Aging gracefully

In HoChiMinh City, thanks to Vietnam's stunning economic growth, in addition to the demand for new cars there is now a growing demand for vintage cars, hobby generally only affordable by the most well-to-do.

While many here call any secondhand auto a vintage car, few older cars can truly be afforded the label ”vintage”, says Peter Zell, a renowned historian and collector antique automobiles and a senior executive at Daimler-Chrysler Automotive Group.

Zell’s definition: “Vintage cars are those whose values don’t depreciate over time. [They appreciate, like investments.] They are never considered out-of-date and many are sought with such endless passion that people wish to have them at any price.”

In HoChiMinh City, cars manufactured during the 1930s still appear proudly on the streets. Among them one Tatra T87, the most famous car made by Czech Tatra Company in 1936. It was imported to Vietnam during the Second World War.

The vintage car lover will be impressed by the Tatra’s “fierce” appearance. The hood looks like a jet fuselage while the tail resembles the dorsal fin of a killer whale breaching the surface. Other details include two front doors designed to open back-ward, a removable hood and a dual-tone horn, all features never before seen in the Tatra.

According to the owner of this unique car, which is thought to be the only one left in Southeast Asia, it was bought many years ago in run-down condition at a price of nearly US$30,000, astronomical at the time.

The owner notes that the car’s vintage status is not the sole source of its value. That fact it was driven by senior French army officers during France’s imperial occupation of Vietnam, along with its license plates and documentation from that period, also add a mystique premium to the car’s current price tag.

The owner hopes that when the car reaches its 100-year-old mark, the Vietnamese government will recognize it as a national treasure and allow him to use it officially. “Now,” he says, “I have to wait until midnight just to drive it around near my house. That’s the only way I can ease my addiction to this beauty.”

The Mercedes-Benz 190SL, a sports car, is not a particularly rare vintage car. But it is hard to find in Vietnam. Only two exist here. One belongs to Mr. Ung Thi, a descendent of the royal Nguyen Dynasty and former owner of the old Dai Nam Theater. The second is owned by General Cao Van Vien of the former South Vietnamese government.

This model, imported to Vietnam between 1958 and 1960, has its own peculiar appeal.

When Cao Van Phu, the French-Vietnamese director of Technet Co., saw the pair in a local garage, he didn't hesitate to buy them both for his family.

According to Phu, this model – worth between $50,000 and $100,000 – is incredibly rare and desperately sought out worldwide. Yet, in Vietnam, people consider it little more than a heap of scrap iron.

“Collecting and keeping vintage cars is not easy!” exclaimed Phu. The collector has to spend time and money refurbishing his cars. The smallest accessories must be ordered directly from original manufacturers or collectors in Germany, and each spare part must be kept in mint condition.

Not any gas cap will do, said Phu. It just has to have the original three-point silver star on its surface or you devalue the car.

Compared to other late model cars in Phu's garage, the convertible Mercedes-Benz 190SL is the most remarkable thanks to its spotless condition.

“It still runs like a dream and never breaks down, even on long trips,” Phu proudly boasts.

Today, the vintage car market is increasingly popular in Vietnam, especially among vintage-car collection cliques.

No matter why someone is interested in vintage cars, whether for their unique appearance, their trendiness or as an investment, it seems all collectors share one similarity, they think of these cars as their “pets.”

Reported by Le Nga

Source : Thanh Nien Daily