Blog
Memorabilia: the history of road signs
FMM assistant curator Cheslynne Ruiters looks at the history of road signs… Road signs are erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The history of road signs starts with the history of roads. The Roman Empire was the first civilization to construct roads, the first…
On yer bike: BMW’s R nineT
Do the new retro bikes rekindle that truly retro ride and feeling, or are they all just about looks? FMM Curator and self-confessed motorcycle enthusiast Wayne Harley has set out to try and ride as many of the different retro-styled bikes as he can, not to directly compare them with each other, but to see…
Collection In Action: Mercedes Benz 280SE
Mike Monk drives a rare, early example of one of Mercedes’ classy S-Class model ranges than, amazingly, was introduced over 50 years old… Launched at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show in what became a Mercedes-Benz trend, the W108 Series Mercedes-Benz raised the bar in terms of mass-production luxury saloons, not only…
Ron, Dave, Mike and the Mechanics…
FMM continues to attract celebrities and personalities both locally and from around the world, sometimes for business but, more often than not, purely social visits. Over the Festive Season, the museum hosted a number of well-known individuals including Tschops Sipuka, the first black South African Motorsport Champion who went on to represent his country at…
Back in the groove
The popular FMM Slot Car Championship gets under way on February 6 with races taking place on the existing two-lane track. A new four-lane circuit was assembled and tried out at the end of last year but in the event proved to be not ideal and so is being re-jigged to provide the best possible…
Collection in action: DeSoto Suburban
Mike Monk goes back 70 years and samples Suburban life in a multi-purpose vehicle that is part crossover SUV, part limousine, part people carrier and goes on safari… Founded by Walter Chrysler in 1928, De Soto’s model offerings served as a lower priced version of the other Chrysler Corporation products. Just prior to WWII, aside…
High 5 for VW People Pavilion
In December last year, Volkswagen Group South Africa’s multipurpose PeoplePavilion in Uitenhage celebrated its 5th anniversary. Since officially opening its doors in 2013, PeoplePavilion has welcomed nearly half a million visitors who have attended various events such as sporting matches, exhibitions, conferences, birthdays and weddings. The R30-million facility is one-of-a-kind in the SA auto…
L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival: 2019
The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival will take place at Cape Town’s Kenilworth Race Course on 5-6 January 2019. Dating back to 1861, the Queen’s Plate is the continent’s oldest horse race day and this will be the 158th time the classic equestrian event will be run. The race forms part of the weekend-long programme…
Fmm Bugattis at Val de Vie
Following on from the SA Historic Grand Prix Festival that took place in East London on 25 November, the following weekend there was a garden party at Val de Vie in Paarl where the participating overseas and local grand prix cars from the 1934-39 era were on view. They were joined on the estate’s expansive…
Collection in action: Morgan +4
Mike Monk comes to grips with a pillar of society… Idiosyncratic is the only word to describe the Morgan Motor Company of Malvern, a spa town situated at the foot of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, England, “a designated area of natural beauty”. The company was founded by Henry Frederick Stanley ‘HFS’ Morgan in...