By Michel Outridge

DHANPAUL Mattadin is the ownere of a Morris Oxford Series Six motorcar which was manufactured in 1961. This motorcar is priceless to Mattadin; his ‘pride and joy’ and it shows in the way he takes care and maintains the vehicle.

The car was purchased in August 1969 by the then Booker Tate, the first owner.

Dhanpaul Mattadin called ‘Munesh,’ is the car’s fifth owner and he has had it for more than 40 years.

Mattadin bought the car, PZ 1587, when he was in his 20s from a friend, who was getting married and wanted the money for his wedding.

“The guy was in need of money, so I paid the difference and took the car, after which he migrated and I still have this car after 40 years,” he said.

The first owner of the Morris Oxford was a man named Roy Henry (only name given) former proprietor of the now defunct disco, Guiding Light, in the city.

Mattadin related that over the years he affixed modern lights to the car and made some changes to enhance its appearance.

“I would drive this car everywhere I want to go; it is a family car, of course, I have others but my son wants me to keep it as long as I can,” he said.

The 62-year-old resides in Campbellville, Georgetown, but when the Pepperpot Magazine met him he was at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, with his wife, visiting relatives there.

Being a mechanic by profession, Mattadin has done some work on the car, which she says can outrun almost any vehicle on the road, even a pitbull minibus.

“Right now, three persons are begging me to spray this car at no cost attached, but I declined because I like the colour as is and I take good care of this car,” he said.

Mattadin added that wherever he goes, random people would show up and ask him to sell the antique car, but he has refused.

“I don’t want to part company with this car, because it has been a part of my family for a long time and it is worth about $4.5M,” he said.

Mattadin stated that he would not gain much from selling the car, because it is still in excellent condition, inside out.

The Morris Oxford is a classic and antique car and the father of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that he really likes the motorcar and will hold on to it for as long as possible, no matter how much is offered.

“This car is faithful, it never gave up on me because I used it to work taxi at Mahaica, Cane Grove and even in the city, at Demico Car Park and back then it had a name ‘Tek me, Tek me’ in the days of contraband goods,” he said.

Mattadin reported that he worked as a taxi driver since 1974 and used to take passengers from Crabwood Creek to the city, and in front of the old Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) at Thomas Street.

He disclosed that when he drives the car it’s like all eyes are on him, and it is like the car demands attention everywhere it goes.

The Morris Oxford is outfitted with a five-horn animal sound, including a rooster (fowl cock) crowing, a PA system and five-way siren and it has a modern music system that is top of the line.

The Windsor Forest taxi driver
While Mattadin used his classic vehicle for a taxi service, Kishan Tracy, also a taxi driver, plies his trade using a more common means. He works from the first street, just off the Public Road, under a large tree, where they have a wooden bench for comfort.

He would park there and wait until he gets a passenger to transport for the cost of $300 into the village.

He has been at the job for about three months and would operate from 07:00hrs to curfew time, that is, 18:00hrs.

Tracy is attached to Ray’s Taxi Service base, a village business, and he is also a resident of Windsor Forest.

The 20-year-old is originally from Bartica, but when he wrote the Common Entrance Exam for a secondary school he was given a city school; as such, his family relocated to West Coast Demerara.

He has been a resident of the community since he was 11 years old and is presently pursuing studies in medicine at the Greenheart University School of Medicine, in the city.

Tracy told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is a part-time taxi driver because he is studying and to make ends meet he has to work.

“With the pandemic, things scale down a lot, so there [isn’t] much social or other activities and people are not travelling much, so the job is not doing well, but I can’t complain I have to try,” he said. “Life is peaceful, quiet and really good here because the people are not nosy and they go about their business as usual and it is a good place to live.”