If there is an event not to be missed in 2018 it is the South African Historic Grand Prix Festival, taking place from 25 November to 2 December – a celebration of the cars that participated in the South African Grands Prix of the 1930s.
The festival, which sees a number of events over the period, will be an exclusive and unparalleled opportunity for a limited number of the public to see these amazing cars in action.
THE EXHIBITION RACE
The Exhibition Race will consist of two display races and a track demonstration at the East London Grand Prix Circuit on 25 November. A significant portion of the original circuit from the 1930s still exists and the participating cars will once again come alive and drive corners such as the legendary Potters Pass. These corners, usually part of a public road, are not much changed from what they were 80 years ago!
The demonstration will be held in conjunction with a historic car race meeting, giving the public lots of activity and classic machinery in which to immerse themselves.
THE HISTORIC GRAND PRIX TOUR
Slotting in between the East London GP Exhibition Race and a Grand Festival in Cape Town, a leisurely road tour will take place for owners and the road-going cars from the Grand Prix, as well as other age-related vehicles. This will be an opportunity for many of these cars to relive the roads they once travelled from East London to the Grosvenor Grand Prix (held a week after the SAGP) between the races and for owners to enjoy the splendours of South Africa’s famous landscapes, hospitality, cuisine, weather and luxury accommodation.
THE GRAND PRIX GARDEN PARTY
The culmination of the event will take place in the beautiful Western Cape. The high-end two-day event will see an evocative display of the original cars that took part in the original South African Grand Prix. There will also be a live demonstration of the cars, at controlled speeds, to allow the public to get up close to these magnificent cars.
A limited number of tickets to the Drivers Club VIP Hospitality facility are available for public or corporate sale. This five-star facility allows prestigious access to the event, with fine food on offer throughout the day and the opportunity to rub shoulders with the GP car owners, as well as other like-minded individuals.
The nine-day event will be topped off with a private gala dinner for the car owners and participants to crown off a never-to-be-forgotten celebration of these iconic cars.
Attendees are encouraged to relive the era by wearing 1930s/’40s period-correct clothing. For more information, visit www.sahistoricgp.com.
To date the likes of the Talbot 105 that entered the 1934, ’37 and ’38 SA Grands Prix, the famous ERA R3A from the 1939 event and the winning supercharged Maserati 8CM from 1934 have entered. It is going to be an insane stroll back in time and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see such machinery.