A special exhibition of GSM Dart cars, South Africa's most successful locally produced racing car in the late 1950's and 1960's, will celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary at the Cars in the Park exhibition at Zwartkop Raceway.
The Dart was not only a beautiful sports racing car but also a road car with tremendous character. It was conceived by Willie Meissner, Bob van Niekerk and Vester de Wit in 1957.
Car magazine , in a 1959 road test, was critical of the Spartan finish but concluded: "It is essentially a car for the enthusiast... the Dart has much to commend it". By 1964, when production stopped, 107 had been produced.
GSM Darts won all major sports car races in South Africa between 1957 and 1969, including the 1959 Nine Hour Race, the 1963 Cape Two Hour, the 1965 South African Sports Car championship, the 1966 Cape Three Hour and the 1967 Maritzburg Six Hour.
Another locally produced car, the Protea will also celebrates its 50th anniversary and be one of the main attractions at Cars in the Park. The prototype, based on a Ford 10, was completed in 1956 and drew tremendous attention at the Rand Show that year.
At £725, the Protea was back then the cheapest two-seater sports car available in South Africa. However, only 14 were built before producer John Meyers had to end production.
The Dart and Protea exhibition will be one of many highlights during Cars in the Park at Zwartkop raceway, west of Pretoria, on Sunday, August 5, 2007.
The pride of South Africa's national vintage vehicle collection will also be on show at this the biggest event of its kind in Africa. Collectors from more than 100 motor clubs across South Africa will display more than 2000 vehicles.
Many of the old beauties will be in action and a parade for selected vintage cars will be held.
- More information and a map to get to the track are on the Pretoria Old Motors Club website.