Heritage Tour 2021: remarkable memories were part of the package

Heritage Tour 2021: remarkable memories were part of the package

George, Garden Route (October 2021) – War stories were exchanged over Sunday lunch on October 3, when participants in Heritage Tour 2021 (from September 23-26) converged at the Southern Cape Old Car Club (SCOCC) hub in George.

Many owners of the 25 special cars – some of them indeed having survived a world war, such as the Packard Convertible One Twenty of 1941 – were on hand to reminisce about this year’s road trip through the Southern Cape, Boland and Klein Karoo.
Only cars manufactured before 1980 were eligible to register, and 10 of this year’s old-car owners had never before entered the event. The two oldest cars on tour were Ford Model As of 1929 and 1931 respectively.
Drivers who have completed all nine events so far in the same cars are Chris van Staden in his 1968 Porche 912 Targa, George Marx in a 1957 Morris Minor, and Heritage Tour organiser Pierre Olivier, who cruised with wife Tilly as able navigator in their 1961 Morris Minor.
Part of the post-mortem lunch party, the Oliviers were still tangibly exhilarated after their freshly-completed excursion. Says Pierre: “It was such a beautiful route that it’s nearly impossible to isolate particular sections.
“Because I come from an agricultural community, a highlight was the incredible spectacle of a brimming Theewaterskloof Dam. I worked around Villiersdorp when the dam was at its lowest level (just 7%), so to see it bursting its banks was an unforgettable experience.
“Another picture-perfect memory is the little ‘dorpie’ of Elim with its thatch-roofed houses, painted in all the colours of the rainbow. We simply had to stop and marvel at this beautiful sight.”
On Saturday the 25th, tourers departed Worcester for Montagu, Barrydale, and Calitzdorp before ending the day in Oudtshoorn with a gala evening and prize giving. That Sunday, the fleet returned to George via De Rust.
When the George-based contingent of tourers reconvened a week later, heartfelt thanks were expressed to SCOCC chairperson Mike Alexander and his organising committee. Applauded, too, was SA Veteran and Vintage Association chair Philip Kuschke.
Businesses who supported main sponsor Recollection Rides include Halfway Toyota, which facilitated an excellent September 23 send-off, while Click on It, Midas, Perfect Water, Safari and Supa Quick featured among those singled out for their contributions.