As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome. But in Malta, if you want reliable information and guidance on anything connected to vintage or classic cars, all roads lead to Rinella in Kalkara. For in that seaside hamlet resides Joseph Pace, one of the leading local authorities on the restoration of old motors.

Many Maltese and Gozitan enthusiasts have sought the sound advice and service of Joseph over the past 45 years, even to the point of inviting him to accompany them overseas to pronounce his final verdict on the purchase an old motor.

How did Joseph acquire such invaluable knowledge?

“I started working with my father Anthony, who was a panel beater, from the age of eight. A lengthy formal education was never on the cards for me, and after primary school, I never sat on a class bench again. I began to develop my technical and mechanical skills on the factory floor, something that I am still doing today,” explains Joseph.

His father owned a classic car, a grey Standard Eight, and besides completely fascinating the young Joseph, the vehicle instilled in him a lifelong love affair with the marque.

“I always felt that the Standard by far outstripped other competitors like Ford or Austin. There were many of them on Maltese roads at the time, but they disappeared early owing to the fact that they had a brake problem,” continues Joseph.

Joseph fell hopelessly in love with the model Eight, to the extent that when his father sold it, he managed to buy it back after 15 years, restoring it to its former glory. It has now been in Joseph’s possession for the last 47 years.

The Standard Eight was a small car produced by the British Standard Motor Company between 1938 and 1959. At first, it was launched as the Flying Standard but after the war, this range was dropped. An updated version called the 8hp was introduced in 1945. In the early 1950s, a completely new Standard Eight came off the line, sharing little with its predecessors. In 1959, the model was dropped and replaced by the Triumph Herald, as the Standard brand started to disappear off the market.

Along the years, Joseph bought a further six Standard cars, including another two 1946 model Eights, a similar one from 1939, two convertible Standard Flying Eight Tourers, one of which is a drop head and the other a saloon, and a 1931 Standard Flying Little Nine.

It goes without saying that Joseph is a staunch member of the UK Standard Club and that the facility he operates from in Kalkara is called the Standard Garage.

An incurable addict to old motors, the significant Standard concentration has not been enough to wean Joseph off the habit, and gradually he has been amassing an enviable collection of old motors. His collection features two Morris 8 models, dating back to 1933 and 1934, a 1934 Ford Model Y and a similarly dated Austin 7, a 1936 Fiat Topolino, a Vauxhall 14 and a Vauxhall Wyvern both from 1948, a 1960 Opel Kapitan; a 1965 Mustang and a 1968 Pontiac. Most of these cars were bought in Malta, a few from the UK, while one made the journey from New Zealand. The majority were in a poor state and needed urgent attention. Five of them, three Standard 8s, the Mustang and the Pontiac, are now in tip top condition. Others are at an advanced restoration stage, while the rest have remained untouched since being purchased years back.

A quiet and modest character, Joseph is indeed a down to earth realist. “I personally used to carry out all the work on my old cars. However some years back, I had to give up spray painting due to my asthma. Time is not on my side, and I am fully aware that I will never be able to finish the rehabilitation of all my vehicles. But at the same time, I am steadfast in my resolve not to sell any of them,” Joseph admits.

His wife Jane subscribes to his point of view, urging him to buy and not sell. His daughter Diane is into old motors, unlike her other sister Christiane. Joseph is now trying to get his grandson Kean interested. He is currently building him a gleaming red Standard Flying 8 drop head model, complete with chrome fittings and the distinctive Union Jack flag embedded in the mascot atop the grille.

Joseph exudes enthusiasm as he shares his experience and disseminates his knowledge on old motors to anyone who visits his classic car oasis in Kalkara. An Old Motors Club member from the club’s early days, he is very proud of the fact that he has helped many aficionados in the purchase of their very own classic cars. He also keeps a close watch on the latest developments in the old motoring field by regularly attending the annual Beaulieu Motor Show in the UK.

Joseph waxes lyrical on the great improvements in the local classic car scene over the past 20 years. Among other things, he praises the skills, craftsmanship and resourcefulness of Maltese mechanics and technicians.

“Alas, this cannot be said of all work that is done overseas,” Joseph complains, as he points to a pair of running boards that he had ordered from overseas for one of his Standard Eight models, as well as to the patchy areas of uneven spray paint on the roof of another classic he bought from England.

Joseph laments the fact that the skilled old motors restoration force is dwindling. “One reason why I don’t retire from the old motors scene is to keep on teaching young mechanics the ropes. I take great pride knowing that some of my hard earned skills have been passed on to the younger generation,” Joseph concludes.

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