Classic Cars in Rhodesia

Make	AJS motorcycle	History
Year	1927	Found by Gene Wyngaard of Rhodesia at a mission station in Malawi. Owned by Dennis Campbell of Umniati by about 1968, restored over a year and competed in the 1969 Reliability Run to Umtali. Single cylinder 498cc, SV, driven through a multiplate cork clutch, 3-speed gearbox. Still owned by Dennis in 1980, later owned by Ian Hesketh who sold the motorcycle to someone in South Africa in 2009.
Model
Chassis No.	H95388
Engine No.	H95388
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours	Black
Registration Numbers	G-1925/SRH	References	2nd Rhodesian National Vintage Motor Rally, 7th Annual VCC Zimbabwe Rally

Make	AJS	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model	500cc
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers	BA-4948/MAL	References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Ariel	History
Year	1954	Owned by a Mr. Taylor. Registered in Port Herald (now Nsanje). Still owned by Mr. Taylor's son.
Model	Red Hunter 350cc
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers	PH-13/MAL	References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Austin 7	History
Year		Owned by someone in Malawi in the 1970s, registered in Cholo (Thyolo).
Model
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours	Yellow with black fenders.
Registration Numbers	CK-25/MAL	References	B&W Photo John Gasston

Make	Delahaye	History
Year	1948	Delivered new to a French Count whose initials C.R. were on the doors. Its second owner was a British Government Official, Dudley Taylor, who purchased the car in France in the 1950s and took it to his posting in Nyasaland. Used extensively, having covered some 150 000 miles by the early 1980s when it returned with Mr. Taylor to the UK. In the mid to late 1990s the car was acquired by a restoration company with experience on Delahaye's, who restores the car. Sold again in July 2003 through Bonhams Auction, estimate £50-60,000.
Model	135M
Chassis No.	801445
Engine No.	801445
Coachbuilder	Henri Chapron
Body Style	Cabriolet
Colours	Currently (2013) Burgandy with beige upholstery and red carpets.
Registration Numbers	388-DU-75/FRA, BA-1779/MAL, WFO 998	References	Jeremy Taylor; Bonhams Auctions 2003

Make	Delahaye	History
Year		Joseph Figoni's personal car before being sold to Monsieur Junca on 19/06/1952. Car known as L'Elfe. Owned in Nyasaland by a Mr. Hatton. Sold overseas in the late 1960s or 1970s. Owned in the late 1980s by Jean-Pierre Delavaud of France, who restored the car. Later noted with dealer Christophe Grohe in Switzerland.
Model	235
Chassis No.	818028
Engine No.
Coachbuilder	Figoni
Body Style	Coupe, body no. 1161
Colours	Originally black
Registration Numbers	9170-BV-75/FRA, BA-4150?/MAL	References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Ducati	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model	80cc Setter
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Ford	History
Year	1930	Found in Nyasaland (Malawi) in the late 1950s by George Bennett of Rhodesia. Nicknamed Henrietta. Restored by George in green / black livery. Later acquired by John Apps of Bulawayo, car now in Cape Town, South Africa. George also rebuilt a 1931 Victoria Sedan, given to his daughter, taken to the UK.
Model	Model A
Chassis No.
Engine No.	CAO3862
Coachbuilder
Body Style	Roadster
Colours	Yellow / black then green / black
Registration Numbers	BT-9124 (Blantyre?), H-17/NYA	References

Make	Ford	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor.
Model	V8
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Greeves	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model	32A 250cc (villiers engine)
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers	BA-7817/MAL	References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Harley Davidson	History
Year	1923	Found in Malawi as a complete machine, owned by Vernon Reynolds of Salisbury, Rhodesia from around 1969. Used in the 1st & 2nd Durban - Johannesburg Commemorative Motor Cycle Trials 1970, 1971. Later acquired by G. Wyngaard then Bill North.
Model	1000cc
Chassis No.	23F11396
Engine No.	23F11931
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours	Cream
Registration Numbers	RH-1923/SRH	References

Make	Honda	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model	CB250
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Lancia	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model	Flaminia
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder	Pininfarina
Body Style	Coupe
Colours
Registration Numbers	BC-1872/MAL	References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Mercury?	History
Year		Owned by a Mr. Taylor
Model
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Norton m/c	History
Year	1956	Acquired in Salisbury, Rhodesia by Jeremy Bromley around 1975, believed to have come from Malawi. Taken to Perth Australia in 1980, where Jeremy still owns the motorcycle.
Model	ES2
Chassis No.	51817
Engine No.	54515
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours	Silver / black
Registration Numbers	200-387-L/RHO	References

Make	Talbot	History
Year	1933	Licensed in 1934. Delivered new to South Africa to Charles Irvine-Smith of Johannesburg, who imported the car through Tullis SA (Pty.) Ltd. Used in Mr. Irvine-Smith's wedding in 1934. Sold in March 1935 to John Whitelock snr. Later passed onto his son, also John, who lived in Malawi. Acquired in March 1974 by Ted Falcke of Johannesburg. When acquired by Ted the original engine was using up a lot of oil, firing intermittently on 4 & 5 cylinders and the block was porous. It was therefore replaced with engine no. AV684. Acquired by Prof. Sydney Biddulph in 2005. Registration TJ-13 previously fitted to a large green Roesch saloon with a fin down the back, owned by Charles Irvine-Smith's father.
Model	AV105
Chassis No.	35464
Engine No.	AV684, prev. AV280
Coachbuilder	Vanden Plas
Body Style	De Luxe Tourer
Colours	Cream with apple green wings and green interior; now old English ivory with maroon interior and brake drums
Registration Numbers	TJ-13/SAF, BB-7616/MAL, TSN-932/SAF, MJR-125-T/SAF, KDH-465-GP/SAF	References

Make	Triumph motorcycle	History
Year	1920	Found in Livinsgstone, Zambia in pieces & minus engine and gearbox. An engine & gearbox were later found in Malawi. Restored over two years by Dennis Campbell. Later acquired by Paul Walker of Bulawayo around 1989.
Model	Junior
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours	Black with silver & green tank
Registration Numbers	159-042-W/ZIM	References

Make	Triumph or BSA?	History
Year		In Malawi in the mid 1970s
Model
Chassis No.
Engine No.
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Make	Velocette	History
Year	1960	Gearbox 12-9903 - Left the factory in March 1960 and was shipped to Jacks Motors in Johannesburg, South Africa. Possibly went to Rhodesia before ending up in Malawi in the late 1970s/early 1980s where it was swapped for another motorbike. Owned by a Mr. Taylor - Currently in the UK awaiting restoration. Unlike UK Venoms of 1960, it has no nacelle type headlight and a 7" brake, 36 spoke front wheel from the old stock MAC Model Velocette.
Model	Venom 500cc
Chassis No.	VM****
Engine No.	RS******
Coachbuilder
Body Style
Colours
Registration Numbers		References	Jeremy Taylor

Copyright © Wayne M. Kennerley 2021

A number of photographs used on this website are from unknown sources, if you feel an image used may be one of your own please contact the webmaster below.

Webpage by WMK Designs - Contact Webmaster