L’ORMARINS KING’S PLATE

an impressive performance car take. The best of both. Not bad for a literal block of flats. We kept it in plush Comfort most of the time, thank you very much! We never took it off road, but we are already well enough versed in it to know that Land Cruiser 300 is nigh unstoppable on any regular off-road challenge it may face off the beaten track.

Everyone knows what Land Cruiser 300 is The gearbox is invisible. You scarcely notice the changes. Unless you listen too closely. Top end is 210 km/h and Toyota reckons this petrol version consumes 12.1 litres per 100 km while emitting 291 g/km CO2. That’s a bit optimistic. Albeit that we drove it more in the urban realm, we offset that with a fair bit of freeway work, so to fight it to beat 17 litres per 100 was a bit rich.

Of course, being the King of Toyotas in Toyotaland, the Land Cruiser 300 stops the traffic wherever you may take it. Everyone knows what it is. Powerful and efficient, hugely capable, and vastly versatile, judging by how people react to the omnipotent Land Cruiser 300 is one hell of a car.

If you can take that fuel consumption on the chin, this Dakar proven turbo petrol V6 version has a sportscar alter ego to boot. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it, after all.

February News

Grenadier On Display

Manufactured by INEOS Automotive from a facility formerly owned by Mercedes-Benz, the Grenadier is a modern, workhorse 4x4 designed, engineered and built to world-class standards and powered by a 3,0-litre diesel or petrol BMW engine. The brand’s simple model line-up provides the basis for buyers to easily select and configure their perfect Grenadier with a wide range of options and access.

South Africa’s premier mile-long Weight

For Age horse race, the L’Ormarins King’s Plate (formerly Queen’s Plate) took place at Kenilworth Race Course on January 7. It was the 162nd running of the event that was first run in honour of Queen Victoria after she gifted a silver plate and 500 sovereigns to the South African Turf Club. Held in April 1861, the inaugural contest was staged as The Queen’s Plate and the event has maintained its royal ties meticulously ever since. In keeping with the event’s traditional qualities of grace, elegance and – above all – tradition, L’Ormarins is proud to continue that legacy under the reign of King Charles III.

The Australian-bred Al Muthana caused a massive boil over at 80-to-1 when dashing along the outside rail to mug heavy odds-on favourite Charles Dickens on the line and take out the R2-million Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate over the 1 600 metres course. This was a great personal triumph for trainer Ricky Maingard who won this race decades ago with grey champion, Wolf Power. Big race rider, Bernard Fayd’herbe, so famously associated with Queen’s Plate legend Pocket Power, cleverly commandeered the outside rail whilst handling the victor with aplomb.

As usual, FMM displayed six cars from its collection at the venue, all with light blue colouring in keeping with the event’s colour code.

The day’s race card included the first-ever ladies race, the Okapi Ladies International. South Africa’s biggest stars stepped out on the course looking their best in blue and white at this most prestigious and long-standing horseracing event. Celebrities later danced the night away to the sounds of international DJ Lora as the sun set, bringing the curtain down on another highly successful L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

The Station Wagon has five seats and is configured to offer the optimum balance between payload and passenger carrying capability. The standard specification Grenadier is a blank canvas ready to be configured for the exact needs of customers. It is built for those needing a stripped back, no nonsense workhorse, but still with the comfort, refinement and standard features that today’s drivers expect.

The Grenadier on special display in Hall B at FMM is a very rugged prototype that spent the last 12 months exploring all nine South African provinces as well as Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana. This vehicle has been everywhere from Somerset West to the Sani Pass, up the Skeleton Coast from Swakopmund to Serra Cafema via Mala Mala, Middelburg and Maun, not forgetting traversing Polokwane, Pofadder

Visiting Fmm

and Paarl to White River, Windhoek and the Wild Coast, which is what makes this vehicle so special to the SA market. This prototype vehicle is chassis number five off the factory line and was intended to complete just 4 000 km – but managed 27 026 km before ‘retiring’ to the Franschhoek Motor Museum.

By the end of 2022, INEOS Automotive plans to have a network of more than 200 sales and service sites for the Grenadier spanning over 50 countries, including established dealer groups, 4X4 specialists and agricultural equipment dealers. In Sub-Saharan Africa, INEOS Automotive has already announced its partners in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Botswana. During 2023, more markets across SSA will come online, including Senegal and Ghana.

FMM’s opening times are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 18h00 (last admittance 17h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00). Visiting the museum is by appointment only and via online booking. Entry fees: R80 adults, R60 pensioners and motor club members (with membership ID), R40 children (ages 3-12). Only electronic payments are accepted. The famed FMM Pitstop Deli is open throughout the visiting hours.

For booking tickets and any other information as well as signing on for a free monthly newsletter, logon to www.fmm.co.za or phone 021 874 9000 or e-mail fmm@fmm.co.za

Bridge Boffins

Four local bridge players excelled at the Cape Festival of Bridge that took place on 16 December 2022.

Ernst Pichler, Philip Harrison, Bruce Ackerman and Haydn Parry came first in the morning session out of 14 competing teams, which included many that represented South Africa and a number of European countries. In the afternoon session against the top four teams from the morning session, the Franschhoekers came second to the no. 1-ranked SA team. Ernst Pichler played with Philip Harrison and Bruce Ackerman played with Haydn Parry.

At the same event Ernst Pichler and Philip Harrison came fifth out of a very large field of local and international participants in the pairs event. All four players have been playing competitive bridge for several decades. Ernst represented Austria as team captain for many years.

When Ernst is in Franschhoek, typically for 4 months in the year, he and Philip play at the informal bridge club at Domaine des Anges on Thursday afternoons. Haydn and Bruce also pair throughout the year at this informal club which Haydn organizes. Haydn and Bruce also play online weekly.

Asked about the attraction of the game, Bruce says: “It is endlessly fascinating as no two hands or games are the same. It requires intense concentration and can consume all of one’s