Love at first sight for owner of rare, red bird

Brett Adkins

FOR Port Elizabeth motor enthusiast Martin Kruger it was love at first sight – he‘s been passionate about his GSM Flamingo classic for the past 35 years.

And that‘s fair enough since the birth of the Flamingo goes back to the early 1960s in South Africa.

But in fact, it actually all began several years before that when a group of avid sports car lovers decided that the country needed its very own sports car and in 1957 the open-topped GSM Dart appeared.

GSM stands for Glass Sport Motors which refers to the fibreglass body. According to the cartorque website, not only was the Dart designed and built by South Africans, but it was a little sports car that turned out to be years ahead of its time.

Through seven years of production, engine power ranged from a tiny 4-cylinder side-valve engine to a Ford V8 fitted to the closed-topped version known as the Flamingo which eventually outsold the Dart.

According to the GSM Club, a total of 122 Darts and 144 Flamingos were built between 1957 and 1965.

Cartorque said the Flamingo‘s greater popularity was due to its much more luxurious specification.

Kruger, of Summerstrand, has had his model for the past six years.

I acquired my 1964 Flamingo ... In Port Elizabeth in July 2003. The next month I added two twin 40 DCOE side draught webers. The interior was also re-upholstered in black with red piping with a wood-rim steering wheel.

The feature I love about this particular vehicle is ... I fell in love with the shape 35 years ago. The car is beautiful and highly original.

The things people have said to me about my car include ...

“That‘s the most beautiful car I have ever seen.”

When it comes to its power-plant it has ... A really sweet engine – a 1640cc period Ford Kent. There‘s a four-speed original gearbox with original lever siting.

I have raced my Flamingo ... Only once when I came second in the Classics in November 2003 and received a trophy.

I then decided that the car was too beautiful to place at the risk of some idiot cowboy in a half-broken Alfa possibly riding into it.

The sort of music I play in my car includes ... The engine only.

I believe a vehicle reflects the owner's ... Passion.

For me, the most irritating habits of other road users include ... Lane hogging.

My favourite people I like to accompany me in my car are ... My wife Tracey and my family.

My other cars include ... A Ferrari and a Subaru WRX STi.

If you open my cubby hole at any given time you're likely to find ... Jumper leads.

I am quite a car enthusiast. Another dream car would be ... The Nissan GT-R.

The naughtiest thing I‘ve ever done in my car was ... Curse an opponent racer.

I keep my car looking its best by ... Parking it in a garage.

Life