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KNOWN HISTORY:
Roulou Barry Ford Motors Robertson was the GSM dealer for this Dart who sold it to Reggie Biggs in 1958. Soon after purchasing this Dart Reggie, being a used car dealer, sold the car to Steve Botes with the registration no: CY 24857. He used it regularly for racing. It had a factory fitted 100E Ford motor. Steve soon after buying this Dart, fitted a Borgward motor. This car was raced competitively while owned by Steve. He then sold this Dart to unknown person in Wynberg who then intern sold it to Awie Bekker in 1962. Pieter Botha, a good friend of Awie came with him from Worcester to drive the Dart from Weinberg as Awie was a short man of only one meter with a hunch back and could not drive a car unless the seat and pedals had been altered. The dark red Dart with its Borgward engine had a big hump on the bonnet to make space for the big twin choke solex carburetor which fitted on top of a Borgward engine. On their way home in pouring rain Awie realized he made a big mistake buying the Dart because of his disability, he would never be able to enjoy the car and should have rather bought a Ford Cortina. Before even reaching Worcester and having had a serious conversation in the Dart, Pieter Botha became the new owner of this car. Pieter discover that the twin choke solex had a governor on. This was a little plate with a screw to stop both chokes opening together. This was primitive but affective. At that time a Studebaker Lark V8 was the fastest car in Worcester but with the Dart governor removed the Dart always won. In 1965 Pieter traded in this Dart to Mr. Steyn from Acme Garage on the corner of Buitenghragt Street and Buiten Singel in Cape Town for a Austin A 45 Farina that used to be raced by Roddy Turner Snr. This garage had a upstairs which was the show room and downstairs the workshop where Pieter met the tall, thin mechanic that worked there. It was only much later when Pieter met up again with this mechanic that he was told how after trading in his Dart, a man by the name of John Rowe, a well known racing driver from Durban, arrived at the garage to fetch the Dart that was bought by Denzil Schultz. John had to wait while the mechanic removed the Borgward engine and gear box. The mechanic helped them fit the A-Frame with which they towed the car back to Durban. In 1968 Peter Woolridge bought this car from Denzil Shultz. Peter raced this car very competitively in the 1500 class. In 1970 Peter got a works drive in a Capri Parana V8 with Tony from Anchor Motors Durban. In the beginning of 1971 the car was sold to a farmer in Escourt by the name of Mike Downing who used it as a road car. At the end of 1971 Grenville Manton grandfather bought the Dart for Grenville to race in sports car races in Natal for R650.00.
In 1972 he finished 5th and 1973 he finished 2nd in the championship. At the end of 1973 Peter Woolridge bought the car back. He changed the Dart back to 1000cc with dry sump and with out hard top so he could race in the sports car championship. He won the Natal sport car championship in 1974. When Roy Hesketh race track closed Peter kept the car where it stood on display in their show room. When Peter passed away he left the Dart to his son Neil. In the mid 90’s Neil restored this Dart by fitting a 1500cc Ford motor with cam, side drafts and branch. Neil displayed the car in his show room in full race trim until 2005 when Grenville Manton bought it. All the body changes such as the: chopped rear fins, combined two cluster dash, 4 flared wheel arches and mark 3 bonnet was all done by John Rowe in the Peter Woolridge era. Somewhere in this Dart’s history it must have had a front end prang because it has a mark 3 front bumper but no chassis plate. Grenville won 1st prize for the best modified Dart at the GSM Golden Jubilee in 2007 (May 2009)
 Cars in the Park 2009 |
 Roy Heketh 1972 |
 With the top off at Hesketh in 1971 exiting Angles |