Presenting, passing on history and being proud! These are the key words of Gaatze. He gains appreciation in his company where he restores motorcycles and mopeds and supplies parts to keep this heritage moving. Buying and selling these two-wheelers at Van der Veen Classics is also part of the business operations. But there is more. He wants to gain respect for the passion for classics and old-timers, and therefore uses them positively within his company and his hobby. His wife Wilma fully supports his passion; for her the most important thing is that Gaatze enjoys his hobby and can fill it in as he wants.
Classic car event in De Westereen
Once a year, together with friends and family, Gaatze and his wife Wilma let the entire region enjoy a historical collection of cars, motorcycles, mopeds and tractors. The next edition will take place on May 3, 2025. With this event they convey the historical value and contribute to the preservation of the mobile past.
The happiness formula
Gaatze: “When I came across a Renault 10 Major on a website years ago, my blood started to flow faster, and that wasn’t because of high blood pressure. No, it was because of memories from the past, in which my love for Renault was already central. All sorts of ideas immediately raced through my head: it seemed great to use this Renault 10 Major as a wedding car alongside my classic motorcycles and mopeds, and of course also just for private enjoyment. After purchasing it, it turned out to be a real formula for happiness that brought many nice feelings.”
Renault wrote at the time: “Every owner of a Renault 10 praises it for its abundance of comfort and technology.” The Renault 10 was the first car under 6.000 guilders at the time that offered the refinement of vehicles in higher price ranges. Driving such a car would provide long-lasting pleasure, and this '67 has been proving that for 57 years now! The chrome and paint still shine at you, a real jewel!
Coincidence
Gaatze: “For me, a classic must be special, and that is why I like to tell the story behind the car, from the first Dutch owner Martin. That he is a true enthusiast is clear from his story.”
Martin Lind (first owner in the Netherlands): “I have always been crazy about the less common French cars. Every evening I did my 'tour of France', as I called it, on French car websites. I always entered the maximum year of manufacture, the mileage and the price in my search filters. My attention went to cars such as Renault 8, 10, 18, 20, Peugeot 204, 304, Simca 1100, 1307/1308, Tagora, and so on. I often looked for bad photos on which authentic old French license plates were still visible.”
Opportunity?
Martin continues: “I have a good command of French in writing and a reasonable command of speech. At one point I found a Renault 10 Major with particularly poor photos and a brief description. I dared to send an email anyway, asking for more information and better photos. I received them a few days later, and everything looked fine. The Renault 10 Major was then bought unseen and transported to the Netherlands by Jan Tinga.”
Surprising twist in the story
The fact that the Renault 10 Major is now for sale may come as a surprise. However, sometimes opportunities arise that you simply have to seize, and those opportunities often only come once. In this case, it was a 250 Mercedes 1967 S, in immaculate condition with an exceptionally low mileage. The first owner was the Tanzi family of the Italian dairy giant Parmalat (connoisseurs may remember the logo on Niki Lauda's Formula 1 car). The classic became available after the major financial scandal in which Parmalat was involved. Every enthusiast understands that such an opportunity should not be missed.
Small tribute to the Renault 10 Major
Stories need to be told; this gem from Renault history certainly deserves it. A car hobby is also an excellent remedy against boredom and stress. Gaatze put it aptly: “My passion grew from old motorcycles and mopeds to a hint of obsession for special classic four-wheelers.”
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I remember Parmalat mainly from the scandal in 2003 where even Berlusconi got involved, not from F1. And as for the R10… it is now a nice car in the French landscape but in its youth the R10 was not really extraordinary. Renault has designed more ingenious cars. About Renault is my opinion 🫢
What a beautiful car!!! I still remember them sooo well in the streets and an acquaintance of my parents used to drive one. I myself have sat in it now and then when we went somewhere. That was a dark green version in my memory. My eyes closed and I can still hear how it sounds. A real time capsule to see it like this now. Again: Beautiful!!
Actually the middle part is an R8. Extension at the front and rear. In the years that the R10 was sold I have never seen one with such a (English) luggage rack at the back. To keep it on the road in wind a bag of sand had to be put in the front.
Radiates simplicity, and as in all those years, the French and Italians were ahead of their time!