Owners say oldtimers more attractive than modern cars

BELGRADE - Oldtimer cars are more interesting and attract more attention than modern ones, say the owners of classic cars taking part in the Prince Tomislav Karadjordjevic Parade at the Belgrade Fair on Saturday.

Before entering the venues occupied by the latest car and motorcycle models, visitors of the DDOR BG Car Show and the Motopassion international motorcycle show can remind themselves of the classic car designs showcased by oldtimers displayed outside the administrative building of the fair grounds and compare them to their moden-day incarnations.

The president of the Novi Sad-based Diplomat Classic motorists' club Milan Posavec, who is the organiser of the parade, told Tanjug that the club continues the tradition of the Prince Tomislav Karadjordjevic Memorial, and that all vehicles displayed are museum pieces of historical value, which, however, are fully functional and registered to drive.

The event also includes a contest for their owners.

Posavec brought his 1962 Chrysler Valiant, once used by the US embassy in Zurich.

It was the first Chrysler to have an alternator and is the only such model in the former Yugoslavia, Posavec said.
The 2,800 cc, 101 bhp car is registered to carry six passengers.

Participating in the parade are classic car owners from various parts of Serbia, and the oldest car displayed is a 1944 Ford Willys jeep, used during World War II.

Bogdan Mileksic from Novi Sad came with his 1971 Opel Kadett Coupe B. He prefers old cars to new ones, which he says "all look uniform and alike, while in the past every car manufacturer had its brand, a recognisable style and distinctive traits."

The parade also features old Fiats, Opel, Renaults, Fords, DKWs...