Speed Classic Cape Town delivers a weekend of pure adrenaline beneath Table Mountain

Franco Scribante in his purpose-built Nissan R35 GTR Skyline.
PHOTO CREDIT: Slipstream SA

Beneath the shadow of Table Mountain, Cape Town roared back to life. The inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town wasn’t just a race — it was a resurrection. Over one unforgettable weekend, history and horsepower collided as the city’s most scenic stretch of tarmac, Philip Kgosana Drive, became a 1.8-kilometre battleground of sound, smoke, and speed, reigniting a motorsport spirit dormant for more than half a century.

For two days, history met horsepower as classic icons and purpose-built monsters raced against time beneath one of the 7 Wonders of Nature – Table Mountain. Saturday’s curtain-raiser delivered a mechanical symphony that felt both nostalgic and daringly alive. Nearly seventy classic and historic cars — from pre-war racers to snarling 1970s single-seaters — attacked the twisting ascent with engines screaming and tyres clawing for grip. The crowd lining the route erupted with every launch.

A classic 1930 4.5 litre LeMans Bentley in action.
PHOTO CREDIT: Slipstream SA

At the sharp end, Charles Arton emerged as the man to beat. Behind the wheel of his 1979 March 79A Formula Atlantic, he produced a stunning 40.143-second run to claim the inaugural Classic Champion title. “Beyond expectations is the simple answer for today,” Arton said afterwards, visibly emotional. “I am extremely proud to be the first Classic Champion at Speed Classic Cape Town. There’s a lot of pressure in an event like this, so when it all comes together, it’s pure joy.”

Hot on his heels, Franco Scribante clocked a 40.362 in his Chevron B19, while James Temple’s Shelby Daytona Coupe completed the podium on 43.245. For event director Garth Mackintosh, watching priceless cars being driven in anger was a dream realised. “We witnessed motorsport jewellery out on track today,” he said. “It’s rare to see cars of this calibre being pushed like that — it was absolutely special.”

A Ferrari 458 Speciale attacking the 1.8km hillclimb at Speed Classic Cape Town.
PHOTO CREDIT: Slipstream SA

If Saturday celebrated heritage and craftsmanship, Sunday was a full-throttle demonstration of modern performance. The hill echoed with the roar of nearly eighty supercars and race-bred hillclimb machines — Ferraris, McLarens, Lamborghinis, and turbocharged saloon cars with over a thousand horsepower — hurtling toward the summit at nearly 240 km/h. The battle for the first King of the Mountain title came down to sheer nerve and precision.

Franco Scribante, determined to make up for his near miss the day before, found redemption in spectacular fashion. Piloting his Nissan GT-R R35, he dug deep in the final shootout to post a blistering 35.260 seconds — just 0.599 clear of Reghard Roets, also in a GT-R. Dawie Joubert, in a nimble Lotus Exige nicknamed Lotari, rounded out the top three with a 37.407. “We were absolutely nowhere earlier in the day,” Scribante said. “I knew we’d have to dig deep. It was a miracle that it all came together in the final run. I can’t wait to be back again next year.”

There was heartbreak for Pieter Zeelie, who had dominated the timesheets before a faulty start ended his hopes.

Enzo Kuun, race director for Speed Classic Cape Town, described the course as “one of the most scenic tracks in the world,” saying, “To race with Table Mountain to my right, the Atlantic Ocean to my left and Lion’s Head behind me was an absolute privilege and epic experience.”

By the end of the weekend, Speed Classic Cape Town had drawn close to 15,000 spectators to the mountain and more than 180,000 online. The event ran under Motorsport South Africa sanctioning, with full safety and logistics support from Volvo Car South Africa — whose XC90s and all-electric EX30s served as official safety and support vehicles.

It wasn’t just a motorsport event — it was the rebirth of one. The last major city hillclimb on Cape Town’s roads was more than sixty years ago, and organisers knew they were reviving a legacy as much as launching something new. As the final cars rolled into parc fermé, Mackintosh looked across the mountain road, satisfied. “To see our vision come to life has been incredible,” he said. “This was only the beginning. From here, we can only grow stronger.”

"I will never wash this hand," the kids shouted when getting to slap the hand of the drivers returning to the pits.
PHOTO CREDIT: Slipstream SA

Moments were captured, and memories were made, as Speed Classic Cape Town etched itself into local motorsport folklore — an event destined to be remembered as one of those “I was there” moments. And when the engines finally fell silent, the city seemed to exhale. The mountain stood calm once again, watching over a weekend that redefined what motorsport in South Africa could look like.. The names of Arton and Scribante no etched in the record books — the first champions of an event that already feels destined to become a Cape Town classic.