2022 Cape 1000 : First Running of South Africa's Most Beautiful Drive

When The Cape 1000 convoy of nearly 40 spectacular cars, the oldest of which dated from 1956, returned to the Silo Hotel in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, it was to rapturous applause from a large crowd of appreciative petrolheads and intrigued, smartphone-toting passers-by. Throughout the preceding four days, these rare cars travelled vast distances and endured extreme heat and thunderstorms, while their drivers and navigators had to sustain long periods of concentration during timed regularity stages. But they also had the time of their lives…
“It was extremely tough,” says Cars.co.za’s Ciro de Siena, who drove a 1967 Citroën DS.
“On average, we did 400 km a day, without air-conditioning (which we take for granted these days) and the regularity stages really required you to be very alert. Duwyne Aspeling, my navigator, did an excellent job! But all the sweat and fatigue is worth it in the end, as you get to see our beautiful country, swap stories with other petrolheads, and make memories that will last a lifetime. If you’re a petrolhead, then The Cape 1000 simply has to be on your bucket list!”
Ross Crichton, who founded The Cape 1000, is justifiably pleased with how the event was run.
“It still needs to sink in,” he says. “I’ve done many motoring events before, but I have never experienced such a positive response, from the participants and public alike, as I did with The Cape 1000. The organising team did an incredible job.”
What is The Cape 1000?
The Cape 1000 is a classic and exotic car rally inspired by some of the world’s most famous and historic motoring events. It is run in four classes: Tribute (1927-1957), Classic (Pre-1977), Modern Classic (1977-1996) and Sports Car (1997-2022). As the event’s name suggests, it is run over a 1000 miles (1 600 km) over the course of 4 days, with 60% of the route consisting of “grand touring” and the remaining 40% comprising challenging regularity stages, during which navigators and drivers have to work closely together and meticulously follow the stage's timing and speed instructions to achieve success and, hopefully, score some points. So, it’s not a race, but certainly still a challenge, one which is won through consistency, reliability and accuracy.
The winners
While The Cape 1000 is more of an experience than a competition, points were scored in the regularity stages, and the prize-giving ceremony on the last night was anxiously awaited.
The results were as follows;
Tribute Class - Overall Winners: Greg Marucchi & Hannes Oosthuizen (Austin-Healey 100/6)
Classic Class - Overall Winners: Ciro de Siena & Duwyne Aspeling (Citroën DS19)
Modern Classic Class - Overall Winners: Stuart Kidgell & Dawie de Villiers (Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0)
Sports Car Class - Overall Winner: “Hollywood” (Lamborghini Murcielago)
Cape 1000 Overall Winners: Stuart Kidgell & Dawie de Villiers (Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0)
Spirit of the Cape 1000 Award (as voted for by participants): Michelle Hambly-Grobler (Porsche 911 S)
“We want to thank our sponsors and participants for supporting us in this first-ever event,” says Crichton. “Interest in next year’s event is already being expressed by enthusiasts who didn’t participate this year, so we’re confident that The Cape 1000 will go from strength to strength in years to come and become a highlight of the South African automotive calendar.”
The Cape 1000 was sponsored by Cars.co.za, SCL Travel, Silvercrest Super Car Insurance and Mix 93.8FM.
Visit www.cape1000.com for more information.

[@rosscrichton1625]

This was a brilliant event! WOW!! Very special.

[@johnwilliammayer7512]

Absolutely epic!

[@jann_reynolds]

Wow! What an incredible event. So proud of my brother and his wife for putting this epic event together

[@iwanventer6056]

Epic 👍🏻

[@RoadCaptainJo]

What an amazing event. Unforgettable experience. Now for the next one!

[@The_Cape1000]

We are looking forward to welcoming you back next year Coenie!