One of the prize British exhibits on the A Field was the pristine red Aston Martin DB2 / 4 Mk III , an ultra-rare 1958 model . Owned by Mark Barendse of Knysna the car was discovered in the ‘ 70s in Vereeniging where it had been used to cart hay back and forth on a small holding ! It has been beautifully restored to original spec by its previous owner , Ron Hollis , and features an optioned , period-correct high-horsepower engine that includes a set of triple Weber carburettors .
Another very rare classic sports car , that arrived unannounced at the show , was a mid-1960s Iso Rivolta , a rare exotic Italian supercar from the 1960s . It is the only one in the country and arrived in Johannesburg the late 1960s . From the 1970s it was stored by its second owner and who planned to restore it but never found the time . It has been residing in Port Elizabeth 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 5,3-litre Chevrolet engine in a stylish body , between 1962 and 1970 .
As ever 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 amongst others a tasty 1990s 512 TR example .
There was once 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 of the tractors 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 once again well received and were conducted by country of car-origin . The British car drive , which closed off the proceedings at 5 pm garnered a very strong turn-out , with several Morris Minors , MGBs , Triumphs , Rolls-Royce and Bentleys displaying the widespread presence and influence of British cars in South Africa over the past 100 years . One notable participant here 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 !
As ever there were a large number of American cars scattered across the main field , including a number of Ford Mustangs , Chevrolets , Ford Fairlanes and Valiants that owed their heritage to the American Chrysler group . It was good
SPECIAL EVENT
to see a few examples of “ South Africa ’ s own car ”, the Ranger , which was 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 actually exported by GMSA for sale in Europe !
The classic motorcycle display this year was extremely well-supported , and on the drive-by for bikes a number of eras were represented , dating back to the 1930s , and featuring some icons like AJS machines from the late 1950s , and superbikes from the classic 1970s bikeboom 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 a number of large three-wheeler trikes , some with engines garnered from Volkswagens and Nissans , also made their presence felt . With over 1 000 participants this year , it is not possible to detail each and every one of the wonderful historic machines 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 single vehicle on the field at the show 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 represents a meeting place , a focal point for all that passion to mingle and energise . And the visitors to the show shared in that passion , spreading the word about a movement that is gaining momentum at a gratifying pace . And plans are already afoot to make the 2026 rendition of the show in February next year an equally rewarding experience .
For more information about the 2025 George Old Car Show and the Southern Cape Old Car Club , visit www . scocc . co . za www . abrbuzz . co . za 31 JANUARY • FEBRUARY • MARCH 2025