CAR CRAZY

He started out collecting Dinky Toys and now he has an extensive collection of vintage Jaguars 

- JACQUES MYBURGH

THE farm at the end of a long gravel drive doesn’t look much different to the properties surrounding it. Rutted roads, koppies and croplands stretch for kilometres under a wide-open sky.

But once you’re beyond the gates of Noble House, the home of retired judge Fred Beckey, it’s a different story – it’s like stepping into a wonderland of vintage magnificence.

Three gleaming warehouses near Bloemfontein are packed with classic cars in pristine condition. There’s a blue XK150 Jaguar sports car, a 1075 Jaguar coupé and a luxury four-door Jaguar Mark VIII.

Fred (79) probably has the most complete collection of Jaguars in the southern hemisphere – 20 of them are lined up along with 20 other vintage cars.

“I think we’re way past the point of this just being a hobby,” he says of his beloved fleet. “It’s an obsession.”

Everything about the cars is an ode to the simple yet sophisticated lifestyle of days gone by. “A Jaguar is a timeless thing of beauty,” Fred tells YOU.

“It’s one of those cars that has stood the test of time. They’re reliable and I’ve always known they’d be an investment. These cars are sought-after nowadays.”

Fred is a self-confessed petrolhead who swopped his robes and gavel for a set of spanners and tins of polish when he retired after four decades as a high court judge.

The cars are his pride and joy, but he says it takes a lot of hard work and money to keep them in tip-top condition, he says.