Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

To try and get a sense of the car culture in Cape Town, we rocked up at two very different meets
Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

Stepping into a white Toyota Etios isn’t exactly how I imagined my South African auto adventure to start, but desperate times call for desperate measures. My contact on the ground - from local car culture outfit SA Torque - has been in touch, and the news isn’t good: the ‘Park-Off’ I want to swing by at Sea Point, an affluent, hotel-festooned suburb of Cape Town, has caught the attention of the local authorities. And they really aren’t happy about the dozens of car enthusiasts that have just descended upon the seafront.

I haven’t been able to sort out any other form of transport, so if I’m to get there before the whole thing is shut down, it’s got to be an Uber. Just as I jump in, a curious convoy including a BMW M6, VW Golf GTI, a heavily modified E30 BMW 3-series and an FN2 Honda Civic Type R rolls by my hotel. Are they on their way to Sea Point, perhaps?

The action started before I even left the hotel
The action started before I even left the hotel

My Uber driver Isgak is amused by the display, commenting that they’re probably going to head along the seafront to show off their rides. After telling him why I’m heading to Sea Point, he pledges to beat them via a shortcut. He’s pretty attached to his plucky Toyota, occasionally dipping the clutch and revving out the little petrol engine. “Not bad for a 1.5!” He says gleefully.

Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

When I arrive, the problem becomes clear: I see three owners getting a telling off from the police, and another having just received a ticket. They’re getting written up for anything from illegal parking to modifications the cops have taken umbrage to. One E30 BMW driver has - I’m told - been slapped with a fine running into thousands of Rand. The people I speak to aren’t happy with their relationship with the police, and the word “hassled” comes up more than once.

Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

Despite the law enforcement intervention, the meet is still in full swing. And the variety of cars is incredible - there are modified Honda S2000s, a smattering of Subaru Imprezas and many, many VW Golfs.

As far as car meet backdrops go, Cape Town's mountainous surroundings take some beating
As far as car meet backdrops go, Cape Town's mountainous surroundings take…

Mk5 and 6 versions seem popular, but it’s the older models that dominate. Some are ‘original’ Golfs, while others are of the ‘Citi Golf’ variety - a South African-manufactured version of the Mk1 that was built right up until 2009. Both here and city-wide, they’re everywhere. If only it were feasible to bring one home…

From VWs to BMWs and even a Holden, the Sea Point Park Off had something for everyone
From VWs to BMWs and even a Holden, the Sea Point Park Off had something…

My favourite part? That’d be the humbler stuff. How can you not find something like a slammed Nissan Micra or a Hyundai i10 with aftermarket wheels and stretched tyres endearing? I’ve also never seen a meet where so many owners have brought their kids along - most are sure to be petrolheads of the future.

The meet starts to wind down as owners depart in little groups in search of a Sunday evening bite to eat. Since it’s a clear, still and exceptionally warm evening, ending the day part-way up the imposing Table Mountain and enjoying the jaw-dropping views over Cape Town simply has to happen. And that means another Uber.

Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

Walking part-way up Table Mountain is quickly scrapped though, as upon exiting nondescript white Toyota Uber number two, I spot a gorgeous, tastefully modified Datsun 510 pickup. I follow it on foot, soon discovering I’d inadvertently chosen a drop-off point right at another car meet.

This time, it’s a gathering of the All About Datsun group. And good God, what a tantalising display of JDM loveliness is laid before me. The main theme here is Bluebirds - 510s, 810s, a particularly delicious 610 SSS (Super Sports Sedan); they’re all here.

Here's What Car Meets Are Like In Cape Town, South Africa

While I lucked out with the location, my timing is less than ideal - the event is already wrapping up. Then again, this does give me the chance to witness some memorable exits - the 510 pickup that led us here does an outrageous one-tyre fire burnout out of the car park, while the owner of a newer U11-generation Bluebird happily lights up his front tyres all the way up the hill. Soon after, a sizeable Datsun-themed traffic jam forms up on the road leading away from Table Mountain. It’s quite a sight.

Even away from these car meets, there’s a palpable sense that Cape Town is a city full of petrolheads - you can’t walk around the place for more than a few minutes without spotting someone you just know is a car guy or car girl.

The only trouble is, that makes me realise I’ve barely scratched the surface…

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Comments

GTRTURTLE 🔰 🐢(Oo \ S K Y L I N E / oO) (Koen

Bucket list item #5: visit a South African car meet

02/11/2018 - 14:19 |
40 | 2

Yeah - you should try it :)

02/12/2018 - 06:00 |
0 | 0

If youre from california, You should go to some beach meets in Huntington Beach. I’ve been to a few, and there are so many JDM gems there, including r32 and r33 gtrs. Ive also seen one legal r34 there, and a few widebody r35s. Not to mention shit loads of 510s, 240zs, and lots and lots of 350zs.

07/05/2018 - 15:10 |
0 | 0
Leandro Lien

Cries in brazilian

02/11/2018 - 14:19 |
6 | 0
Chovo

Got to love South Africa

02/11/2018 - 14:22 |
8 | 0
Nishant Dash

cries in Indian Import laws…

02/11/2018 - 14:25 |
30 | 0

Not to mention ricers…

02/11/2018 - 14:29 |
2 | 0

*Move to malaysia for car guys reasons. Or uk

02/12/2018 - 08:44 |
2 | 0
ᴶᵘˢᵗᴬᴿᵃⁿᵈᵒá

In reply to by Nishant Dash

Cries even louder in Indonesian taxes

02/12/2018 - 11:25 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

Did not know that south Africa had such cool cars. They also have done some pretty TASTEFUL mods. They got a pretty good taste, GOTTA ADMIT.

02/11/2018 - 14:27 |
30 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks :)

02/12/2018 - 05:59 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Did you not see this at the car meet?

02/11/2018 - 14:29 |
170 | 4
Alvian Raynaldi

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Or maybe this one?

02/11/2018 - 14:58 |
98 | 4
Aaron 15

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Well….. that’s a completely different part of the African continent.

02/11/2018 - 15:24 |
46 | 2
Anonymous

Cape Town looks beautiful! I should pay a visit.

02/11/2018 - 14:31 |
14 | 0
Rahul 1

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

The want to go there is real…the coastside…

02/11/2018 - 15:38 |
0 | 0
AlecHuntsman

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

i suggest you do so soon cause they are having a drinking water shortage/crisis in cape town, a bit of an unsure future for them

02/12/2018 - 00:55 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Absolutely - much do to here

02/12/2018 - 06:01 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Come visit brother. Lots to do here. Great roads to drive on, great food and great people. Just bring your own water lol

02/12/2018 - 17:23 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You should. Just bring your own water and when u get hungry ask where u can buy masala steak gatsby

02/15/2018 - 09:55 |
0 | 0
Ewan23 (The Scottish guy)

I honestly didn’t expect the verity of the cars to be honest.

02/11/2018 - 17:47 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

Cries in Croatian Golf Mk3 TDI

02/11/2018 - 19:15 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I live in Cape Town, Had one of those citi golfs as my first car. They are incredible, i got mine with 240 000km on it, put 70 000km of hard driving on it, did 2 track days, towed sailing boats, drove it hard on gravel, everything you could think of and besides making sure it usually had oil didnt really give it much love and it just kept going and if something did break the parts were so cheap it didn’t really matter anyways.

Those citigolfs are brilliant, I miss mine so much, the mk4 golf 1.9tdi i replaced it with blows it out the water in terms of milage and comfort but it has no soul. Soul is driving through the sand pile of a building site on a friday, doing a trackday on a saturday and then filling it with toys and going cycling on sunday. Soul is being about to drive at 8/10ths without breaking the speed limit, heel toeing from 5th to 2nd while the tyres squeal without locking because the controls of the car have so much feel that doing that is easy (and floor mounted accelerator pedal makes heel toeing so so much easier). Soul is liftoff oversteer, Scandinavian flicks, tripodding, that flick of the wrist it takes to get the door handle to work properly, nearly crashing into the back of ac cobras at trackdays because it handled so well…

Sorry about the theatrical paragraph, my mk4 is so dreary :(

02/11/2018 - 19:24 |
18 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I owned a 1.9l mk4 golf and I had so much fun in that car, doing everything you did in your citigolf so I could only imagine how amazing the citigolf must feel.. makes me miss my old vws

02/11/2018 - 21:34 |
6 | 0