Veronica Duder’s 1930 Essex Super Six took overall car honours at the 54th Africa Concours d’Elegance at Ngong Racecourse.
A logbook age tie-break settled the car honours at Ngong Racecourse, while Rick Agagliate’s Indian Scout won the motorcycle category by a single point.
Veronica Duder’s 1930 Essex Super Six won the overall car title at the 54th Africa Concours d’Elegance at Ngong Racecourse on Sunday, after finishing level on points with Mike Duder’s 1930 Ford Tudor.
Both cars earned 278 points, leaving the age of their marques as recorded in the logbook to determine the winner. The Essex took the top award in a contest where the leading entries were closely matched on underside condition, finish and originality.
Kevit Desai’s 1968 Jaguar 420 placed third overall with 270 points. Umang Patel followed with 267 points for his 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, while Safari Rally winner Baldev Chager’s 1986 Nissan Silvia 200SX finished fifth on 265.
The event brought together vintage cars, utility vehicles, touring models and motorcycles, with judging examining originality, restoration, finish and roadworthiness.
Indian Scout edges Triumph in motorcycle contest
The motorcycle honours were decided by an even smaller points margin. Rick Agagliate’s 1941 Indian Scout 741 scored 176 points to defeat Dominique Antoine’s 1925 Triumph 550SD by one point.
The Triumph was among the oldest machines entered, adding a particularly early chapter of motoring history to the competition.
Motorcycle chief judge Robert Gow said the category had received 35 entries, although some entrants did not turn up. He highlighted the variety of motorcycles competing and singled out Antoine’s Triumph among the notable machines.
Land Rover and Toyota lead utility classes
Cloth My Ride (EAT) won Class 1, for utility vehicles manufactured after 1980, with a 1999 Land Rover Defender that collected 189 points. James Nguo’s 1996 Mercedes-Benz 290GD finished second on 181.
Kelvin Leiyan’s 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser took third with 163 points, ahead of Joshua Bily’s 1991 Peugeot 504 Pick-Up on 144.
Only two points separated the leading vehicles in Class 2, which covered utilities made between 1971 and 1980. Chirag Soni’s 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55 won with 200 points, narrowly beating Don Owino’s 1979 Range Rover Classic on 198.
For utility vehicles built up to 1970, Martin Sharrif Butt’s 1957 Chevrolet 3100 secured first place. Reid Arensen’s 1959 Land Rover Series II was second, followed by Benson Muli’s 1970 Volkswagen Kombi Westfalia and Bernd Trompell’s 1968 Land Rover Series IIA.
Volkswagens feature strongly in touring results
Elizabeth and Dereck Dames topped Class 5, for touring cars between 1,001cc and 1,500cc, with their 1968 Volkswagen Beetle on 228 points.
Jane Chemngorem’s 1960 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia claimed second with 222 points, just ahead of Capt Mugo Keiyoro’s 1972 Volkswagen Beetle on 221. Imran Khan’s 1956 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe finished fourth on 210.
Class 6, covering touring cars from 1,501cc to 1,700cc, went to Paul Chemngorem’s 1975 Toyota Celica with 222 points. Avraj Singh’s 1980 Alfa Romeo Sud Sprint followed on 220, while Leiyan’s 1979 Mitsubishi Gallant earned 195 points for third.
Chager preserves a piece of rally history
Beyond its fifth-place overall finish, Chager’s Nissan Silvia carried a connection to Kenya’s rallying past. The former Nissan factory car was driven by Jayant Shah in several Safari Rallies and national events in Kenya and Tanzania.
Chager said he had owned the car for 18 years and spent 11 years restoring it. Preserving its historic appearance was central to the project, rather than simply returning it to working condition.
The restoration reproduced the colours Shah used in 1990, retaining a recognisable part of the car’s competition history alongside the carefully restored classics at Ngong Racecourse.
