Noel Zammit is a chip off the old block. He spent his childhood running around his mechanic father’s workshop in Zabbar, observing his skills in the treatment and rehabilitation of engines.
Many disgruntled drivers would bring their broken down cars for a service, only to leave with a smile on their faces as they picked up their perfectly purring vehicle
“I remember many disgruntled drivers would bring their broken down cars for a service, only to leave with a smile on their faces as they picked up their perfectly purring vehicle,” Zammit said. It seems that he was not the only one to be mesmerized by the jingle jangle at the garage for out of the six Zammit brothers, three turned out to be professional mechanics.
Zammit recalls how he hated school as this kept him away from his father and his garage. He felt better when he attended the Technical Institute in Marsa. The welding and auto courses were just up his street, and were complemented by practical apprenticeship with the Public Works Department.
On successful completion of his studies, Zammit went to work with his father. Although he was happy there, there was always a burning ambition to open his own garage. He started his own business two years later, first in Żejtun, and then moved to a bigger garage at the Luqa Industrial Estate.
“My father had a 1962 Ford Cortina Mark I, which he kept in impeccable condition. A ride in the classic green and white striped car was the ultimate Sunday treat, and I made a promise to myself that when I grew up, I would get a similar vehicle. One of my neighbours, used to bring his Cortina to our garage regularly for maintenance work. I used to pester him to sell it to me and after many years he finally did.”
The body of the1964 grey Cortina Mark I was in excellent condition, but the engine, which had been lying idle for eight years, needed a thorough check up. Ford produced the Cortina in 1962 to rival the BMC Mini, which had become an icon of the 1960s. Ford wanted to create the Cortina as a larger family car and it became Britain’s best selling car of the 1970s.
The Mark I was eventually joined by another Cortina, this time a silver fox coloured, 1968 1600E. Zammit had seen an advert in the newspaper, and lost no time in acquiring it.
“This Cortina had also been garaged for eight years, so the engine needed an overhaul. The brakes were gone, and so a new braking system had to be installed,” Zammit explains, adding that although the vehicle is on the road, it will be undergoing a nut and bolt restoration project in the future.
The 1600E came off the line in 1967, aimed at broadening the appeal of the model into the higher market segment. It combined the lowered Ford Cortina suspension with the high tuned GT 1600 Kent engine. On the outside, the car caught the eye with its black grille, tail panel, front fog lights, and plated wheels.
Some years ago the owner of a car shop Zammit had visited had bought an old Ford Anglia. He realised it needed a lot of restoration work and sold the ivory white, 1955 Ford Anglia 100E to Zammit.
“The vehicle was in a very bad state. Rust had taken over the body, the engine needed a thorough overhaul, the braking system needed replacement. The list was endless, and I had problems with finding spare parts.” The Anglia is in an advanced stage of restoration now, with Zamit being helped by his 17-year-old son Sven.
The Ford Anglia was produced between 1939 and 1967. It was then replaced by the Escort, which is also another classic car to be found in Zammit’s collection. He had over the years remained friends with one of his teachers at the Marsa Technical Institute, who told him of a Ford Escort which was for sale in Birzebbuġa.
Zammit had another dream: being behind the wheel of a sports car. His dream came true a couple of years ago when he spotted an MGB in a Bugibba showroom.
“The teal, 1973 model had been a recent import from the UK. The 1200 cc Mark II Roadster engine was in very good condition, but the body left much to be desired, so I re-sprayed it in its original colours.”
Zammit and his vehicles are a regular feature in Old Motors Club events, and he is one of the few old motor enthusiasts to have become a member prior to owning a classic car. With four old cars on the road, and another two waiting to join them, Zammit finds himself in a financial quandary especially when it comes to licensing. He hopes the authorities will soon come up with solutions, such as one license plate to cover multiple vehicles.
Zammit still has room for cherishing more classic dream cars. “I love the Mini Cooper S and am scouting around hoping the right one will turn up somewhere.”
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