2008 Castrol MG Indaba
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2008 Castrol MG Indaba brings the quintessentially British marque to the Eastern Cape in September
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Various MG's 1950; 1958 & 1968
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Classic car enthusiasts, and those with an affinity for British motoring at its best, are set to be enthralled when the Castrol I-Bhayi International MG Indaba takes centre stage in Port Elizabeth between 4 and 8 September 2008.
The event boasts a truly international flavour, with participants coming from as far afield as Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, with some 207 local and overseas entrants set to descend on the 'Friendly City'.
According to Terry Estment, chairman of the MG Car Club centre in Port Elizabeth, at least 113 MGs of various vintages are registered to date for the Castrol-sponsored Indaba, which will be based at the Summerstrand Inn Hotel in Port Elizabeth.
A variety of activities are planned for the MG aficionados over the three main days of the event, including two tours to be run on Friday 5 September and Saturday the 6th.
With the participants split into two groups, they will be setting off from Summerstrand shortly after 11:00 on both days, and alternately visiting the Falcon Rock Trading Country Restaurant near Lady Slipper on the Van Stadens Gorge Road, as well as the Lalibela Game Lodge Restaurant on the N2 near Grahamstown.
However, the main attractions will certainly be the Concourse d' Etat, d' Elegance, d' Comique and Tops-only events that will take place during these mornings in the hotel grounds. This will give MG fans an opportunity to see their favourite cars close up, spanning everything from a 1947 MGY to the classic 1948 MG TC, the later MGA and MGB GT of the 1950s and 60s, and even the sexy MGTF of the modern era.
One of the more interesting cars present will be that of national MG Car Club chairman, Norman Ewing. Dubbed 'Midgy', his MGA underwent some unique modifications during the 1960s to accommodate the needs of a newborn baby when his wife, Pat, gave birth to their daughter while on an 18-month European tour.
On the Saturday night, participants will be getting into the swing of things with a fun Sixties theme evening, featuring 'Brylcreem and Bobbysox', to be held at the Pine Lodge in Port Elizabeth.
The MG owners will revel in some competitive action on Sunday morning, between 08:00 and 12:00, with a series of driving skills tests that will take place at the Auto Park (the old Pick 'n Pay Hypermarket) on Cape Road in Hunters Retreat – and there is sure to be plenty of excitement to keep motoring enthusiasts of all ages entertained.
Aside from the obvious appeal of the cars, the MG Indaba will also feature several interesting personalities, headlined by guest of honour Mike Allison from the UK. Allison is a renowned author of many authoritative classic car books, including 'The Magic of the Marque' for which MG owners will know him best. The United Kingdom will be further represented by Brian Woodhams, the director for Africa and Asia on the board of the MG Car Club Ltd in Britain.
Additionally, Mike Myers from Sandstone Estates will be conducting an interesting talk on this magnificent farm near Ficksburg in the Free State, which boasts a large collection of antique steam locomotives and tractors, as well as modern agricultural machinery.
The 2008 Castrol MG Indaba will also extend its ongoing support to a township school in Port Elizabeth which was first adopted by the MG Car Club during a 2005 tour that included a two-day stop in the city. This will be done by means of a Sunday afternoon auction of donated MG regalia, spares and other collectible material that will provide further funds to equip the school with electronic educational equipment.
Sunday night concludes the formal activities with a gala dinner and prize giving at the Pine Lodge, with the participants heading home on Monday morning.
About the MG Car Club
The MG Car Club is the single biggest one-make club in the world. All MG clubs around the world are affiliated to the MG Car Club Limited, based in Abingdon-on-Thames in the United Kingdom.
In South Africa, the MG clubs are affiliated to the MG Car Club Combined SA Centre, which currently has 6 MGCC centres around the country, comprising Johannesburg, Northern (Pretoria area), KwaZulu-Natal, Border (East London area), Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
The admission of a newly formed centre in Knysna, which covers the South East Cape, will be ratified at the Indaba in Port Elizabeth, with the 2008 event being organised by the PE Centre, headed by chairman Terry Estment.
The MG Indaba takes place every two years, with the responsibility rotating amongst the six regions. The 2006 event, which was also sponsored by Castrol, was held in the Drakensberg, and hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Centre. The last PE Indaba was held in 1996 at The Willows.
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