Concours patron Desai leads the entries from the front

Kevit Desai, the Patron of the Africa Concours d’Elegance, is an early entrant for the annual motorsport event, submitting his magnificent Mercedes 450SLC coupe and 1968 gleaming bronze Jaguar 420 Saloon.

An impressive 1969 Alfa Romeo spider sports car has also been entered by Alec Davis.

The class for utility vehicles has been strongly supported by Jan Allan and Jonathan Somen with old Land Rovers.

Among other entries which are expected to win prizes are Benson Muli’s 1970 Volkswagen Kombi and the Volkswagen pick-up of the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute in Eldoret which was made in the same year.

The Concours d’Elegance has been held for the past 52 years by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to mark the organisation’s anniversary and to give the owners of well-kept cars and motorcycles an opportunity to show them to Concours fans who flock to the Nairobi Racecourse on the last Sunday of September every year.

The event also rewards the owners of vintage vehicles with a chance of winning prizes and having their machines marked by a team of highly experienced judges.

In addition to the awards for the top three cars and motorcycles, there are prizes in the 12 classes for cars and the eight motorcycle categories. There are also awards for the best entries representing various manufacturers.

Crowd pulling motorcycles ,so far entered include the 1952 Ducati 65T of Gilgil bike enthusiast Russell Hughes and the oldest machine so far entered this year,  the 1925 Triumph 550 SD of Dominique Antoine. He is known for his meticulous preparation and is among the favourites to win in the category.

Simon Christy, a previous overall motorcycle winner who has also been chief judge, will be exhibiting a 1976 Honda CB 400F and a 1979 Kawasaki KZ 1000.

Another big machine destined for the Ngong Racecourse in September  is Tumaini Muthiga’s 1999 Harley Davidson and Henry Hunt’s 1981 BMW 1000.