Knysna - There are classic car shows and then there are classic car shows, and the Knysna Motor Show must rate as one of the best, even though it might not be the biggest in the country.
There will be some very rare sights at the show this year as the owners of a colourful collection of high-value collectors’ cars and motorcycles prepare to haul their prized possessions out of storage and put them on display at the Knysna High School sports field on Saturday 9 May.
Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar are some of the marques names that are expected to be well represented, while some rare old timers by Bentley, MG, Austin Healey and Rolls-Royce will also be on show.
Peter Pretorius, chairman of the Garden Route Motor Club, which hosts the show, said: “This year’s motor show will be the original art of the automobile and motorcycle. There will be something for the whole family.
“Visitors will see an array of Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, Sunbeams, Triumphs, Fords, Morgans, Austin-Healeys, MGs and American muscle cars, along with some exciting vintage and veteran cars.
“These will include a 1929 Bentley, a 1929 MG M-type and three beautiful Packards from the ’40s.
“We will also have the Brian Bruce collection of classic sports Jaguars, Fords and Rolls-Royces, on display. In total, more than 250 carefully selected, high-quality cars will be there on the day.
“Building on the 2014 event, this year’s show will again feature a display of interesting motorcycles - from vintage, road and race bikes, to more modern classics, as well as unusual custom bikes.”
NEW ELEMENTS
Some very interesting new elements had been added to the show, he added.
“We are privileged to have a stand covering the Bloodhound SSC attempt on the world land speed record, due to take place on Hakskeen Pan in the second half of this year,” he said.
“The stand will display a 13.5 metre modular car, artefacts including a 95kg aluminium test wheel, a topographical model of the Hakskeen Pan and the record-attempt car’s rocket fuel pump, which is driven by a supercharged Jaguar V8 engine.
“Bloodhound SSC education director Dave Rowley will also be on hand to answer questions.”
Pretorius said the Nelson Mandela Metro University would be showing an experimental eco-car it had built for the Shell Eco Marathon. The goal was to produce an ultra-lightweight vehicle to achieve high mileage on minimum fuel.
“In line with the educational theme and in particular for the younger generation we will also have three stands explaining how a petrol engine works, the function and design of a radiator and the workings of a transmission and differential.
“A further interesting display will be Rusty Crowhurst’s Meteor Special, which has a 27-litre Rolls-Royce V12 engine - a naturally-aspirated version of the Merlin engine used in Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aircraft during the Second World War.
“For collectors of motoring memorabilia, Johan Rabe, the only South African member of Britain’s Guild of Motoring Artists, will exhibit and offer for sale a series of illustrations featuring Le Mans-winning cars that he has prepared specially for the motor show.”
The show is a charity event for Hospice, Animal Welfare, E-pap, FAMSA, Change for Change and the Knysna High School; entry will be R30 for adults, free for under-18s.
For further details, e-mail Peter Pretorius, or call him on 082 321 4724.