Knysna holds breath for motoring greats

KNYSNA MOTORING NEWS - The Knysna Motor Show, brought to you by the Garden Route Motor Club and Sanlam Private Wealth, takes place from 09:00 to 16:00 on Sunday 28 April at the Knysna High School sport fields. The club is expecting close to 400 cars and classic motorcycles this year.

A large contingent of supercars will share the turf with classic sports cars, vintage cars that are up to 100 years old and motorcycles.

What's in store
Pagani Zonda 7.0 S: Yes, the only Pagani Zonda 7.0 S in South Africa, which should not be surprising, as only seven of them were built for global release.

Maserati A6GCS53 Berlinetta re-enactment: Just four Maserati A6GCS Berlinettas were built, the coupe versions of the A6GCCS roadsters that were well-known in competition in the early 1950s. The car on show is a re-enactment built in the Cape province.

Lexus LFA: There are just three Lexus LFAs in South Africa. This is a dramatic supercar embodying all that is best about Japanese engineering precision, with a dramatic styling flair not always associated with the Lexus brand.

Rossion Q1: This is one of the rarer examples of supercardom in South Africa. The Rossion is an evolution of the better-known NobleM400 sports car, conceived by Englishman Lee Noble and built in Port Elizabeth by Hi-Tech Automotive in some numbers a decade ago Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and Huracan: These are the two iconic supercars from Lamborghini currently in production. The Aventador is the more powerful big daddy version with 515kW from its V12 engine, and an engine note to curl your toes. The Huracan is the baby brother, equally stunning in looks, with a V10 engine.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL: It could be argued that this was the first volume-produced supercar. Together with its Gullwing coupe sibling, the 300 SL, produced between 1954 and 1963, totalled a production figure of some 3 400 cars.

378 Zagato, built by Hi-Tech Automotive, the Port Elizabeth sports car constructors.

Aston Martin 1934, Mk 2: This is a very early Aston, although the marque has been in existence for over a century. It is owned by Garden Route enthusiast Lew Baker, a former sports car racer and avid classic car collector.

378GT Zagato: This car is another creation of the extraordinary Hi-Tech Automotive, the Port Elizabeth firm that builds Ford GT40, Cobra and Corvette Grand Sport re-enactments for the US market.

McLaren: McLaren is a famous name in Formula One and equally famous for its modern range of supercars. The man who kick-started McLaren's leap into supercar production was South African-born Gordon Murray. Expect to see at least one of the latest examples of the McLaren nameplate in Knysna.

Other famous marques
Enjoy a special Bentley Centenary celebration, Morgan will be celebrating 110 years and Mini turns 60.

A host of pre-1945 cars including Ford Model Ts and Model As, Chevrolet Phaetons and Rolls-Royces will attend, and there will be a (literally) huge display of American classics from the 1950s, courtesy of Kobus Mostert, who is obsessed with these evocative V8s from the days of rock 'n' roll.

Add classic names like Sunbeam, Porsche, Austin Healey, Triumph, Lotus, Mustang and Jaguar to your list. Peter Lindenberg will once again display a wide collection of classic racing cars and Mustang go-faster bits.

Tony Watson's Bentley 4,5-litre from 1927.

The Parnell Bruce Collection, based in Knysna, will concentrate on vintage cars dating from 1910 to 1936 and classic motorcycles, dating back to 1920, will compete with classic superbikes of the 1970s and '80s.