Classic cars come in all shapes and sizes. Some are restored to a condition which is better than when they originally left the factory, and, others are kept unrestored, preserving their originality. Some are so beautiful or rare that they reside in museums and others are preserved in full working order and are used in the way that their manufacturers intended.
For the Month of May we feature one of the latter Classic Cars, a Mitsubishi Pajero, that is as much at home on a muddy mountain track as the supermarket car park.
The car is owned by PCVC members David and Joan Fleming (with one “m”) and was bought by them, after a long search, in 2021, specifically for it`s off road capabilities, as they are also members of an Off Road Group. Their Pajero, is an original Cypriot car that has covered more than 460,000 kilometres. It is however in excellent condition as not only was its previous owner an engineer with his own fully fitted workshop but David is also very adept at wielding a spanner.
The car is a Series 1, three door, short wheel based, 4×4, that dates from 1988 and is powered by a 2.5 litre turbo charged diesel engine. David particularly wanted a Series 1 SWB Pajero as they are considered to be one of the best off-road vehicles ever produced. In the past 2 years he has driven the car up almost every cart track and mountain pass in the Paphos area without any problem. Well almost!
On one particularly steep, unmade, remote road, after days of heavy rain, he managed to get his Pajero well and truly bogged down in a deep muddy ditch. This was much to the amusement of his navigator, Joan, and his friends in the following car. David`s embarrassment was complete when he had to accept a tow from a Suzuki Jimny!
David and Joan`s Pajero (which David promises to wash) can be viewed with other magnificent classic vehicles at PCVC meetings. For details check our Facebook page, or our website,(www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com) or telephone 97760997.
