Thomas Frowein has entered his Saab 96 to compete in the class for small touring cars at the 2024 Africa Concours d’Elegance . This will be the first appearance of a Saab at the Nairobi Racecourse for many years. This year’s edition is scheduled for September 29th to celebrate the anniversary of Alfa Romeo Owners Club.
The Saab 96 was popular with rally drivers and was driven most famously by Erik Carlsson, who won the RAC Rally three times and the Monte Carlo Rally twice. This established the reliability and toughness of the car which he also drove in the East African Safari Rally.
The Saab became a highly-preferred rally car in Kenya and several contested the Safari Rally. A number were purchased by motorists in East Africa, but the identity of the local agent has been lost in the mists of time. The Saab 96 model was made in limited numbers between 1960 and 1980 and has become a rarity in Kenya and Africa.
Another crowd-puller is the 1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia of Jane Chemngorem. Her husband Paul Chemngoren has also entered a Subaru Leone coupe and a 1956 Volkswagen Beetle. Another eye catching machine is the 1966 MGB Roadster entered by Vitafoam Products Limited who will also be competing with a 1974 Austin Mini.
Concours fans will also admire the 1977 Porsche 911 of Mohamed Aslam Khan. Among the cars contesting the touring car classes will be the Ford Escorts of Mohamed Shakeel Khan and Farhaaz Khan which were made in 1968 and 1975 respectively. This year, there has been an influx of Mercedes-Benz entries including Patrick Mweheire’s 1959 Mercedes-Benz W180. He will also be participating with his 1969 Mercedes-Benz 230S Fintail.
Multiple overall motorcycle winner Dominique Antoine will ride a BSA bike around the motorcycle judging area which will be located in the horse parade ring of the Nairobi Racecourse. For the first time, he will also be contesting a car class with a 1959 Peugeot 203.
Tumaini Muthiga, another car collector and regular participant of the Concours has entered four classic cars and two motorcycles in different categories. He is known for pairing his entries with well prepared costumes and has won the costume award several times in past events.
The judging of the cars is based on the level of preparation and will be assessed using the TotalEnergies inspection ramp for the underside. Subsequently, they will motor slowly along the judging line in front of the grandstand for experienced officials to check the paintwork, interior, boot, engine and roadworthiness before returning to the competitor’s car paddock.