The sea-green beauty. Photos: Melkbos.net

“Yes, you can take a photo,” the owner of the sea-green dreamboat parked at Slabber se Klippe said Sunday afternoon. And then he looked straight ahead of him again, as did his wife.

The photo was after all not going to be of them but of their vintage car. And so they sat on their bottle green seats and stared at the sky-blue sea and the soft white sand. But then their moment’s peace was interrupted by a question.

“Do you live here?”

“No, no, no, we’re from Kraaifontein,” the man said. A hint of irritation had crept into his voice and rightly so. His beloved car had drawn the worst kind of attention; that of a cell phone-wielding nosy parker who wanted to make small talk.

That’s the downside of owning a classic car. It attracts people and nosy parkers like flies. It attracts idle but well-meaning chatter. On the upside is the following: it holds up a mirror to a time when craftsmanship and artistry came together and produced a beauty … like this.