For second time, Weston collector of model cars sets a Guinness record

Some might call it pathological, but Sergio Goldvarg sees it as passion. In May, the collector added his 12,000th model car to his fleet, a red Formula One Ferrari raced in the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix. "It was like a little prophet," said Goldvarg, who bought it from a collector in Italy. "I knew it was a landmark in my collection." Indeed, the 53-year-old architect learned this month he has set a Guinness record for the largest collection of model cars in the world -- for a second time, said Jamie Panas, a spokeswoman for the record-keeper. His first world record came in 2005, when he had amassed 7,000 model cars. "The collection is never done," said Goldvarg. It's only fitting that the Argentine native's first word was "car." Goldvarg's affinity can be traced to 1962, when his parents gave him a model of a dark green Jaguar that won at Le Mans for his 6th birthday. "I will never forget that day," he said. "For me and my imagination, it was like having the real car." A collector was born. Ads in European newspapers helped him find unusual models through other collectors, and through his frequent travels, he visited hobby shops around the globe. His collection grew to encompass detailed replicas of cars ranging from ambulances to race cars from all eras. There are also scale models of sleek sedans that ferried dignitaries, ranging from former French President Charles de Gaulle's 1963 Citroen DS Presidential to President Barack Obama's black stretch Cadillac. Among the more unusual models are a white Popemobile made in Argentina for the late Pope John Paul II's visit to that country in 1982, and a circa 1890 horse-drawn fire engines that dowsed blazes in Britain and France. "In my house, I have a museum of the history of cars," Goldvarg said. Enthusiasts hailed his feat. "Twelve-thousand is a pretty good number," said Gregg Hutchings, editor of Model Cars Magazine. "Hopefully it re-sparks the interest that everybody had when they were younger for model cars." Even though they are typically only about 12 inches long, the cars dominate the two-bedroom home he shares with his wife, Mariana, and three children, 18, 16, and 7. The collection has spilled over to Waffleworks, the restaurant he owns in Hollywood. Goldvarg's hobby extends to cars he can actually drive. He has 12. One is a 1966 Batmobile, with bat wings jutting from its tail lights, that appeared in promos for the Batman television series. "When my wife and I were looking for a house to buy, my wife wanted lots of windows," Goldvarg said. "But I wanted lots of walls so I could display my cars." Jennifer Gollan can be reached at jgollan@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2083.