CAPE RACING LEGEND’S MODEL MOTORSPORT MUSEUM ON AUCTION
A world-class private estate motorsport museum comprising a spectacular collection of racing memorabilia and hundreds of display-quality scale model racing and classic cars goes under the hammer in an internationally unique auction at the end of this month.
High Street Auctions Cape Town Director Stef Olivier says bidders have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this museum as a complete collection. Alternatively, it will be auctioned in individual lots.
According to Olivier, the museum is the legacy of second-generation Mother City racing champion Keith Andrews, who decades ago started his collection as a tribute to his father; the legendary Chris Andrews.
Chris, driving a self-built Studebaker Special, knocked out a field including two Ferraris to snatch victory in South Africa’s first international post-war motor race held in 1955.
And according to granddaughters Christina Andrianatos and Leigh Fredericks, Chris passed down every drop of the high-octane fuel running through his veins to their late father Keith, who himself became a four-time Western Province Motor Club classic championship racer in his beloved Alfa GTVs.
“The museum originally started as a tribute to our grandfather, with his featured trophies and accolades preserving an important time in South African motorsport, but steadily grew with our dad’s love of cars and the motor industry.
“He wanted to contribute to motorsport history by displaying more racing memorabilia, and soon developed a passion for museum-quality limited-edition items that other F1 racing and classic car enthusiasts would appreciate as much as he did.
“His eventual collection of more than 400 model cars that were gathered over decades from all over the world, were very much part of that preservation passion.”
Andrianatos reminisces fondly that there wasn’t ever a time when model cars didn’t feature in her life.
“When I was a child, it was mostly Ferraris and F1 racing cars, but over the years the collection expanded to embrace many rarities. My dad selected each and every item for its place in motoring history.
“Every time I travelled overseas, I’d be armed with a list from dad of rare collector models to find. He’d also go to auctions and trawl online for special pieces.
“Some searches took years, but he never gave up when he was after a model that was important to the cohesiveness of the museum collection.”
Andrianatos says through his museum, her father found a tangible way of sharing his passion and knowledge of motorsport.
“He was a true motorsport ambassador, and after this auction his legacy will live on with those he inspired.”
Olivier says among the individual auction lot highlights will be:
A Lotus Formula 1 Type 78 model car from 1977, celebrating Mario Andretti. Only 500 were ever made.
A limited-edition print artwork of the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix; signed, #10 of 55.
A limited-edition 1968 Ferrari 350 Team Gunston model car. Only 100 were ever made.
A model car signed by one of South Africa’s greatest ever racing legends, Sarel van der Merwe.
A limited-edition print artwork of the 1966 Le Mans, #379 of 500.
Olivier says the auction will be conducted online only and feature more than 400 items.
