15 Mar CRANKHANDLING PICNIC

As the car show season draws to a close, in early March some of the many enthusiastic members of the Crankhandle Club headed out to FMM for a Sunday picnic on the museum’s lawns. A variety of cars left the club’s Wynberg base in Cape Town and headed out to the Franschhoek Valley in warm sunny weather.

Lined up on display outside Hall D were a pair of stately Rolls-Royces, a rare Armstrong Siddeley, a little and a large Austin, a smooth Bentley, a boxy Ford, an MG saloon, a duo-green Plymouth, a Riley, a stylish Studebaker Avanti and two Chevrolets – a roadster and saloon. Owners and fellow Crankhandlers enjoyed a lunchtime picnic – either from their own hampers or ones prepared at the museum’s deli – under umbrellas on the lawns edging FMM’s quadrant, the weather being partially overcast but warm. Compliments all round were the order of the day by those who took part.

The interesting mix of cars was a bonus display for the many visitors on the day tasting the excellent L’Ormarins wines and admiring the various other vehicles on view in the halls. Current exhibits include ‘reds’ (a colour-themed presentation), single-seater race cars and examples of some unique South African vehicles (Dart, Flamingo, Protea, Capri Perana, Alfa Romeo GTV6 3,0). MM