Vintage Ford car the toast of Concours
Adrian Wroe with the winning car trophy during the 2022 Golden Africa Concours d’Elegance at Ngong Racecourse on September 25, 2022. The sparkling white 1930 Ford Model A was declared the overall car winner by judges who assessed the 72 vehicles entered in the event.
What you need to know:
- His 1947 MG-TC also won the class for Open Cars while Jane Chemngorem’s 1962 VW Karmann Ghia won the class for Touring Cars from 1001 cc to 1300cc.
- Tumaini Muthiga shone in the Utility Vehicles made after 1970 with his 1987 Volkswagen Kombi. The enthusiastic car collector had entered four vintage cars two motor cycles in different categories.
A1930 Ford Model A car owned by Adrian Wroe outclassed the competition to take the top slot in the car category of the 2022 Africa Concours d’Elegance held at the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi at the weekend.
It was a family affair at the quintessential car competition Wroe’s 1930 Ford Model A marginally beat his sister Veronica’s 1934 Rolls Royce Boatail by a point.
Adrian’s meticulous finish of the Ford stole the hearts of the judges, scoring an impressive 282 points.
Veronica straddled the judges’ course in her 1934 Rolls Royce Boattail, a clear favourite of the spectators, having won the overall prize in 2018. Veronica and Adrian’s father is a veteran vintage car collector and a regular feature at the pageant.
The Africa Concours d’Elegance returned after a two-year hiatus occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, and attracted 70 vintage cars and 40 classic motorcycles.
The battle for the grand title highlighted the intensity of work, time and attention to detail that competitors put in to present their magnificently finished machines to an awed crowd of car enthusiasts that thronged the Ngong Racecourse.
This year, the event organized annually by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Kenya. marked its golden jubilee.
Sati Jabbal with his 1925 DKW, rode off with the motorcycles category for the second time in a row, fending off a spirited challenge from Dominique Antoine and Russel Hughes who tied for the second position with their 1925 Triumph 550 SD and 1952 Ducati 65T respectively.
Antoine’s Triumph 550 was, however, was awarded second place on account of its age. Russel had rode about 140 kilometres from Njoro in Nakuru to take part in the event.
Besides the winning DKW which scored 192 points against its challenger’s 186 points, Sati Jabbal had also entered a 1964 Norton which was ranked fourth while his son Manraj Singh’s 1962 BMW was seventh overall.
Among the class winners were Kevit Desai, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of East Africa Community and Regional Development.
Desai won the class for Touring Cars over 3000 cc with his 1968 Jaguar 420 saloon which was also the most Elegant Car in the event.
Sati Gata-Aura won the class for Touring cars from 1301 to 1600 cc with his sparkling 1977 Nissan 160J which is a previous overall winner.
His 1947 MG-TC also won the class for Open Cars while Jane Chemngorem’s 1962 VW Karmann Ghia won the class for Touring Cars from 1001 cc to 1300cc.
Tumaini Muthiga shone in the Utility Vehicles made after 1970 with his 1987 Volkswagen Kombi. The enthusiastic car collector had entered four vintage cars two motor cycles in different categories.
