Vying for space at Nasrec for the Summer Edition of the 2017 Classic Car Show will be a large contingent of cars known as “land yachts”.
These are the huge American swish-mobiles of the late 1950s through to the late 1970s, cars that need three parking spaces instead of one, and even then you’d better be able to wield a steering wheel with some skill to make sure you slot the car in correctly.
The big “land yachts” went through an amazing styling progression starting from 1955 when the classic Chevrolets and Fords began sprouting fins of serious dimensions. The fin era peaked at the end of the 1950s and in the 1960s, cars like Cadillacs and Bucks then reverted to huge slab-sided wing extensions. This look lasted well into the 1980s for the bigger American cars.
During this time there were slightly smaller coupe-shaped cars which are the classic muscle cars, and also the pony cars, spawned by the introduction of the immortal Ford Mustang in mid-1964. Most people refer to these pony cars today as muscle cars. In this category, think Ford Mustang, Mercury Cougar, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Plymouth Barracuda, and Dodge Chargers and Challengers.
British cars at Nasrec are usually dominated by hosts of original Minis, and these come in all sorts of guises. The original Mini was launched in 1959, and was assembled in South Africa in the Western Cape. Prized versions are the Cooper and Cooper S models. Later, in the early 1970s, we had the Clubman-shaped Minis with the longer nose, and these came in the more popular GTS and 1275 GT models, the “hot ones” that effectively replaced the Cooper S.
Ford Cortinas were assembled here from late 1962 to 1983, a total of 21 years, and in that time the Ford Cortina went through five generations. Highly sought-after models are the original Mk I GT, the MkII Perana, the Mk III V6, and the Interceptor models in Mk V form. Cortina pick-ups were also a unique South African creation and are sought after in Europe today, particularly in the UK.
Volkswagens have traditionally had a huge presence at The Classic Car Show, ranging from the popular Split Window and Bay Window buses (Kombis) to early Oval Window Beetles (produced from 1954 to 1957).
In addition, guests can expect to see many examples of street rods and classic pickup trucks, the fastest-growing trend in the street-rod community.
For more, go to www.classiccarshow.co.za
