After a weekend of celebrations marking his 67th birthday the prior Saturday, it turned into a real blue Monday for local car enthusiast Wouter Havenga when one of his most beloved vehicles went up in flames.

The car, an AC Cobra replica, which the Dalpark resident has a long and proud history with, was reduced to ashes when a fire broke out in a workshop on February 11, where it was undergoing electrical work.

The workshop is based at the Roodia Airfield near Vanderbijlpark. Havenga told the Brakpan Herald the blaze also destroyed another vehicle, several motorcycles and tools.

“There is nothing left of the Cobra, not a nut or bolt. The fire was so intense, the wheels melted. There is nothing,” he said.

He explained no one was in the workshop when the fire started and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Havenga shared that he was so distraught by the news that he told the person who phoned to inform him about the fire that he would call them back later.

As he was not actively driving the car, the Cobra was uninsured. According to Havenga, it will cost about R1m to rebuild.

The vehicle had been in the workshop to sort out one or two electrical issues. A drag racing veteran, Havenga began his journey with the car in 2003 and finalised the build in 2005.

His motorsport career has seen him win numerous races and gymkhana events, and he holds a South African record that still stands. In 2010, he won the SA National Championships.

Havenga upgraded the Cobra’s engine to a BMW 5L V8, making the vehicle unique. The car was featured in motoring magazines and online articles.

The vehicle is also a proud feature of his “Man Cave” at home where there are photos, trophies and other memorabilia on display from his years of racing.

A member of the Cobra Club for 28 years, Havenga also regularly took part in club runs with the car, which is street legal. He parted ways with the vehicle but later rebought it, and has owned it again for the past 12 years.

“It was in a sorry state when I bought it back. We pulled it apart and rebuilt it,” he said.

Rebuilding the car has been a project Havenga has undertaken over the last two-and-a-half to three years.

“I’m retired and like to keep myself occupied and busy with my hands. And it was almost done, like 99.9% almost there,” he explained.

To say he was fond of the car is an understatement.

“There’s just so much history,” he said, adding that it’s a total loss.

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