Museums in South Africa

"Across the length and breadth of Southern Africa, only one place can adequately portray the evolution of the automobile, The Franschhoek Motor Museum. The museum's collection exceeds 220 vehicles - ranging from a 1898 Beeston motor tricycle to a 2003 Ferrari Enzo supercar - and more than 80 exhibits will be on view at any one time, displayed in four de-humidified halls with a total floor area of 2700 m², and presented in chronological order."

Volkswagen of South Africa's high-tech, interactive expo and heritage centre takes you on a full-throttle journey from concept to classic, laser to legend, with the cars that defined the past and inspire the future. Featuring state of the art technology and unprecedented interactivity, the AutoPavilion in Uitenhage proudly showcases the evolution of the VW brand from the very first Beetle to the contemporary passenger and sports cars of today.

Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre is a unique lifestyle destination with tranquil gardens, quirky independent shops, fantastic entertainment spoils, a boutique hotel and fitness centre all just 40 minutes from the Kruger National Park which also includes a newly opened motorcycles museums with motorcycles, scale models and other memorabilia.

Owned by car enthusiast Freek de Kock, the museum has a collection of 118 Datsun and Nissan vehicles including a 240Z; a 1600 SSS; a 1971 first generation Nissan Skyline GT-R coupe, together with five other GT-Rs including the R35; the 1970 Nissan President V8 limousine that was owned by the late Mozambican President, Samora Machel; a Pulsar; a 1200 GX; a Laurel; and many others. Most of the cars are in working order.

This is the largest and most comprehensive land-transport museum in South Africa, was established by the late Jimmie Hall and the City of Johannesburg in February 1964. The museum shows land transport in all its forms: ox-wagons, coaches and carts, bicycles, motorbikes, tractors, fire engines, buses, trams, trains and cars - from the Model T Ford to electric cars

The Transport Museum, located on the edge of the village, features a remarkable collection of vintage cars from the 1930-1960s era, among them, Chevys, Dodges and a Jaguar MK8. The collection includes two Royal Daimlers from King George VI’s 1947 tour of South Africa, which he undertook accompanied by Princesses Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret. There are also antique bicycles in all styles, an ex-London bus as well as a steam train and carriages, which you can explore inside.

The museum displays an impressive range of classic cars and does restoration work for collectors.

Thomas River, named in 1801, takes its name from an English deserter, Thomas Bentley. Part of Van Der Kemps missionary, Bentley was killed by a poison Bushman Arrow while crossing the river, thus duly named Thomas River. The original train station, sited between the stone forts, dates from the late 1870’s with the new station coming into being in 1926.

More of a collection of wrecks, this museum claims to feature more than 400 cars. However, looking at this report one has to wonder how many of those are restored.