28 Nov Rally Round Africa

For almost the full month of October, Rally Round Africa took place with 28 vintage and classic cars of all descriptions following a 6 700 km route from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town. The rally took in the landscapes, cultures and wildlife of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland and South Africa – the 25-day itinerary included six safari drives – and was spiced with timed regularity (time-speed-distance) sections for those who entered the competitive category, with alternative routes laid on for crews just wanting do the road trip. It was a truly international affair with entrants from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and USA taking part.

The oldest car in the event was a 1929 Chrysler 75 from Canada, which went on to be the Overall Vintage category winner, while the youngest were a 1976 Porsche 911S from Belgium and a 1976 Bentley Corniche from Mexico. The Overall Classic category winner was a 1972 BMW 2002 Touring.

The final day began with an invitation-only visit to the Franschhoek Motor Museum, which the organisers described as “impressive”, followed by a spectacular drive along the coast to Cape Town to the Table Bay Hotel where a gala dinner and the prizegiving took place. The organisers said “It has been a fabulous experience, and we will all be sorry to leave this wonderful continent”. Every finisher received an award, while category trophies were in the form of locally-made beaded animal figures.