For the 50th year running, motoring event focused on rewarding owners of the best kept cars and motorcycles, Golden Africa Concours d’Elegance, is set to take place at the Nairobi Racecourse on September 26th.
Entries received so far are Tumaini Muthiga’s 1967 Ford Taunus and his Morris Marina. He will also be competing with his Harley Davidson which was placed first in the class for over 1200cc street bikes. Another competitor who will be dividing his time between the car judging line and the motorcycle enclosure is Peter Wanday who has entered two Alfa Romeo GTVs and a 1956 BSA.
Entries from Uganda include Leslie Carvell who will drive her 1970 Volkswagen Beetle from Jinja to be at the Nairobi Racecourse. She is a regular competitor and was the runner-up in the 1,300cc touring car class in 2019. Kakooza Wazzir will contest this class next year with his Mitsuoka Viewt made in 1966.
The assessment will start with utility vehicles followed by touring cars of different engine capacities, rally cars, sports cars and machines made in 1940, or earlier. The motorcycle classes cover street, enduro and competition bikes.
First, the underside of cars will be checked at the Total inspection ramp. Then, competitors will drive along the judging line in front of the main Racecourse grand stands. There are checkpoints for the paintwork and external finish, the interior and boot and the engine. The process ends with a pair of judges marking roadworthiness. Motorcycles are assessed in a similar way in the Racecourse parade ring adjacent to the grand stands.
While competitors are given the opportunity to showcase their highly prepared machines to the enthusiasts, they also receive an assessment of their vehicles by experienced and qualified officials. To compensate for wear and tear there are bonus points for the age of the competing cars and two-wheelers. There are 12 classes for cars, SUVs and pick-ups and eight for motorcycles of all makes and types.
