In the Seventies, South Africa was one of Alfa Romeo’s most important markets outside of Italy. The Berlina 2000 was both successful in sales and on the racetrack
The pre-facelift 124-series Cabriolet is a relatively rare model. In South Africa, a local collector offered us the keys to his top-condition 300CE-24 for a sunset drive on one of the most picturesque roads on the continent.
BMW South Africa has a rich history of building cars unique to its market, we track down and drive a factory-commissioned E34 5 Series racer that has a history like no other.
Alfa Romeo may be an also-ran in contemporary F1, but in 1993, the 155 V6 Ti rewrote history by winning the DTM championship in its first year of entry. With BMW and Audi withdrawing at the end of 1992, Alfa seized the opportunity to maximise the new-for-1993 FIA Class 1 touring-car rules.
We track down a fully restored 1965 Porsche 911, one of the earliest of its kind. Having celebrated 60 years since the first 911, what’s it like to drive in 2024?
007 very nearly got an E-type for the Goldfinger film — but he also came close to a Jaguar in the novel upon which it was based. Which of these original Goldfinger cars makes for the best classic experience today?
Arguably one of the most exciting 911 road-to-race car conversions ever done, we take a close look at the Franco Scribante Racing 997 Turbo S-based race car.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans that took place in 1980 was an odd race by Porsche’s standards. CEO Ernst Fuhrmann had decreed that not only would the 911 not be developed further, but neither would the 936 Sports prototype. Instead, Porsche would campaign at Le Mans with the 924, suitably modified and turbocharged. The transaxle 924 (the 944 was in the wings) and 928 were, in his view, the company’s future. The Porsche racing fraternity was dismayed, while other competitors were puzzled. These GT-class 924s – even with 350bhp – were hardly potential race winners, but Ernst, for whom this would be his last Le Mans with Porsche, was unperturbed.
From 1985 to 1987, BMW South Africa manufactured a limited number of the E30 333i. It was only manufactured there and has become a cult hero in the country, and this specimen is one of the neatest examples.
Strangely, Porsche’s domination of Group C in the 1980s seems almost to have been forgotten, unlike the 917’s crushing victories in 1970/71 that are regularly celebrated. Perhaps Group C never captured the popular imagination in the same way as Le Mans does.
