Scores of crowds stream to the Nairobi Racecourse every year to attend the annual Concours d’Elegance. The motoring enthusiasts never tire of admiring the gleaming well prepared cars and motorcycles, but the glamour associated with the event is what makes it the place to be, year after year for more than 50 years. And the Concours does not disappoint.
The cars are the stars and this year Sati Gata-Aura’s gleaming 1977 Nissan 160J won the overall trophy. This is the fourth time the Nissan has won the prestigious event. The meticulously prepared 1947 MG TC, also entered by Sati came a close second with only five points between them.
The veteran competitor takes the vehicles apart every year to ensure the Concours standards are met. Though looking battle weary at the end of the day, he went home a proud man, the judges having recognized his efforts and awarded him accordingly.
The motorcycle judging ring roared alive with a variety of motorcycles. From the diminutive 150cc LML Star Deluxe of Dos Kariuki to the 1863cc Harley Davidson Tri-Glide of Magnate Ventures, the biggest bike in the event, the spectators were spoilt for choice.
The judges declared David Odhuno’s gleaming 1989 Yamaha Super Tenere the overall winner, Dominique Antoine’s BSA took second place while the third position went to the Yamaha Roadstar entered by Prateek Singh Gulati.
Each year, the car competitor paddock comes alive with anticipation as spectators scout the cars looking for new entries and their favourite regulars. Many new beauties were added to this year’s show.
The oldest car at the Racecourse was the 1928 Durant of Satchit Shah which was declared the most elegant car in the event. Another interesting car was the rare 1968 Saab 96 entered by Thomas Frowein. Both the Durant and the Saab 96 models have not been seen at the Concours before.
In the very popular sports car class with open roofs, the wine red 1966 Ford Mustang of rally driver Rob Collinge and Jonathan Stichbury’s 1970 MGB Roadster were also new attractions.
Other favourites in that category were the bright red 1972 Alfa Romeo Spider of Kamene Wanday and the 1974 Peugeot 304 Cabriolet, but the 1966 MGB of Vitafoam Products Limited outshone them all taking home the top prize in the class.
The roar of the rally cars excited the crowd at the judging line as the 1977 Porshe 911 of Aslam Khan scooped the top prize in the category with a strong lead ahead of his brothers Farhaaz and Shakeel in their Ford Escorts made in 1975 and 1968 respectively. The Alfa Romeo GTA of Fergus Robley completed the rally class.
The Africa Concours d’Elegance is organised every year by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Kenya, and attracts competitors from other countries in the continent. This year there were 26 entries from other countries in the region – Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
One of the most interesting entries at this year’s Concours was Zimbabwean entrant Johane Nyagura who is a member of Zim Free Riders Club. He rode his 2011 Suzuki EN125-2A all the way from Kadoma (near Harare) Zimbabwe, a distance of over 4,000 kilometres to attend the Concours and was very excited to be part of the event.
Yet again, members of the Uganda Bikers Association and the Pearl Bikers Africa rode their powerful machines from Kampala to participate in the event and received loud cheers from the spectators. Leonard Were’s 2016 Yamaha Super Tenere won the award for the best motorcycle entry from outside Kenya.
The gleaming cars and motorbikes aside, models from Ascili Fashion Show stole the show after the grand parade when they treated the cheering crowd to a spectacular fashion show with beautiful African themed outfits.
The spectators were happy as there was something for everyone to enjoy. The Auto Expo for lovers of new cars, the sale of classic cars and motorcycles, the Heritage Collection of ‘old time’ machinery, a children’s entertainment centre and plenty of refreshments at the food courts.
