Converting classics to business
The classic car market is always open for new business development. Each year, more cars become eligible for classic or youngtimer status, engaging a market of maturing buyers who desire the cars of their youth.
Chloe Stuart is a 16-year-old entrepreneurial racing driver in Johannesburg with an idea. There is significant potential value in South Africa ' s robust classic car market, as evidenced by several high-profile auction events targeting wealthy collectors over the last few months. That ' s why this young racer has launched Classic Cars by Chloe.
The objective is to invest in a business that can help fund her racing career. By doing something that ' s in a potentially valuable niche within the car industry. South Africa has a treasure trove of undiscovered or unloved classic cars distributed across the country. The majority of those are in Gauteng, where Chloe is based.
Although she is balancing the demands of school and developing her racing skills, Chloe is applying a focus most teenagers lack to expertly manage her schedule and find time to scout for and discover valuable candidate cars.
Sourcing classics with potential
Many classic cars with potential are bought and then abandoned when people discover how complex a restoration project can become. Finding substitute parts for components no longer in production, or machining special parts with the correct form factor to enable mechanical functions, are among the challenges that even the most ambitious restoration projects face.
How does a 16-year-old manage the complexity of developing a classic car restoration business? Chloe ' s philosophy is to start with simple classics rather than be lured into more exotic candidate cars, which can become wildly expensive and timeconsuming to restore.
In classic car restoration, there ' s no substitute for the skills and experience of master artisans. Chloe ' s strategy is to use the best possible contractors, to ensure each project car fulfils its potential. Jean- Louis Maraz( the official Clerk of the Course at Zwartkops Raceway) ensures every build is legal and safe. Christiaan van Schalkwyk handles bodywork and mechanics. Wayne Jacobs of Extreme Detailing makes sure every car arrives and leaves looking its absolute best.
For car enthusiasts who like the idea of investing in a classic but don ' t want to assume the full ownership risk, Chloe is exploring a fractional ownership option. Allowing shareholding in project cars, which can then become dividend returns when the project is completed or sold. And that ' s another element of Classic Cars by Chloe that ' s different: she is also offering project cars at various stages of restoration, for sale, not just complete cars.
The current project pipeline includes a BMW 633CSi- one of only around 34 left-handdrive examples ever brought to South Africa and a flagship collector ' s piece.
WORDS IN ACTION 38 JUNE 2026