IN PICS | Classic car fans flock to another successful George Old Car Show

The 28th George Old Car Show, held on February 8, attracted a large crowd to the Eden Technical High School grounds in central George in the Western Cape.

With near-perfect weather — sunshine interspersed with mild cloud cover — the event stood out as one of the most memorable in its history, further solidifying its reputation as one of the country’s premier classic car gatherings.

More than 12,000 visitors were treated to more than 1,000 veteran, vintage and classic cars, motorcycles, tractors and farm implement engines.

“The decision to switch from a two-day event to a one-day show this year was a resounding success,” said Waldo Scribante, chair of the organising club, the Southern Cape Old Car Club.

“Even before the show officially opened at 9am the fields seemed to be filling up with spectators, and they remained packed all day until closing time at 6pm.”

Another good decision was to declare a special British theme for the 2025 show. An orchestrated campaign in the weeks leading up to the show resulted in more British-built cars streaming into the grounds than before, and many of the British classics were getting their first exposure to the greater classic car audience.

There was heartwarming support from the likes of MG, Triumph, Austin Healey, Morris and Austin, and more exotic makes like Aston Martin, Jensen, Morgan, and Mini Coopers, and British Fords such as Anglias and Cortinas, Vauxhalls and other workaday classics from different eras, starting with the tiny Austin Seven examples from the 1920s.

For many showgoers, the crowning glory was the Rolls-Royce and Bentley display on the top field, representing the “royalty” of the British motor industry. A selection of more than 20 of the expensive British motoring monarchs had been assembled from owners arriving from all parts of the country.

These included Bentleys with famous Le Mans Heritage from the 1920s and 1930s, a 4.5l Le Mans model that came from Cape Town and a Speed Six example, representing the famous victory achieved at Le Mans in 1930.

“I was particularly pleased to see the spread between Bentley and Rolls models, and also to note the cars that entered covered such a number of different eras”, said Scribante.

“We had Rolls and Bentley models from the 1930s, progressing through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to the modern day. It is amazing that the first Rolls-Royce arrived in South Africa in 1910, and on the field in George we had a modern 2016 Phantom Limelight model that travelled from Paarl for the show.”

One of the most eye-catching of the special Rolls-Royce examples was the Shooting Brake model owned by Brian Bruce of Knysna, with evocative wood-enforced estate car bodywork commissioned in India on an early 20/25 chassis.

The enthusiasm for the British theme also extended to other show genres. The Vintage and Veteran display opposite the main arena showcased some British cars not often seen, such as the 1925 Morris Cowley Bullnose example, and a stately white 1912 Rover Colonial with a magnificent warrior-like radiator mascot.

More low-key was a mid-1920s Talbot Tourer in unrestored form, showing tantalising patina from its 100-year history. The oldest car on show this year was a 1904 French car, a single-cylinder De Dion Bouton Model Q, owned by Tom van der Vyver.

One of the prize British exhibits on the A Field was the red Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III, an ultra-rare 1958 model. Owned by Mark Barendse of Knysna, the car was discovered in the 1970s in Vereeniging, where it had been used to cart hay back and forth on a smallholding. It has been beautifully restored to original spec by its previous owner, Ron Hollis, and features an optioned, period-correct high-horsepower engine breathing through triple Weber carburettors.

Another rare classic sports car that arrived unannounced at the show was a Iso Rivolta, a rare exotic Italian supercar from the mid-1960s. It is the only one in the country and arrived in Johannesburg in the late 1960s. From the 1970s it was stored by its second owner, who planned to restore it but never found the time.

It has been residing in Gqeberha for the past seven years and finally recommissioned for the road by its current owner, Jarrod Hargreaves. Iso was previously known for its diminutive Isetta bubble cars but surprisingly built just under 800 Rivoltas, which used a 5.3l Chevrolet engine in a stylish body, between 1962 and 1970.

There was a magnificent display of cars from the Mercedes-Benz Club on the top field, and these were located alongside other German marques such as BMW, Porsche, Borgward, Volkswagen and DKW. There was also an eye-catching Ferrari display featuring, among others, a tasty 1990s 512 TR example.

There was again an impressive turnout of tractors and farm machinery from the Suid Kaap Veteran Tractor and Farm Implement club and the line-up was described to the audience on the main field by the ever-enthusiastic and knowledgeable Andre Barnard.

One tractor to catch the eye was the 1950s David Brown tractor, as Aston Martin sports cars built after 1950 used the DB initials when tractor manufacturer David Brown acquired the company in the late 1940s. Some current Aston Martin models still use a DB prefix.

The drive-by runs past the arena and SCOCC members tent were again well received and were conducted by country of car origin. The British car drive, which closed proceedings at 5pm, garnered a very strong turnout, with several Morris Minors, MGBs, Triumphs, Rolls-Royce and Bentleys displaying the widespread presence and influence of British cars in SA over the past 100 years.

One notable participant was Vickee Fleetwood of East London, who was setting off from the show to drive back home in her unrestored 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, a frog-eye example that has been in her family since before she was born.

There were a large number of American cars scattered across the main field, including Ford Mustangs, Chevrolets, Ford Fairlanes and Valiants that owed their heritage to the American Chrysler group.

It was good to see a few examples of “South Africa’s own car”, the Ranger, built by General Motors here in the early 1970s. The Ranger was essentially an Opel body with a Vauxhall grille and tail section, and a few examples were exported by GMSA for sale in Europe.

The classic motorcycle display was extremely well-supported, and on the drive-by for bikes a number of eras were represented, dating back to the 1930s, and featuring icons like AJS machines from the late 1950s, and superbikes from the classic 1970s bike boom era, including a water-cooled Suzuki 750 GT three-cylinder model.

Once again the Eden Vespa Club from the George area showed lots of enthusiasm for their drive-by opportunity with scooter hooters blaring, and large three-wheeler trikes, some with engines garnered from Volkswagens and Nissans, also made their presence felt.

With more than 1,000 participants this year, it is not possible to detail each and every historic machine that put on such a memorable spectacle. As show co-ordinator Alewijn Dippenaar had remarked at a pre-show gathering, one should keep in mind that every vehicle on the field represented someone’s passion. Passion for old cars, motorcycles and tractors, passion for locating them, restoring them and driving them, sometimes over very long distances to be at the show.

The George Old Car Show serves as a vibrant gathering point, where passion for classic automobiles comes to life. Visitors not only shared in the enthusiasm but also helped fuel a growing movement. With momentum building, plans are already under way to ensure the 2026 edition next February is as rewarding.