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A Ride Through History
The Uganda Vintage & Classic Auto show showcased models of cars from as far back as the 1950s. Photos by Edgar R. Batte.
What you need to know:
The rapid advancement of technology has brought to roads amazing motor machines, however these cannot replace some of the classic old model that continue to turn heads not only in their make, but also the history that they embody.
“Cars are things that have been in my life for quite a long time. My dad used to drive a Ford Cortina. We are here with cars that remind us of cars our parents used to drive,” Tom Ochamuringa, one of the organisers of last weekend’s Uganda Vintage and Classic Auto show, said. He was not the only one with these sentiments. Many of the revellers that turned up for this heritage showcase of the cars that have been driven on Ugandan roads in the last half century, could not agree less. It is a classic display of old, rare and unique model of cars your father or grandfather drove.
Memories came alive. “I am marketer and person of tradition and coming here and seeing cars of 1920, 1930s, makes you think how people of those days used to drive those days. My Mzee owned a Volvo 1972 which was left-handed. I drive a Toyota Corona. I have also seen Chipper Adams Ford. It is very fantastic, very fascinating,” Dennis Mbidde recollects.
Old timers Paul Etiang, Lt Gen Moses Ali were among other notables were at the show and also drove their cars to the two-day auto show. Ochamuringa explains how the idea was conceived and developed. “It was a friend of mine, Dr JB Nuwagaba has the same passion for classic cars. I used to work in Kabale and we met after a long time so he told me about the initial 2009 show, which was on small scale at Uganda Museum and I was like why don’t we organise a show to see what car heritage Uganda holds,” he explains. Different people were called on to participate at one of the showcases that brought out a brilliant idea that will hopefully become an annual event.
1979 Ford Granada-Joseph Agaba Herman (JAH)
This 1979 Ford Granada has a “golden” engine. It is a straight six engine. It is not a car, it is a limousine. In Uganda, people think that it is about the length of a car, but it is about the comfort of a car. This one belonged an American ambassador; I bought it from the American embassy.
This model was introduced in 1975, to succeed the Ford Maverick. It was produced just after the 1973 energy crisis and thereby found its niche as “one of the most luxurious compacts on the market” appealing directly to people looking to move out of full-size cars.
The 1962 Mercedes Benz- Saleh Mwangi
This is a 1962 Mercedes Benz, it is a 2000cc car. This particular Benz belongs to the First Series (1961-1965) which replaced the W120 180c/180Dc and W121 190b/190Db as Mercedes-Benz’s line of less-expensive four-cylinder sedans. It runs on a diesel engine, a technology pioneered by Mercedes-Benz and championed despite widespread derision in the motoring press. The body was derived from the W111 series, but with a 145mm shorter nose and rounded headlights. We bought it from an old man in Masaka.
We have tried hard to get it here. We had to spray it and tried to make the engine right. It is a pretty decent car. She is not that fast. Because it old we drive slowly, we need to enjoy the ride, besides, we would like everyone to admire it. We got other number plates and Uganda Revenue Authority gave us this. We spent slightly above 15 million and still going.
1964 Mini-Morris- Muhammad Ali.
We painted this 1964 Mini-Morris to make it look good and upgraded its music system to make it sound good. It is an open roof. We have not put in a lot, but we are going to refurbish it. It is my grandfather’s car. It was lying at home, so we decided to have it repaired. The Mini-Morris or simply Mini is a small economy car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s. It is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America.
Datsun 16ss -Andrew Kaggwa
I bought this Datsun 16SS in the early 1990s at about Shs70,000. It is a good car. I have driven it for about 20 years now and I have tried to refurbish it. People would stop me along the way. People are no longer fascinated with the Benzes and Prado because they are so common so I am still more popular.
This model of Datsun is in the first generation classified as N10;(1978–1982). It was released in 1978 and was a subcompact car as was the Nissan Cherry it replaced. The N10 series Pulsar was exported to Australia and Malaysia with the Datsun Pulsar name. This model was known as the “Datsun Cherry” or “Datsun 100A/120A/130A/140A/150A” in Europe and Asia and the Datsun 310 in the U.SBenz 1958 model-Sabiti Kiwanuka
It is originally from Santa Barbara, California US. It was imported for Mr Kassim Kiwanuka, my dad, but I did all the restoration with a friend of mine in Santa Barbara. I got it in 2007 and had it restored for two years and then bought it back here. It is a classic. It has everything good you would love about a Benz, the chrome, the leather, switches and buttons Mercedes has always had, the technology.
It is a 1958 model so I would not expect a lot from a car of 1958, but it has all the luxuries you have in a car today except the air condition through the side quarter windows- the poor man’s air con. I might be the only one with this car on the road. It is extremely expensive to maintain or repair this car in this time and age. Produced from October 1958 to August 1959 the main model was the 220SE. It was the last of the ‘Ponton’ series, which had design roots and styling cues beginning in 1953 with the Mercedes-Benz 180 sedan.
Peugeot 403, 1961 model-Julius Mugabe Ochole
This is a Peugeot 403, 1961 model. I have been driving it. I bought it a year ago. My father used to drive one of its kind in 1964, so I have memories of it. I drive it every day. I have never taken caution of the consumption.
Luckily, the spare parts are available in Kalerwe.It is another one made by the French and a debut in the saloon body style. Its engine size gives it an economic horsepower which places it a class below the soon-to-be-replaced 11 CV Citroën Traction.
Ford Angalia, model 1960-Moses Katende
Ford Angalia, model 1960, it is an English car. I had always liked it until we bought it from someone in Masaka. The reverend who baptized me was driving this same car and so was my father. The Ford Anglia is a British car designed and manufactured by Ford in the United Kingdom. It is related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular. The Ford Anglia name was applied to four models of car between 1939 and 1967.
It was patriotically named first Ford Anglia, launched soon after Britain declared war on Germany in early September 1939, and given the internal Ford model code of E04A. It was a facelifted version of the Ford 7Y, a simple vehicle aimed at the cheap end of the market, with few features.
