Collector adds lovely Lola to his bevy of beauties

By Bob Hopkin

HIDDEN in the grounds of an unassuming house deep in the Garden Route lurks a collection of classic British and Italian sports cars that would make any swinging ‘60s petrol head green with envy.

A product of the meticulous restoration skills of enthusiast Anthony Roff, the assortment of dream machines charts a period of European automotive history that was aimed squarely at carefree, wind-in-the-hair motoring before today‘s pre-occupation with safety and saving the planet.

Roff's collection of 16 classics includes cars from Triumph, MG, Lotus, Austin Healey and Alfa Romeo and a legendary 300 km/hour racer.

According to Roff, the desire to own and, usually rebuild, cars of character has been there since an early age.

“When I was 16, I started hankering after my first car even though I had very little money and was too young to drive.”

His parents wanted him to learn the value of money, so were reluctant to lend him the cash to buy his first car. They persuaded him to save up his pocket money.

“Eventually, I managed to accumulate R185 which was a lot in those days, and went to a dealer with lots of almost derelict cars for sale.

“I was on the brink of buying a VW Beetle when I saw a really tatty Triumph TR3 in the corner and was hooked.”

The TR3, bought for R75, became his first restoration project and set him on the path of a life-long obsession with classic sports cars.

Forty-four years and dozens of vehicles later, Roff‘s enthusiasm for vehicles that were milestones of engineering design remains undiminished.

The recent purchase of a Lola T 70 endurance racing car is likely to become the greatest challenge of his restoration career.

Although manufactured in the United States, the vehicle is an accurate replica of one of the fastest and arguably the most challenging to drive racing cars of the last three decades. With its impossibly low build, light weight, mid-mounted V8, cramped driving position and gorgeous looks, the Lola was an enthusiast‘s delight when it was fully competitive in the 1970s.

“This one doesn‘t need as much work as some that I have acquired but, because of its performance, I have to be especially careful here.

“I had it for a while before I could actually believe that I owned it.

“I used to open the garage door and pinch myself to absorb the fact that one of my dream machines finally belonged to me,” he said.

Apart from the Lola, other projects in progress include a memorable “frog-eye” Austin Healey Sprite, a Mini Marcos and an Alfa Guilietta Sprint Veloce.

“As long as I can keep finding the right cars and have the space to work on them I think my life-long hobby will go on as long as I do,” said Roff.

Life