Twenty-six privately owned veteran and classic cars will take part in the 5th Liquorland Heritage Tour that takes place from 24 – 28 September 2016, passing through 15 Western Cape towns and covering a distance of 1150 km.
The group of veteran and Classic cars depart early on the morning of Saturday 24 September (Heritage Day) following a circular route from George in the Southern Cape, via Bredasdorp, Wellington and Ceres in the Boland and back to Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo.
This tour is the second biggest annual event organised by the Southern Cape Old Car Club (SCOCC), the biggest being the annual George Old Car Show.
Factors determining the route
“The participating vehicles’ engine capacity as well as other technical aspects had to be taken into consideration when planning the route,” said Pierre Olivier, chairperson of the SCOCC, who planned the route over 1150 km.
“Our Model T Fords cannot drive very fast and it is not possible to drive more than about 300 km per day,” said Phillip Rosser, member of the Heritage Tour organising committee.
Rosser said the annual Heritage Tour offered the proud owners of the carefully restored and maintained vehicles an opportunity to drive these cars which are a living heritage. “We love to share our passion for these cars with the communities of the towns through which we travel.”
According to Olivier the route was also determined by the available accommodation in towns where the large group of more than 50 will overnight.
Yet none of these factors prevented at least seven spectacular mountain passes to be included in the route.
Tour program
Day 1: 24 September (312 km)
Participants will meet at 07:00 at Liquorland Pre Cap in Courtenay Street for coffee before the slower vehicles leave at 07:30 and the others at 08:00. From George they will travel along the N2 to Swellendam before turning off on the R319 to Bredasdorp and Arniston, where they will overnight in Die Herberg. Members of the Crankhandle Club in Cape Town will join them for the evening.
Day 2: Sunday 25 September (195 km)
After breakfast they will travel from Arniston via Bredasdop, Caledon and Villiers to Worcester. In Villiersdorp they will visit, among other places, the Tractor Museum.
Day 3: Monday 26 September (243 km)
From Worcester they will travel through the SlanghoekValley and via Bain’s Kloof to Wellington and Gouda, through the Nuwekloof Pass and Mitchell’s Pass to Ceres, and over the Theronsberg Pass to the N1 Karoo Hotel. “This is one of the most beautiful parts of the route,” said Olivier.
Day 4: Tuesday 27 September (272 km)
From the N1 Karoo Hotel they will travel through the Koo Valley and Burgers’ Pass to Montagu and then along the R62 to Barrydale and Ladismith and via the Huis River Pass to Calitzdorp, where they will spend the last night of the tour after travelling 1022 km. “Although this is not the longest tour that we have undertaken, it stretches over more days than before,” said Olivier.
The Heritage Tour will end in a fun way with a fancy dress gala dinner to which participants are requested to wear period dress to match the production year of their vehicle.
Day 5: Wednesday 28 September
After breakfast the participants all find their way home along the route of their choice. Those who return to George will have travelled 1150 km.
Participants and their vehicles
The oldest vehicles taking part in the tour are six Model T Fords. The two very oldest vehicles, both dating back to 1914, belong to Emil Kuschke from Pretoria and Tom van den Vyver of Beacon Bay, East London. The other four belong to Philip Kuschke of George (1915), Ockert van den Berg of Great Brak River (1915), Kevin Casey of Harrismith (1924) and Phillip Rosser of George (1926).
Other vehicles that you’ll be able to spot on the tour include:
a 1927 Ford Model A,
a 1929 Chevrolet Phaeton,
a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline,
a 1952 Mercedes Benz 300 Carbriolet,
a 1964 Vauxhall,
a 1967 Wolseley 16/16,
a 1968 Porche 912 Targa
a 1968 Anglia Super.
a 1971 MBW 2.8 CS,
a 1974 VW Trike,
a 1974 VW Beetle
a 1974 Mercedes Benz SL 500,
a 1974 Mercedes Benz.
a 1981 Pontiac Bonnieville,
a Ford LDV (Sweeper) ,
a 1963 Studebaker Avanti,
Five Morris Minor 1000 vehicles will also take part, ranging from a 1957 model to a 1963 model.
“With this Liquorland Heritage Tour we also want to advertise next year’s George Old Car Show which takes place at PW Botha College sports grounds on 11 and 12 February 2017,” said Olivier.
After the tour a cash amount will handed to a non-profit charity organisation.
Contact Olivier at [email protected] or 082 872 6456, or Phillip Rosser at [email protected] or 082 410 5490 for more information about the Liquorland Heritage Tour.