The previous Classic Car Show at Nasrec in 2022 saw records tumble for both the number of cars on display and the number of spectators who attended, and organiser Paulo Calisto is planning for an even bigger influx of petrol-heads, come 9 July.

“We’ve made new entrances for the owners of the older classic cars for this year’s show. Ever since I started running this event, queues of cars have always been a challenge. We have now made Gates 6, 7 and 8 as the official entry portals for the older classic cars,” says Paulo. “We have also increased the area for classics, which has been necessary because the Japan versus Germany section, which runs at the show, has drawn more and more numbers.”

One of the delights of The Classic Car Show is that at each event, a contingent of cars never seen at previous shows turn up. This means that even regular attendees will always have something totally new to see, in terms of the rarity value of the collectable classic. The other cool thing about the way the show is organised is that you have genteel British classics rubbing door handles with brash metal-flake American muscle cars with modern-day 20-inch wheels fitted.

What The Classic Car Show has demonstrated since its inception over a decade ago is that South Africa is blessed with one of the most diverse classic car parks that you’ll find anywhere in the world.

The reason for this is that since the very early days of motoring here, cars from America, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and even Australia have made their presence felt in considerable numbers. Later on, Japan made considerable inroads into our market with cars like Datsuns (later called Nissans) Toyotas and Mazdas, and soon some of the Korean cars like Hyundais and Kias are going to be regarded as modern classics.

The famous Japan versus Germany segment of The Classic Car Show was developed to attract younger drivers to the classic car movement. It has grown so huge over the past few years that it now occupies more floor space than the traditional classic contingent. This is encouraging as it shows that youngsters in Toyota RSis, Honda Civics and Volkswagen Golfs and Polos that are “slammed” to the pavement using special suspension systems, are continuing the petrol-head culture in great numbers.

BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes are obviously part of the “German” contingent, and BMW, in particular, has issued high-performance models over the years that are worshiped by younger drivers. Mercedes, with its AMG division, has been playing catch-up in a big way in recent years. Toyota RSi and RXi models have become serious “young timer” collectables in recent years and both modified and mint examples are highly prized.

As well as a huge number of cars on display, including supercars, hot rods, muscle cars and custom pick-up trucks, the show offers top-quality food and drink, musical entertainment, special play areas for young children, helicopter rides and drifting at the Nasrec skid pan.

The Classic Car Show on Sunday 9 July 2023, opens at 8 am to the public and runs until 4 pm. Drivers of classic cars and Japan vs German examples are admitted free as exhibitors.

Prices are R100 for adults and R30 for children under 12 at the gate. Tickets are available from Computicket at R80 for adults and R20 for children under 12. Secure parking is available for spectators at R30.