The Classic 2013 George Old Car Show

This year around 930 exhibits were laid out for spectators to admire at the Classic 2013 George Old Car Show and the oldest vehicle on view – a tiller-steered 1903 curved-dash Oldsmobile with an incredibly simple design, drew much attention.

Rovers, Borgwards, Fords and more had the crowds gasping in admiration who flocked to the show despite a threat of rain and poor weather. A glorious 1912 Rover 12 Colonial also took part in all the events leading up to the show and British cars featured prominently amongst the more interesting exhibits.

Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts always arrive in droves. This year the featured cars in the club’s display tent were André Fourie’s 1952 300 Cabriolet and Waldo Scribante’s 1938 320 saloon. Porsche’s were as popular as the Mercs with the number of cars on view presenting an outstanding display plus there was an entire array of Jags.

As per usual South Africa’s very own GSM Darts and Flamingos featured significantly. A pair of Eagle’s drew much attention – one being a 1975 model and the other a 1970 version that has been fitted with a 1,8 litre Subaru boxer motor. A couple of Austin A40 bakkies also drew delightful gasps and much attention.

The impressive collection of Bogwards included an immaculate 1958 Vragmotor and an impressive 1958 Pullman saloon. Unusual and oddball exhibits incorporated the PE-built RetroVan Teardrop caravan and a 1957 Austin Westminster that had been given a DIY convertible conversion.

Classic cars at auctions:

The South African auction market for supercars has been buoyed by a reduction in the number of car repossessions – repos are far lower than the market would expect. Supercars produced in the Fifties and Sixties are particularly sought-after, and the long-term performance of rare classic supercars is compelling. The Historic Automobile Group International specialises in analysing and understanding the classic car market. The HAGI F Index, a gauge of the market for rare collector’s Ferraris, reached a new high last year in October in 2012.

Of special interest is that the most valuable private collection of classic supercars is held by the Sultan of Brunei who is rumoured to have as many as 5000 cars which are worth a whopping 3 billion British Pounds which are stored in secret storage bunkers.

The George Old Car Show remains one of the largest events of its type in the country and attracts over 10 000 spectators each year and is one of the Garden Route’s major annual events.