MOTORING NEWS - The third annual South African HAGI Value in the Classic Car Market (VCCM) Conference took place on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May, neatly sandwiched between the Knysna Motor Show on Sunday 28 April and the Jaguar Simola Knysna Hillclimb, which starts today and ends on Sunday.

This was the first VCCM in Knysna, and organiser Tommy Roes, also the managing director of TCF South Africa, an international classic vehicle sourcing company, says the conference has "found its natural home".

The VCCM was held at Villa Castollini, a magnificent venue overlooking the Knysna lagoon.

The hosting of the VCCM in Knysna has been hailed as a masterstroke by both the organisers of the Knysna Motor Show and the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb.

These two must-see motoring events take place one week apart, and the conference for collectors of classic cars and collectable assets gives an added reason for classic and performance car enthusiasts from all over South Africa to create an action-filled speed week in the otherwise sleepy town.

"We are hugely grateful to both the Knysna Motor Show and the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb for their support in hosting VCCM in such a perfect setting," said Roes. "As for content, our line-up of presentations for 2019 in Knysna was far and away the most exciting we have had to date."

Focus
The 2019 VCCM conference focused on the ownership aspects of rare and collectable motorcars, while still recognising their status as appreciating assets of passion.

Topics included the current market situation, restorations, valuations, insurance, trust and estate planning for collectables and local success stories.

"In 2018, we introduced discussions around collectable assets of passion in general," said Roes. These included presentations from ITOO Classics, specialist insurers of art and collectables, and the fine art auctioneers Strauss & Co. Whisky experts Whisky Brother also had their turn on the stage, as whisky is fast establishing itself as a formidable collectable asset.

"A presentation from Knight Frank beautifully summarised the market for collectable assets by sharing the latest results of their Luxury Investment Index, the KFLII, which compares the performance of 10 collectable asset categories including classic cars, wine, art, watches, coins, stamps and the like."

The conversations were received incredibly well and Roes said they expanded on these subjects in more detail at the 2019 event while featuring vintage motorcycles, wine, watches, coin and stamps in the line-up more prominently.

2019 line-up
The 2019 VCCM line-up included marque presentations centring on the rewards and challenges of owning specific classic makes; a presentation on the restoration of a World War II Spitfire; the history of the DJ motorcycle run; import and export considerations for classics; and a talk about the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb. Businessman and classic enthusiast Jimmy Price of Hi-Tech Automotive, who has built sports cars such as the Noble, Cobra, Corvette Grand Sport, Daytona Coupe and Ford GT40 to standard-bearer levels on a global level, also delivered a presentation.

The Sabrina Love Foundation is the nominated charity of VCCM. This supports a campaign for nurturing early childhood development in underprivileged communities on the Garden Route.

VCCM conference organiser Tommy Roes.

Knysna a natural fit
Peter Pretorius, chairman of the Garden Route Motor Club and organiser of the Knysna Motor Show, said Knysna is ideally placed to host the VCCM.

"The vision of the Garden Route Motor Club has always been to fill the gap during the week between the Knysna Motor Show and the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb and to create a full week of motoring extravaganza," he said. 

"Having experienced first-hand the quality and content of the presentations delivered at the previous two VCCM seminars in Gauteng, it will draw a similar audience. With the Garden Route becoming the mecca of classic cars and motorcycles, Knysna is ideally placed for VCCM to stage a conference here."

Ian Shrosbree, the organiser of the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb, said over the years they have had a number of proposals to add events. "For various reasons we did not necessarily feel they were a good match. The VCCM covers cars and lifestyle, and it slots seamlessly into the days between the motor show and Hillclimb, giving visitors a meaningful reason to stay in Knysna, or to come early to attend the week's activities."

VCCM is a relaxing two-day conference, allowing plenty of time to socialise and network with people of similar passion and interests.

Visit www.vccm.co.za or contact Tommy Roes on 082 929 2227 for more information.

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