The Eagle Sports Car Club started out in 1986 as a result of a few devoted Eagle Owners wanting to get their cars up and running on the road. This club included enthusiasts who are interested in this specific body design and who were willing to support and help each other by exchanging knowledge and available Eagle spare parts to complete their projects.

The main focus of the Eagle Sports Car club of SA is to preserve this marvelous creation for future generations. This means that during the building or restoration process we strive to keep the cars’ exterior features as original as possible. Since the design was so highly acclaimed, we believe that it makes no sense to modify the exterior of the car (e.g. cutting the roof or flattening the nose) to each individual’s preference.

Current presence

Since the club’s humble beginnings in 1986, we have experienced a few highlights:

• For the last 6 years we have been proud to be invited to the Pretoria Old Motor Club Cars in the Park
• We also have supported Vaal Old Wheels Club with their Wheels for the last 5 years
• Our favourite show to attend is the Potchefstroom Motor show on 1 May every year
• For the last 4 years we have attended each of the above shows with at least three cars.

The attendance figures are low due to the fact that out of the 45 remaining in South Africa only 14 Eagles are roadworthy. The ultimate goal is to have all 45 Eagles present at one show and as you might imagine, that is a mammoth task. So far, we have managed to gather 7 Eagle cars for the Pretoria Cars in the Park show and we are not about to stop!

The kitcar cycle

As mentioned above, the club is aware of about 45 cars that are in different stages of completion, from junk to jewel. This brings me to a couple of interesting, interrelated points: the human nature phenomena and the life cycle of a kit car or a hotrod. What usually happens is that a perfect car with shining paint and polished tyres is sold to a new owner. He enjoys the car for a while and then he starts modifying the vehicle. Within three months to a year, his wife nags him about the scrap lying around in the garage and the yard. So he gets rid of it. The new owner picks up the scrap and, if he is wealthy enough, he revives back to life to finish the project. If not, then the cycle continues and he sells the scrap… The new owner then puts it hopefully back to its former glory as a jewel or the sad part is the car is lost to be found years later for its part of glory.