If South African petrol-heads attend just one motor show in 2010, this is the one they should go for. The 28th running of the annual Cars in the Park organised by the Pretoria Old Motor Club (POMC) takes place at Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Sunday, August 1, and in terms of cars on display it’s the biggest car show of any type in the country.
“This is more than a car show, it’s a spectacle, an event, that just has to be witnessed, even by people who have only a passing interest in cars,” says organiser, Theo Stander. “We have close to 100 car clubs who have confirmed their attendance, and we are expecting the cars on display to top the 2 000 mark easily. In the past we have had up to 3 000 special interest cars on display and we could well reach that figure again this year.”
The key phrase in the POMC’s approach to Cars in the Park is “special interest”. Unlike other purist shows, this event enjoys mega-popularity because it caters not only to vintage, veteran and post-war classic cars, but also to wild and whacky machines.
Where else can you see a Top Fuel dragster sharing parking space with a World War Two Jeep, a motorboat with wheels and a car engine vying for attention with an Alfa Romeo-engined motorcycle?
Talking of Alfa Romeo, the Alfa Club will be organising a gigantic display to celebrate 100 years of the famous Italian marque. Another massive presence will be from the air-cooled Volkswagen contingent featuring classic split-window Beetles and Kombis, the Renault club with mouth-watering Gordinis, and the Fiat Club with many rare Abarths.
Early vintage buffs will take delight in a 1904 Cadillac, 1909 Renault, and a number of Model Ts, while the late 1920s to 1930s-style buffs will delight in classic Buicks, Ford roadsters and Chevy Phaetons.
“While car club members have organised stands on the Zwartkops infield and in the pits, the event is also open to non-club owners of classics, modified street cars, wild-and-whacky off-roaders of non-standard variety and, of course, modern supercars. “Our admission marshals have vast experience in modern and classic cars. So while we’ll admit a car like a 2010 Ferrari or Maserati to the display area, we won’t simply let in expensive generic modern 4X4s or sedans simply because they cost close to a million bucks. They have to be special!”
The drivers of ordinary cars will have to park in the secure public parking areas at Zwartkops, with car guards and traffic controllers in attendance throughout the day. There will also be entertainment for children in the form of miniature train rides and jumping castles, while there will be plenty of food and drink stalls catering to all kinds of culinary tastes.
Admission: R50 for adults: Children under 12 free of charge. The organisers advise car fans to get there early, as enthusiastic car club owners start arriving from as early as 6.30am. The show ends at approximately 4pm.
Zwartkops Raceway is situated on the Kyalami-Laudium road, marked the R55, South West of Pretoria. The event can also be accessed from the Randburg area by travelling north on William Nicol which becomes the R511 and then the M26, with a secondary entrance located just after the Erasmia township before the road intersects with the R55. For more information call Theo Stander on 082 421 3899.
