’s unique contribution to the collection and preservation of these remarkable cars, each vehicle has been assigned an individual certificate and plaque which attest to the vehicle’s provenance as being from The Louis Coetzer’s Collection.

Derrick remarks: “Everyone who is the next ‘keeper’ of the car is clearly the custodian of a piece of motoring passion, foresight and history, made possible by a remarkable man.”

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