A classic-car roadtrip to George Old Car Show
We take for granted how easy travel is, we’re spoilt for choice in how we get to where we’re going. There’s no need to worry about refueling or packing food, every town has a fuel station with a mini-convenience store. In the early 1900s travel was not this simple; what takes us four hours by car would take a day back then. Not all roads were tarred and the majority of our highways were in their infancy of development. Every journey started with the knowledge that you needed to pack food and you would be stopping for mechanical issues, it was simply par for the course. Every year in the build-up to the George Old Car Show a group of classic cars partakes in the Veteran Tour or VetTour as commonly known, a social rally from Cape Town to George.
2020 VetTour tour
A select group of individuals enjoy retracing these journeys of many a year ago in the build up to the George Old Car Show. A group of 12 cars will depart Gordan’s Bay on the 4th February and spend five days retracing the route their cars would’ve taken when new as part of the annual VetTour, now in it’s 15th year.
The cars
Of the 12 car line up the youngest entrant is a 1926 Lancia Lambda, the oldest will be a Model T Ford from 1909, other entrants include a 1911 EMF (forerunner to the Studebaker), a 1912 River Colonial, a 1916 Dodge Brothers and two Austin 7s.
The route
The first leg will be from Gordan’s Bay Harbour to Honingklip Brewery in Botriver before calling it a night in Gaansbaai. Leg 2 will see the VetTour heading to Baardskeerdersbos for breakfast, onto Bredasdorp for lunch before tackling the gravel road over the Malgas River to Buffelsjag Dam for Wednesday night. The gravel road can be a challenge for modern cars, for the classic cars that have become slightly more delicate in age they will head to the Dam via the national tarred roads. Thursday will be a marathon stage as the entire group heads to Heidelberg for a hearty brekky before trekking along the N2 to Albertina on the penultimate leg of the VetTour.
For the final leg into George the VetTour will be joined by additional entrants from the area, making their way via the B-roads past Herbertsdale, through Gondwana Bay and PetroSA to Gapp Café in George for lunch. The vehicles will be available for public display from 13:00 on Friday 07 February.
The competitors
This is a social rally for those who love their classic cars. Notable entrants are Eric and Linda Edwards from Canada competing in their 1911 Model T Ford. On the second day Gert Albertyn (82 years young) will be joining the VetTour from Bredasdorp in his 1928 Model A Ford. It’s not just the driver’s who love their cars, it’s their navigators and support vehicles too, full of workable spare parts and highly knowledgeable mechanics on hand to lovingly fix these classic cars when they overheat.
2020 George Old Car Show
The VetTour cars will be on display at the show for Saturday – Sunday (8-9) February. This year the focus of the show should appeal to all South Africans with a special exhibition of bakkies and muscle cars, and will mark 60 years in South Africa for Valiant. If you’re in the market for a classic car, the auction at the show is must attend, as a spectator, you’ll have the opportunity to see rare classic cars that only appear in public at these auctions. Make a day or weekend of it, you won’t be disappointed.
Tickets are available at Computicket
The 24th George Old Car Show info can be found at www.scocc.co.za
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Images: Supplied