Where muscle meets elegance: Cobras steal the show at Silverstar
By definition, a concourse event, or Concours d’Elegance as the French would call it, is a competition of elegance, referring generally to a prestigious automotive event where rare, classic, and exceptionally restored or maintained vehicles are judged for their appearance, authenticity, historical accuracy, and overall elegance.
Think then of a high-end beauty pageant for collector cars, often involving million-rand vehicles with judges walking around with gloves on, checking every nut and bolt for authenticity.
The Cobra Club event, held recently at the Silverstar Casino in Gauteng (with Durban and Cape events coming soon), would likely have had the French raise an eyebrow or two at the largely American metal, but the quality of said metal on display certainly met the Concourse standard on the day.
Hosted by the Cobra Club of South Africa, and part of the National Concours Series, this event has been running since 1986 and is considered the club’s flagship annual event. Aimed at celebrating the best of Cobra heritage, engineering and craftsmanship, the event attracted an array of Cobras, GT40s and Daytonas, with rumbling soundtracks that scared off even the bravest Hadedas on the day.
Open to both members and non-members of the club, with all vying for the Hi-Q Grand Prize worth R20,000, saw entries which were not judged on originality, but rather on presentability, with every entrant receiving a certificate of attendance, and the top 10 entries receiving trophies (and major bragging rights).
The grand prize winner also scored ‘Xignature’ custom removable number plate holders; a custom-fit car cover from Supercar Covers; merchandise from the Cobra Club; and a free annual club membership for next year.
The eight Concours judges had their work cut out for them on the day, with other focus area prizes including Best scored interior (with the prize being a free classic car valuation); Best scored engine bay (R1000 FTF online store voucher); Best scored exterior (watch from Race Republic); and the Overall Winner Hi-Q grand prize voucher worth R20,000.
The West Rand certainly came alive on the day, with the square at Silverstar being treated to some of the shiniest Cobras in the country. Carroll Shelby himself would have been proud of the classic and racing displays polished to perfection and judged under the shimmering afternoon Joburg sun.
The quality of the judges on the day was top-notch and certainly well-representative of the Cobra fraternity. Those walking with clipboards included Cobra royalty like Jimmy Price, owner of Superformance in Port Elizabeth, which manufactures Shelby-registry Cobras under licence from the US. Alongside Jimmy was Peter Lindenburg, a lifelong friend of Price and the owner of the Shelby aftermarket business locally.
Corber Viljoen from Vintage Car SA was another notable mention, making huge strides on the classic car scene and ensuring that many classics not only change hands regularly but hold on to the provenance, which makes the South African classic car scene as special as our rare wine and tasty biltong.
Not everyone could be outright winners on the day, but the camaraderie and family feel among the owners was certainly worthy of mention. Taking the top spot on the podium was Diederik Meyer in his blue Superformance Cobra, a previous concourse-winning car going back all the way to 1996.
Meyer, who also secured the best engine bay of the day, won by the proverbial skin of the teeth, just two points ahead of runner-up Johan Ras in his purple Superformance Cobra. Ras is another previous Concourse celebrity, showing off a Cobra rumbling with a 427 big block V8. In third was Peter Bailey, showing off a British Racing Green KCC Cobra, which also took top honours for best exterior on the day.
Headline sponsor of the day was MUA Insurance, well known in the Cobra fraternity for providing specialist motor cover to owners of this ilk. Vajra Singh, CEO at MUA, highlights that: “Cobras, GT40s and Daytonas are fine specimens of what the MUA brand stands for, and we are indeed proud to support both Concourse events and American metal of this calibre. Providing cover and protecting machinery like this is an ongoing privilege at MUA and not one we take lightly. Our brokers and our clients are part of our extended family, and we are completely cognisant of the special relationship these owners have with their collectables”.
Kenneth Ella, chairman of the Cobra Club, was a proud man, mentioning that the 28 official entries on the day made for a special spectacle.
“These kinds of events are so important for owners as they force them to aspire to running concourse-worthy cars. Without these events, we worry that these precious metals will not be maintained to the highest standard, with the broader Cobra community then suffering from a pool of deteriorating cars. Sure, not everyone can win on the day, but everyone can certainly be proud of the version of the car they show, own, and love. And that’s what’s important.
