A convoy of 17 Classic cars making its way through the streets of Grahamstown drew stares earlier today.
A convoy of 17 Classic cars making its way through the streets of Grahamstown drew stares earlier today.
The cars and their drivers, most from Gauteng, were participating in the Lap of the Eastern Cape.
An annual Classic cars touring event, last year organiser Roger Pearce hosted the Lap of KwaZulu-Natal.
The tours combine a bit of history and sightseeing with some fine dining and fun with like-minded car-loving people.
In past years it has taken car owners to Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and as far as Cairo.
"Some people have been on all those trips," Pearce told Grocott's Mail. Today the group ends the coastal leg of their Eastern Cape tour.
Starting off in Aliwal North, their two-week journey went down to Coffee Bay, making their way down the coast to Port Alfred, from where the set off this morning.
After Grahamstown their tour takes them inland to Addo Elephant National Park, New Bethesda and the Mountain Zebra National Park, among other stops.
"It's a very diverse group of people," Pearce said. "These cars lie around in people's garages and no one does anything with them."
To be eligible for the Classic cars tour, a vehicle must be at least 25 years old.
"One of the cars on this tour is a 30-year-old Daihatsu Charade," Pearce said, explaining that the driver managed despite the vehicle's relatively small engine capacity.
Other models that caught connoisseurs' eye this morning were two MGBs, a Porsche 911, a Porsche 993, a very rare Rolls Royce Corniche drop-head coupe, an old Volvo station wagon, a Jaguar XJS and several Mercedes Benz SLSes.
There's only one exception to the 25 years or older rule, Pearce said.
"There's an elderly couple who drive an MG that's definitely modern – but they just love travelling with he group, so we broke the rules for them."
* Photos and a focus on two very special cars in this Friday's Grocott's Mail.
