Our Intrepid Cape Motoring Pioneers
Derek Stuart-Findlay
(Tandym Print)
Located in suitably historic premises in Wynberg Village, the Crankhandle Club was established by vintage and veteran car enthusiasts in the Western Cape some 60 years ago.
The club’s late president, Bob Johnston, owner of a 1921 Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, was a legendary figure who wrote the definitive work Early Motoring in South Africa, which was acclaimed around the world.
Before his death at the age of 87 in 2010, Johnston collaborated with Derek Stuart-Findlay in producing The Motorist’s Paradise, a beautifully illustrated book produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club in 2005.
Now, a decade later, Stuart-Findlay has taken the initiative to produce this magnificent third volume about early motoring in the Cape, based largely on the numerous stories he has written for the Crankhandle Chronicle in his capacity as club historian.
Any thoughts of this being a dry, dusty tome of historical fact-gathering, however, should be dismissed at first glance. This reader-friendly and fascinating book covers the period from 1898 (when the first motor vehicles arrived here) to 1942.
I have to confess that I am currently re-reading the book with great enjoyment after initially skimming over the sections I was first drawn to, specifically, references to the exploits of Old Cape families such as the Garlicks, the Hennessys and many others of note.
Some 350 black-and-white photographs have been judiciously used to back up the meticulous research Stuart-Findlay has amassed on these intrepid pioneers, making this truly a collectors’ item.
Indeed, this book is a must-have for discerning coffee tables around the country for the delight of family and visitors alike.
A word of warning: my copy has already been “borrowed” by friends and neighbours just wanting to take a peek!
Our Intrepid Cape Motoring Pioneers is available at selected outlets such as The Book Shoppe in Main Road, Tokai, where it sells for R275.