THE spiffiness of Rakesh Brijlall Gobardhan’s 1977 Mazda Capella RX2, 2-door coupe continues to turn heads, drop jaws and it has landed him yet another accolade.
His vehicle was an entrant in the recent bi-annual Rotor Motor Fest, held at the Red Star Raceway, in Delmas, Mpumalanga, and Gobardhan’s jobbie bagged top honours in the RX2 ‘Old School’ Show and Shine section.
The motoring spectacle, which is an event for cars with rotary engines, drew nearly 100 participants from around the country.
Having also won the overall award in the 2022 version of this competition, Gobardhan was revved and ready for a repeat of that showing but he had to be content with second place, two points behind the eventual winner.
“It was a fantastic experience and great to land another award. It means that our car is among the best in the country. We missed the overall prize by a narrow margin.”
To achieve his eye-catching build, Gobardhan said it has been a diligent and expensive journey transforming the car from being ragged and run-down when he acquired it in 2007, to a shiny multi-award-winning ride.
It is accepted that the Capella is orange in colour, but depending on the light of day, the car accordingly displays various hues of orange for those who catch sight of it.
The majority of the parts and components under the hood are silver and shiny, and when cranked up, Gobardhan said the engine’s torque enables the vehicle to clock speeds close to 300kmph.
Fuelling the vehicle’s thirst for speed is the special mix of petrol that it guzzles.
Gobardhan said he mixes methanol and ethanol with petrol and 2-stroke oil.
“The oil lubricates the seals and preserves the engine," he said.
Gobardhan described rotary engines to be “without cylinders or heads, just just two ratchets spinning and running like a tumble dryer.
Custom-made leather and tartan upholstered seats dominate the look and feel of the car’s interior, and its original factory-fitted radio system is still in position.
Gobardhan, a Clare Estate-based businessman, said the EET-SUM-MOR biscuit box inspired the interior colour-coordination.
Bells and whistles were also sourced for the car's boot.
“The boot is one of a kind. I fitted it with a sound system from Italy-amplifiers, subwoofers, mid-ranges speakers, that can be worked off your phone via bluetooth.
“Its not big sound, it's about the clarity. These pieces of equipment are normally fitted in Ferraris and Lamboginis,” he said.
To have his Mazda arrive in spotless condition in Delmas, Gobardhan loaded it onto a trailer and lugged it to the event.
“There was no chance we’d risk messing the car’s tyres and rims. The undercarriage was also spotless.”
Gorbardhan also acknowledged his son Kavesh and brother Mukesh for the assistance in having the vehicle in competition readiness.
“It's not about the huge amounts of money we have invested in it. It is my pride and joy.
This accomplishment has made me a very proud man.”
Gobardhan said over the years he had many offers for the car, including ones as high as R1.8 million.
“I get offers all the time. If someone comes with a good enough offer I will consider it, otherwise, I'm happy to have it for keeps.”
He said his love for Capella stemmed from his uncles’fondness for them.
“My uncles bought them when they arrived brand-new. They raced them and drove recklessly. They found them to be fun cars because of the speed it generated.
“I waited patiently to have my own Capella,” said Gobardhan.