Life in pale primrose with MG lover Roy Salzwedel
"I am not into new cars. They are too finicky, you need a computer to fix anything. And new cars are not made to last." - Roy
You will see him cruising around town in a stylish yellow convertible, top open, MG cap on and a smile on his face.
Roy Salzwedel has lived in Ballito since 1979 and has been working on cars since the age of five.
His passion for cars has seen him collect about 600 miniature car models and two life-size classics.
“I have had my 1966 Beetle for 20 years and always wanted an MG, but my wife said I could only get the MG if I sold my Beetle – one classic car at a time.
“When she passed away, I sold her car and bought the MG,” chuckled Roy, who was a motor mechanic for over 50 years and had a workshop by the Caltex garage in Ballito for 22 years before moving to Shaka’s Head.
He bought the 1969 MGB Roadster five years ago even though he was not keen on the car at first.
“When I heard it was yellow, I did not even want to look at it – I never wanted a yellow car.
“Eventually I had a look and thought she was beautiful. Her colour is called pale primrose and was only used in 1969. She is the only one in this colour at the KZN MG Club.”
His cat, Mouse, is also a big fan of the car and generally sleeps in the driver’s seat or on the bonnet while Roy checks to see that everything is in perfect working order.
“This car is wonderful because all the parts are available and it is easy to fix.
“This is my daily car. It is a lovely drive and I can easily keep up with modern traffic on the freeway.
“I am not into new cars. They are too finicky, you need a computer to fix anything. And new cars are not made to last.”
Besides his daily driving, Roy meets with the MG Retired and Free (RAF) club every third Tuesday for an outing.
“The KZN MG Club is celebrating its 80th birthday this year. It is the second oldest in the world and was the first club formed outside of the original MG Club in England.”
