Pre-WW2 Rolls-Royces to star at this year's Cars in the Park

A splendid line-up of pre-World War 2 Rolls-Royce cars will be a highlight of this year’s Cars in the Park at Zwartkops Raceway on Sunday August 4. 

These British machines were built in an era when Rolls-Royces were considered to be the best cars in the world, and even today that aura of magnificence surrounds Rolls-Royces built since the company began producing cars in 1904.

“The pulling power of Cars in the Park never ceases to amaze us,” says Emil Kuschke, the Pretoria Old Motor Club’s member in charge of sourcing Special Invite Vehicles for the club’s premier annual event.

“This gentleman politely contacted us, enquiring if we would be able to accommodate his three Rolls-Royce cars from the 1930s, and of course the answer was a resounding ‘yes’. So far we have four of these 1930s Rolls-Royce cars that will line up in the pits at Zwartkops, and the sheer presence of these machines will take your breath away.

“Enthusiasts use Cars in the Park as a big spur to complete restoration projects they are busy with. Each year we issue a window sticker with the event date, and we know of collectors who have their windows covered in these stickers, denoting the various Cars in the Park events where their cars have been shown.”

Chief event organiser for the Pretoria Old Motor Club, Frik Kraamwinkel, says the annual classic car festival has reached the point where it is seen as a major event, rather than just a car show. “So many local organisations and businesses use Cars in the Park to promote their interests, notably the charities that are involved with us,” he says.

“This year, we have cooperations with the South African National Blood Services’ Blood Drive, the Community Emergency Response Team, the Honorary Game Ranger organisation, Owl Rescue, the MOTH organisation, and of course our long-term partners in this event, the Lions.

“The diversity of those organisations shows the widespread range of community interests that Cars in the Park generates in the public these days. We are very proud to have played such a role in spreading the classic car message far and wide.”

This year will be the 42nd running of Cars in the Park, and the Pretoria Old Motor Club is again expecting more than 2,500 classic, vintage and veteran cars to arrive at Zwartkops from 6am on August 4. There will be over 140 stallholders selling a variety of goods, and plenty of food and drink will be on sale.

A variety of entertainment will also be on offer, including live music. A highlight is expected to be a mini rally stage for bona fide current rally cars, being organised on the Zwartkops karting circuit.

As in past years, the various car clubs will be out in force, and more than 100 clubs have booked space around the Zwartkops race circuit for 2024.

For many of these clubs, this year marks major milestones in the history of their cars. This year sees the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, the famous American pony-car launched in April 1964, though the first model was officially sold as a 1965 model.

Over the years, these early first-gen Mustangs have become known as “64-and-a-half” models, but that distinction only came later as early Mustangs became so collectable over the decades.

In South Africa, the first Ford Mustangs arrived here in the second half of 1965 as a special consignment of some 80 cars arranged by Ford Motor Company South Africa. Those first Mustangs were all left-hand drive models as, in those days, it was permissible to import left-hand drive cars to South Africa.

Until the late 1990s, when left-hand drive imports were outlawed in South Africa, a number of generations of Mustangs found their way here through private importers — though high import duties were charged on the cars.

Visitors to Cars in the Park will be able to see a special display by the Mustang Club of South Africa in the Zwartkops pit area, celebrating six decades of this milestone car, which launched the muscle-car movement.

Other makes celebrating special anniversaries this year are Fiat (125 years), Alfa Romeo (75 years of the Giulietta Sprint) and Chrysler (the first Chrysler built was made in 1924).

But for many enthusiasts, part of the fun at Cars in the Park is the wide variety of old cars that simply, magically turn up; ordinary older cars that have been stored in private garages, and often in various states of disrepair for decades.

“We see barn finds arriving at the event each year, often on the back of small trucks and pickups, and in many cases, the vehicles doing this transporting are classics in their own right,” says Kraamwinkel.

“South Africa’s motor history encompasses just about every country in the world, where all cars were imported here in the early days, sometimes in very small numbers. It is amazing how many of these rarities have survived.”

At this year’s event, visitors can expect to see a plethora of British sports cars, German saloons, Japanese pickups, giant American sedans and convertibles and Italian classics, among many others. 

This year, gates at Zwartkops will open at 6am on August 4 for the admission of old car owners to display their cars. Classic cars for display need to arrive before 8.30am, when the public will be admitted. The show will end at 4pm.

Tickets are available through iTickets at R120 for adults, while children under-12 are admitted free. Tickets bought at the gate will cost R140. for adults.

For more information visit the Pretoria Old Motor Club’s website or the club’s Cars in the Park page on Facebook.