11 Nov OILY RAG RUN

In September an excellent entry of 23 cars participated in FMM consulting engineer Dickon Daggitt’s Oily Rag Run for pre-1960 unrestored vehicles. The event started from Crossley & Webb in Cape Town and ran through Milnerton, Durbanville and Klapmuts to the finish at FMM. Along the route participants collected bread, cold meats, cheese and cupcakes to be enjoyed in a sunshine picnic on the museum’s lawns.

FMM entered four cars that were enthusiastically crewed by staff members. A (slightly) disguised Lorenzo Farella and Marco Barrera drove the 1956 Studebaker, Deon de Waal and Elton Botha were in the 1954 Citroën, Shawn Botha and David Magqwanti in the 1948 Mercedes-Benz while Wilfred Tarentaal and Wenstley Wicomb piloted the 1926 Chrysler. Oldest car was Adrian Denness’ 1919 Ford Model T and the youngest was Denis Porter’s Fintail Mercedes-Benz. FMM curator Wayne Harley did duty driving the ‘breakdown’ car.

The novelty event was won by Denness with second place and the Popular Choice award going to Richard Middleman’s 1934 Ford Phaeton. Joint third were Peter Truter’s 1936 Armstrong-Siddeley and Mel Rabie’s 1931 Chevrolet. Di Dugmore (1959 Austin-Healey Sprite) cheerfully accepted the ‘Stone Last’ award. The undoubted success of this event could be a precursor to similar runs in the future. MM