2020 George Old Car Show launched in grand style

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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - A media launch of the 24th George Old Car Show, to be held on 8 and 9 February 2020 at PW Botha College in George, took place last Friday morning, 8 November. The launch was held at the Protea Hotel by Marriot George King George.

Alewijn Dippenaar, marketing and media representative for the Old Car Show, welcomed all guests, sponsors and members of the media before introducing the speakers: Mike Alexander, chairperson of the Southern Cape Old Car Club; Gerrit Pretorius, Speaker of the George Municipality, a proud event sponsor; and René Scribante, premier partner of the 24th Old Car Show.

Special mention was made of Pierre Marais of PW Botha High School, member of both the Southern Cape Old Car Club committee and the organising committee of the Old Car Show, as well as Donald Goldfain and Di Kershaw of George Rotary who run the bar.

He also welcomed the sponsors, Marcel Combrink and Elize van der Merwe of Midas George, Wilma Rademan of Clickonit, Lizel van der Westhuizen of the King George hotel, Rion Olivier of the Garden Route Mall as well as the media partner, George Herald.

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Mr Alexander shared details of the club's activities leading up to the Old Car Show. The 15th Veteran Tour takes place on 6 and 7 February 2020. Participants leave George in their veteran cars (built prior to 1018) on the 6th, sleep over in Albertinia, and return to George on the 7th. The tour will be joined by the Crankhandle Club from Cape Town.

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Pretorius posed the question "What makes George and the Old Car Show tick?" and challenged the organisers to keep the show relevant, promote the common good, and do this all with passion.

Scribante shared her love of old cars and expressed her delight that the Scribs Benzeum* would once again be the premier partner of the event.

George Old Car Show chairperson for 2020, Johan Rademan, shared that the show will feature a special exhibition on bakkies and a Ferrari Club exhibition including 17 of these supercars.

The Valiant Club will be celebrating 60 years. There will be an auto pavilion, an auction by Trader Auctions and a special exhibition of muscle cars. This year the committee will make even more parking available to visitors, courtesy of Carpe Diem School.

Philip Kuschke, Veteran Tour coordinator and chairperson of Savva (Southern African Veteran and Vintage Association), gave more information about the dates and route for the 2020 Veteran Tour.

Some of the invited VIPs, sponsors, organisers and guests, from left: Old Car Show premier partner René Scribante, Di Kershaw of George Rotary, Old Car Club chairman Mike Alexander, George Tourism's Joan Shaw, chairperson of the George Old Car Show Johan Rademan and George Speaker Gerrit Pretorius. Photo: Kelvin Saunders

The sales and marketing executive for the hosts, Protea Hotel by Marriott George King George, Lizel van der Westhuizen, pointed out that 2020 will be the 10th year that the hotel will be involved in the event. The hotel fills all 109 rooms during the weekend and adds extra value to the guests during their stay.

She also mentioned the "Me and My Ride" project which was started at the Riempies Hotel in Oudtshoorn earlier this year, and is aimed at Grade 6 and 7 learners.

Dippenaar regaled all with his quirky take on the history of bakkies; from the first motor-truck built by Daimler in 1896 to the most successful pickup in history (the Ford F100), as well Tesla's announcement that their long-awaited electric pickup truck will be introduced to the world on 21 November 2020.

For more information on the Old Car Show, please contact Klaus Oellrich on 076 764 0897, or visit the website, www.scocc.co.za.

* Mercedes-Benz museum belonging to the Scribante couple

Di Kershaw of the George Rotary poses in front of an old Model T Ford at the Protea Hotel by Marriot George King George. Photo: Kelvin Saunders