Ciro's Cape 1000 adventure in a '67 Citroen DS19

The inaugural The Cape 1000 took place earlier this year and Team Cars.co.za ccompeted in a 1967 Citroen DS19. Not only did driver Ciro de Siena and navigator Duwyne Aspeling complete the 1 600 km route in an unknown car, but also endured excessive heat, lightning strikes and even a bee attack!

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!”

Read our full report on the event here.