By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
JOHN Coinu remembers playing with matchbox cars as a kid.
Looking back, the Harkaway man reckons it could’ve been a sign that he’d go on to collect vintage cars, having now filled his shed at home with 20 of the marvellous beasts.
“Geez I dunno where it started,” John said.
“I dunno what actually set it off, I’ve always loved cars from when I was a kid and I love the American classic cars … it’s hard to explain.
“I had a lot of matchbox cars as a kid and knew I’d have a real one, one day.”
John, who is the president of American Classic Cars, recently added to his collection only a few months ago when he picked up a prized 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS Coupe from a Mecum Auction in California.
“It’s a classic, it’s probably the colour combination with the cream interior which makes the car really stand out,” John said.
“All the vintage cars are getting harder to find, it’s getting difficult to find ones that aren’t rusted out.”
But that won’t stop John from searching for his diamonds in the rough.
Last year’s car auction wasn’t John’s first, and it certainly doesn’t sound like it will be his last.
“It’s a passion, I’m over there regularly, always scouting cars for my collection,” he said.
“I like to tinker with the cars to maintain them, I like looking after them.”
