ΚΟΜΒΙ COMRADES

Car collectors Anton Lubbe and Werner Viljoen let us in on what makes their friendship so special

- Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Used regularly for special functions and celebrations, the unique appeal of friends and business partners Anton Lubbe and Werner Viljoen's function hall outside Pretoria is undoubtedly the collection of rare and wonderful cars lining the walls.

Parked alongside an impossibly small Austin are a pair of Fiats and a Citroën Avant. Then, the row of VW Kombis is significant not only for the surfboard mounted on one roof (a long way away from any waves) but also for the especially rare bakkie derivative in the collection. There's even more rarity within the swarm of Beetles, including an oval-window model.

"No car collection happens overnight," explains Lubbe. "As an apprentice, I worked on and built cars, including the popular-at-the-time Baja Bug." This came after his love affair with the split-window Volkswagen Kombi during a trip to Plettenberg Bay in 1979 for part of his matric holiday celebrations.