Over 1,000 classic cars on show in the Western Cape this weekend – Ticket prices

The 27th annual Old Car Show is taking place this weekend in the town of George, Western Cape, and over 1,000 classic automobiles are anticipated to be on display.

The show will take place from 08h00 to 18h00 on Saturday, 10 February, and from 08h00 to 14h00 on Sunday, 11 February at the Eden Technical High School in Union Street, George.

Tickets are available online and priced at R100 for adults, R80 for pensioners, R50 for high school students, and free for children under the age of 12. Prices will be reduced to R80 for adults and R50 for pensioners and high schoolers for the shorter show on Sunday.

At the gates, tickets will run at R120 (adults), R100 (pensioners), and R70 (high school students) on Saturday; and R100 (adults) and R70 (pensioners and high schoolers) on Sunday.

The Sunday will be designated as a “family day” with special entertainment booked in the form of an international Oompah band.

Something for everyone

Headlining this weekend’s George Old Car Show will be eight examples of the breathtaking Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a vehicle that earned the title of “Sports Car of the Century” in 1999.

Seven of the rare collectibles heading to George are in the convertible roadster body style, with one ultra-scarce Gullwing model – the only one of its kind in South Africa – also registered to attend.

“The cars are arriving from as far afield as Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Cape Town, and Paarl – while one of them is a local machine owned and garaged here in George,” said Waldo Scribante, Chairman of the Southern Cape Old Car Club.

“And even more significant is that our SL display marks, almost to the day, the 70^th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL.”

The oldest original car on show, which is simultaneously the oldest known vehicle in South Africa, will be a 1901 Benz Ideal; while a replica of the world’s very first petrol-fuelled motor car, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen as conceived by Carl Benz in 1886, is also on the list to attend.

BMW will be well presented this weekend by a very early example of the 319/2, on top of nameplates like the famous 333i sedan from 1985, the 325iS from the early 1990s, the M3 from the mid-1990s, and several M5s from across the decades.

From Opel’s corner, enthusiasts can expect to see a 1950s Kapitan, a 1962 Kadett, and a couple of newer Kadett GSis including a 16V model that made motorsport history as the “Superboss”.

Of course, no old car show is complete without Volkswagen, and visitors will be glad to know that an original Beetle, Kombis in bus, transporter, and pick-up forms, and the svelte Karmann Ghia are all making their way to the picturesque town this weekend.

Other notable entries into the 2024 George Old Car Show come from Ford in the guises of Anglias, Cortinas, Mustangs, and Zephyrs – accompanied by a Model T, a Model A, as well as a rare Model S that pre-dated the first Model T by one year in 1907.

One legendary Ferrari 512 Testarossa will grace attendees with its presence, too.

If none of these suit your fancy, you will be able to get your fix from several models from the likes of Alfa Romeo, AMC, Borgward, Chevrolet, Citroen, De Soto, DKW, Hudson, Hupmobile, Jaguar, MG, Mini, Morris, Plymouth, Studebaker, Triumph, Volvo, and Willys.

Evoking fond memories of those who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, the Old Car Show also will see numerous 50cc motorcycles travel from George to Port Alfred this weekend, including a collection of Kreidler and Zundapp two-wheelers, and Italian bikes from Garelli and Maserati.

A number of classic motorcycles have also been entered, with badges like Ariel, Douglas, Francis-Barnett, Norton, Velocette, and an army of Vespas to be present.

Another unique component of the George Old Car Show will be the drive-by event.

“The drive-by component of the George Old Car Show is an ongoing highlight of the event and makes our show stand out as something completely different,” said Scribante.

“It enables showgoers to find a comfortable seat and experience all the cars as they drive by in groups on the main show field. And our Public Address team interacts with all the car owners during the drive-by sequences to provide a running commentary of each and every car, as well.”