Something for everyone at SentiMETAL Gathering

Fans of just about every sub-genre of of the car enthusiast space came out in full support of the first SentiMETAL Gathering of the year. The result was a gloriously eclectic mix of machines.

Words: Hannes Oosthuizen

Images: Corne van Zyl

There aren't many more ideal settings for a car get-together than the beautifully kept lawns at Lourensford Estate, with the stunning Helderberg Mountains in the background. The conditions were perfect too this past Sunday - sunny, and with barely a whisper of a breeze. Soon after the event opened to the public at 9am, the display lawn was completely packed with stunning machinery.

For those who don't know, a SentiMETAL Gathering is a casual car-meet, but on steroids! The aim is to bring car enthusiasts from all camps together, united in their passion for the automobile. And so you can expect anything ranging from a proper vintage car, to a modern-day supercar, via some American muscle, and German and Italian exotica - some completely original, some subtly tweaked.

• Find a classic car to buy for yourself here.

This past weekend's event was hosted in partnership with J1 Auto, Abru Motor Studio and SABeemer. Visitors could also ogle a large number of very special Alfa Romeos on display in the recently opened Museo Della Passione. 

"To me a big part of the fun of days like this remains the thrill of keeping an eye on the entrance, and seeing what arrives next," explains organiser Hannes Oosthuizen. "Though we do ask people to register beforehand, there are always surprises, and it certainly was the case again this weekend!"

The oldest car on the day was a 1930 Peugeot 201. It actually suffered a breakdown on the way to the event, but managed to leave on its own steam. Joining it was a rare 1945 Peugeot 202 pick-up, confused by many visitors with the Citroen 2CV. Completely on the other end of the scale in terms of age was a Peugeot 407 Coupe.  

Classic British sportsters arrived in the glorious shapes of two Jaguar E-Types, the one belonging to Josh Spencer, the man who featured in the pilot episode of the SentiMETAL video series. It is possibly the highest-mileage Jaguar E-Type in the world - view the video here. 

Another Brit to turn a number of heads was a rare early-model Lotus Elite. This 1976 model is currently for sale - view the listing here.  

Germany was very well represented, as always, with a variety of Porsches to delight fans of the air-cooled icon - the best on display was undoubtedly a pristine black 356.

And what would a Gathering be without a number of iconic Bimmers. Not one, but two examples of the uniquely South African BMW 745i were present, with the super-rare manual example being the exact same car used in the original CAR Magazine road test. It is in stunning condition and won Best BMW of the Show, hosted by SABeemer. If you're a fan of the three-pointed star, then arguably the prettiest car on the lawn was an immaculate Mercedes-Benz 280CE (C123).

For fans of American horsepower, there were some very quirky and beautiful attractions. Dieter Losskarn's much-loved Checker A11 New York Taxi took station next to a brace of stunning Cobra replicas. A beautiful 1932 Chrysler added some serious classic elegance to the event, and there were also numerous examples of the American "fins and chrome" era, including a very, very long '50s Caddy, a Chrysler Windsor and several Chevys. Oh, and the cute-as-a-button Nash Metropolitan was certainly a hit with the crowd!

Of course, a number of classic Ford Mustangs made the trip to Somerset West, too, joined by a seriously hardcore-sounding Ford Ranchero pick-up. A black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was a big hit with the crowd, but the overall star of the show (as voted for by visitors) was Jess Goedhals' Dodge Viper GTS. The iconic blue American was the star of Episode 11 in our video series. 

The Italian marques were represented by anything from a pretty little Fiat 500F, to a Fiat Uno Turbo (a very rare sight these days), through the cream 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV currently on sale at Moto Village, to a trio of Ferraris (458 Italia, F430 Spyder, 308 GTS).

What else? How about the rarely seen (these days) Volkswagen Fox - a mint example no less, fitted with a 2.0L 16v engine! Several examples of Opel's Kadett GSi, as well as a Monza CD, were present, too. And from Sweden there was an achingly pretty P1800ES (second prize on the day) and P1800 Coupe. 

For lovers of Japanese cars, an absolutely mint '80s Honda CR-X was a highlight, as were a brace of Datsun ZXs and a tastefully modified Lexus IS Convertible. A rare Subaru Impreza WRX Prodrive undoubtedly pleased the Scooby fans. 

Closer to home, the locally-designed, developed and built GSM Dart and Flamingo were well represented on the day, too. 

The next SentiMETAL Gathering is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg during April. Stay tuned for more information soon!