South Africa as a Formula – One Destination
From 1962 to 1965 South Africa had a National Formula One Championship. All the International names of the day came and raced in South Africa.
We had the Rand Grand Prix – Kyalami, Cape Grand Prix – Killarney, Natal Grand Prix – Westmead, Rhodesian Grand Prix – Bulawayo, and the big daddy of them all SA Grand Prix World Championship – East London.
The big names of F1 came and raced in South Africa: Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Steward, Innes Ireland, Stirling Moss, Jo Bonnier, Colin Chapman – Lotus, John Cooper – Cooper and Sir Alfred Owen – BRM.
Then the South Africans: Tony Maggs, John Love, Gary Hocking, Neville Lederle, Trevor Blokdyk, Syd van den Vyver, Sam Tingle, Peter de Klerk and Jackie Pretorius just to name a few.
Plus the racers/ car builders: Doug Serrurier – LDS, Peter de Klerk – Alfa Special, Bill Jennings – Jennings Porsche… South Africa was on top of the world when Formula One was our National Championship.
Once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Formula One of the Sixties
At Zwartkops, on the 1st February 2020 the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association have put together an amazing grid of 18 Grand Prix racers to race at Zwartkops and a week later at Killarney.
This is an amazing grid of F1 racers which represents the time when South Africa was Formula One. One of the aspects of the cars racing is that of the grid of 17/18 cars more was equal to the cars that raced in our Grand Prix Series.
The Lotus 18/21 Climax which Gary Hocking brought to South Africa in 1962 and then proceeded to win everything in sight and set new lap records. This included wins and the outright record at the original Zwartkops (Gary, a World Champion 500cc motorcycle racer switched from cars to bikes but was tragically killed in practice in 1962 Natal Grand Prix driving a Lotus 24 Climax V8)
The Trevor Blokdyk Cooper-Alfa – This ex-Midland racing Cooper won many National F1 events with Alfa then Lotus t/c engines.
The Heron-Alfa – This car won the opening Formula One race at Kyalami in November 1961 driven by Ernest Pieterse.
The famous Lotus 18 Alfa of Syd van der Vyver. Syd won two South African National F1 Championships in this car.
Lotus 16 – One of the first Formula One cars that Collin Champion built. The car Is front engine and represents the 1950 era of Formula One. We had one such Lotus 16 in South Africa raced by Tony Kotze from Cape Town.
There will be a host of Coopers. The Disruptor Coopers which started the rear engine revolution. Some of Coopers are the actual cars that were raced by South Africans.
Cooper Maserati – same as the Lupini Cooper – Maserati which Don Philip, Trevor Blokdyk and John Love drove.
Brabham B11 – The ex-Jack Brabham car which raced in the East London Grand Prix. Aldo Scribante purchased a similar B11 for Dave Charlton in 1967 but in 2,7litre form.
The LDS Alfa’s builtd by Dough Serrurier – the ACE South African builder of F1 cars in the sixties.
Then a very special car – Maserati 250F
A racer of 1950’s which immortalised Juan Fangio. One of the most effective, practical, and beautiful F1 racers ever to grace F1. South Africans have never seen a F1 Maserati 250F in action.
In a similar vein, but not quite as famous a 2 litre Alfa F2.
1958 / 1974 The Great Years of South African Motor Racing.
1966 Legends of the 9 Hour Production Cars
Pre-1966/68 Le Mans Sports & GT
Pre-1974 International Sports Prototypes
Pre-1966/68 Little Giants Production Sports & GT Cars
Pre-1966 under 2 litre Production Cars
Pre-1971 Campion of Champions Production Cars
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