The first Santos Beach Auto Extremo takes place in Mossel Bay on September 1 and will be a celebration of classic cars and modern supercars.
The waterfront setting for this exclusive car show rivals any similar venue in the world and will set the tone for what will become an annual event within touching distance of one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern Africa.
“We see this venue as providing a backdrop to rival some of the top classic car events in the world,” said organiser Waldo Scribante, owner of the Scribs BENZeum in nearby George.
“The venue made available to us by De Bakke Caravan Park is perfect for showing off timeless classic cars in an ideal setting — plenty of green lawns to park the cars, shade and easily accessible to the public.
“All the great car shows in the world have one thing in common — a beautiful backdrop. There is Villa D’Este, which is the premier classic car event in Italy on the shores of Lake Como, and Pebble Beach, in Monterey, Southern California. If you add to that the superlative roads and mountain passes on our doorstep in Mossel Bay, you have the makings of an event that could be unrivalled in its appeal to motoring connoisseurs.”
The name of the show, Santos Beach Auto Extremo, is in part derived from the Portuguese term Automóvel Extremo, linking to the heritage of this famous site where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias made his famous landing in 1488.
“This connection highlights the historical significance of the venue and the spirit of excitement that imbues state-of-the art supercars, modern and historic,” said Scribante.
“There is a natural synergy between owners of modern ultra-sophisticated supercars and aficionados of iconic classics we want to facilitate. Many owners of modern supercars have an immense sense of heritage when it comes to their machinery and we want to share this with the public.”
The show will be open to the public and is a one-day event on September 1 from 10am to 4pm. An admission price of R75 will be charged for adults, while children will be admitted free.
Classic and supercar owners will be required to pre-enter their cars and the event will also form the final leg of an inaugural Southern Cape tour from Cape Town to Mossel Bay. Organised by the Southern Cape region of the Mercedes-Benz Club, the two-day tour will start on August 30 from Paarl and take in the Franschhoek Pass, Bonnievale and Tradouw Pass.
“We are focusing on sporty classics of all makes for the Santos Beach Auto Extremo on the Sunday,” said Scribante, who with his wife René have many years of experience in organising classic car tours and motor shows.
Scribante is chair of the Southern Cape Old Car Club, the organising club of the George Old Car Show, which takes place every year in February.
“For many years the old car community in the Southern Cape has wanted to showcase the natural beauty of Mossel Bay. We decided the time was ripe in 2024 to establish this new show and, incidentally, the date is also significant to the Mercedes-Benz Club as September 1 marks the 27th year of our annual Spring Snoek Braai.
“Our snoek braai has become legendary among Mercedes-Benz Club members. Mossel Bay is renowned for some of the finest snoek in South Africa and the relaxed annual picnic setting has a special ambience.
“Now we are sharing this with the public as well as members of the greater classic car community and owners of modern supercars, which have graced the George Show with an increasing number of modern Ferraris, Porsches, Maseratis, Lamborghinis and other famous makes in the modern idiom.”
Scribante believes the spirit of enthusiasm for fine cars that is increasing by leaps and bounds in the Southern Cape could lead to a week-long festival of motoring being established in the Mossel Bay area in years to come.
“We already have so many festivals in this region that encompass an entire week: the Whale Festival, the Oyster Festival and so on. So why not a weeklong classic car festival?
“We have excellent support for this event already and on September 1 we will be assisted by The Lions, the Round Table, the NSRI and other humanitarian benefactor/service organisations.
“There will be plenty of food and drink on sale but the idea of this event is not a money-making enterprise. Proceeds from public attendance and from the car entrants will be shared with these organisations once basic costs have been covered. Each car entrant will also be able to donate a charitable donation, if they so wish.”
Owners of classic cars and supercars wanting to enter the inaugural Santos Beach Auto Extremo and members of the public seeking more information should e-mail organisers Waldo Scribante, Alewijn Dippenaar or Mimi Finestone.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.