Show organiser, Paulo Calisto, expects a turnout of very special Mustangs to herald the début of the forthcoming 2016 model, which - for the first time in South Africa - will be on general sale through Ford dealerships late in 2015, with the production of the first right-hand-drive model in the car’s half-century history.
“Mustang fever has never been higher,” said Calisto. Running the Classic Car Show for the past five years, he’s been amazed that each year, different Mustangs have arrived for this mid-winter event. “There’s a very strong club for Mustangs and there must be hundreds out there that we aren’t even aware of, because more and more different examples keep appearing out of the woodwork,” he explained.
The Ford Mustang was the brainchild of the famous American automotive guru, Lee Iacocca, and its 1964 début marked the advent of a famous line of so-called pony-cars from rival manufacturers, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar, Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger. All these examples of American muscle are expected to make their appearance at Nasrec.
“But there will be plenty of the bigger muscle cars too, from that era. I’m expecting at least three or four Dodge Chargers to arrive on Sunday and there will be a huge turnout of customised pickup trucks, ranging from the late 1930s to the early 1960s. Pickup trucks are the latest big thing in custom cars,” said Calisto, who personally owns an early 1960s Chevy pickup. Calisto added, “What I particularly enjoy is that there are so many different styles. Some guys go for the very low-dropped look, others favour the higher ride-height and the paint schemes vary from dark traditional shades to ultra-wild. Then, there are the guys who build totally original pickups too.”
While there has always been a strong American theme at the Classic Car Show, Sunday’s event on the 5th July, will once again attract a large contingent of modified Volkswagen Beetles, buses and other European classics.
The Volkswagen bus movement has been growing steadily with the early split-window buses and vans being particularly prized among collectors, while the later bay-window models are gaining popularity. The Beetle movement is as strong as ever, with all sorts of sub-genres within the classic air-cooled Volkswagen sedan, finding favour among young and old.
Hot rods will be big again at the show, with various wild and whacky examples of the Rat Rod movement also expected to turn out at Nasrec.
Special muscle cars will be on display inside Hall 5 at the venue, as in the past, while the big action will take place on the field alongside the showgrounds’ fun fare.
Talking of fun, there’ll be plenty of entertainment for children, including helicopter rides at an affordable price. There’ll also be various rock bands, providing a back-beat to the sound of rumbling V8s and roaring four-cylinder classics, as well as plenty of food and drink on sale.
Entrance for classic cars will be at Gate 2 and spectators’ entrance at Gate 5. The show opens at 8am and runs through until 5pm. Prices are R60 for adults and R20 for children under 12 and drivers of classic cars will be admitted free of charge. For more information, visit www.classiccars.co.za or call Paulo Calisto on 082 497 7218.
by Stuart Johnston Communications
