Recently the petrolkop culture brought something different to an area that is accustomed to festivals of cheese and wine. It brought, well, petrol.
That’s right, Stellenbosch now gets a taste of the lekkerness that is a Cape car culture show. StelliezFest 2k18 was recently hosted by the Stelliez Crew, and it was a day to remember.
Bobby Nitro spoke to Ansell Langeveldt after the event. He says: “We are a local-based group of individuals from all walks of life, who have come together with our knowledge and expertise who strive to give back to our communities.
“The Stelliez Crew was started in 2017 when we hosted our first car show in aid of charity. We, the Stelliez Crew members, share the same passion for cars, hence the reason for raising funds for charity by bringing petrolkoppe together in one event.
Last year’s show was a surprise to the organisers, this being their first show, with people coming from all over to attend. They ended up being able to donate R20 000 to CANSA.
This year, the circle just got bigger. Ansell says: “We wanted to do it proper and bring something for the entire family and decided on the Carnival Edition theme. Things just got bigger and better as the planning continued.
DUIDELIK: This restored Camaro had heads turning all day long at festival. Photo: TPDZ
“Early B and the Rockets came on board to perform at our show, we organised amusement rides for the kids, the food stalls tripled up and most importantly even more interest from car communities from all over. To mention some, TPDZ came on board to manage the Show ‘n Shine and IASCA hosted a SA record attempt Sound-Off competition. Plus there was the always entertaining limbo for the gedropte crowds.
Possibly one of the big scoops was that Razor Customs agreed to put their new M3 on display to the public for the first time after the build. These guys have developed a rep for one kwaai build after another, and the M3 is no different.
Then there was MSA Drags legend Willie Nel, who actually cancelled his track appearance to bring his awesome Chev Can-Am to the show.
DAAR'S IT NOU!: Oom Willie Nel shows off his awesome Chev Can-Am. Photo: TPDZ
Ansell says: “It is important to note that StelliezFest is completely dedicated to charity. This year we decided to support identified schools in need. We will be donating school clothes in the coming week to the children in need to be sure they are covered for the cold winter ahead.
The turnout was no less than insane. Ansell says: “At 4pm we still had a long queue of cars and people wanting to enter the venue and we even had to turn some away.”
For an organiser, it hardly gets any better, having a propvol venue with such a variety of cars. For Ansell, a highlight was “seeing the big guys in the car community coming out to support our local event, and seeing people from different backgrounds coming together was great”.
MEGA AND MINI: Father and son both on display at the Stelliezfest 2018. Photo: TPDZ
How did they do it, it being only the second year, Bobby asks? Ansell let’s us in on a secret or two, saying: “This year we wanted to do it proper and set some standards. We had to be sure that StelliezFest 2k18 was trending all over social media and we made it a priority to get as much exposure as possible. And on the day, the hard work and effort from StelliezFest crew definitely speaks for itself when looking back at the videos and photos.”
Also, and Bobby agrees with this important point: the organisers of this festival went out of their way to bring in top-notch and rare cars, the kind that spectators drool over and fantasise about long after the show.
WON: Hein Myburgh from Cape Caddy Movement took Best Engine Bay. Photo: TPDZ
It’s one thing rocking up at the school field to see the cars from the neighbourhood, but when you’re driving out to Stellies then you want something special, and this show delivered.
Ansell, for his part, drives a 2012 Hilux d4d D/B 4x4, as he’s “just decided to go off road for a while”. He says his My Corolla is parked in the garage and he’s still missing his turbo VR6, adding, “We do, however, have a R35 GTR, some 20v turbo Golfs and a V8 in our crew.”
SWITCH: Shurud often shows his Hilux and here he presents aired Golf 6. Photo: TPDZ
Bobby asked what he might have learned in staging this event. He replies: “Plan way in advance, always leave room for changes and improvement, accept input from the broader car community out there and come up with ideas to make your event unique.” Seems like decent gedagte all round.
Ansell’s advice to the aspiring petrolkop is: “Have an open mindset towards other car manufacturers, and don’t speak badly about other brands just because your mind is programmed to only like Nissan or VW.”
FUN DAY FOR ALL: Crowds rolled up for the StelliezFest 2k18. Photo: TPDZ
Also, and this is a true thing if Bobby ever heard one: “Most petrolkoppe are born as a petrolkop, so shape your passion for cars at an early age, you might just end up in a career where you love what you do.”