A trip down memory lane in Hong Kong's classic cars
Vintage saloon to be featured at weekend festival is the same model driven by cabbies in the 1960s
Ian Foster pulls down the bonnet of his red 1980s convertible, one of the many classic cars he owns and stores in a garage in the New Territories.
"Don't waste money on a sauna; just buy one of these," he says, as sweat trickles down his brow.
A stalwart figure in Hong Kong's classic car scene, Foster will be the first to admit that many vehicles in his 40-strong collection aren't really designed to cope with the heat.
But this hasn't deterred the architect from bringing vintage wheels - like his Austin A55 Cambridge - over from the West.
Watch: A look at Hong Kong's taxi in the 1960s: Austin A55 Cambridge
The saloon, which he shipped over six years ago, will take centre stage next month at the city's first classic car and vintage festival, riding on the fame of being the same model that served as taxis locally in the '60s.
"All the old grannies of Hong Kong will recognise it," he says.
Foster, 49, once chairman of the city's Classic Car Club, is putting together a book on the history of motoring in the region. He wishes more could be done to remind residents of the "cultural resonance" of vintage cars.
"Hong Kong isn't like [the mainland]," he says. "There was no Cultural Revolution here; these old cars are part of the city's history."
The weekend festival - to be held at the Central Harbourfront Event Space from October 10 to 12 - is the brainchild of a couple from Britain who sold their Edinburgh flat to fund the project.
David and Melanie Riach came to Hong Kong four years ago and noticed the absence of an event that honoured all things yesteryear - from dusty Ferraris to swing music and old-school hairstyling.
"We wanted to add to the social calendar with a family-friendly event" that could help build a community, says interior and spatial designer Melanie Riach, 30.
"In Hong Kong, people run from home to work. There isn't much focus on meeting people."
Her husband David Riach, 33, owns a '63 Austin Healey, which is the same model as his father's old car. He believes people who share in his nostalgia for old cars will enjoy the festival. "I still remember the smells, the engine of the car my dad picked up in '73," he says. "I loved that car."
Foster echoes the sentiment. He hails from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, where he has a small museum showcasing old DeLorean sports cars and a fleet of motorcycles.
"It's been my passion since I was a kid," he says. "Cars are like a tangible link to the past. When I drive in the one I had growing up, I feel 19 again."
Fellow vintage car enthusiast Keith Martin, from London, drives an Austin Healey Frogeye for a similar reason. "It keeps me young," the 67-year-old vice-chairman of the club says.
But not all vintage car collectors are in it for the nostalgia.
"Some cars are like an aspect of a portfolio. Companies treat them like an investment," David Riach says, describing how some classic cars are never driven for fear of their value decreasing with mileage.
Vintage cars are growing in popularity in Hong Kong and across the border, as more Chinese with disposable incomes look to the West for ideas on how to spend their money.
But rules on the mainland that keep old cars off the road make it hard for the trend to flourish there.
In Hong Kong, classic cars are increasingly becoming symbols of prestige and wealth. Tickets to the festival cost HK$280 a day, which Melanie Riach says is "good value" although Martin argues that this renders the event too commercial.
The club, now in its 35th year, hosts annual events showcasing cars owned by its members, without charging entry fees.
But Melanie Raich says: "What we're doing is completely different. We're putting on a rockabilly night ... There will be a vintage village for the ladies. We're not just displaying cars."
