In 1992, South African racing driver Farouk Dangor became the first Indian driver to compete in the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours in Germany. He and his team were fighting for a class win in their BMW M3 until an accident in the 21st hour forced them to retire.
More than 30 years later, Farouk is still racing while running his successful car dealership in Klerksdorp. Later this month, he’ll take on the inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town behind the wheel of two iconic cars.
Set against the backdrop of Table Mountain, Speed Classic Cape Town is a new hillclimb event on Philip Kgosana Drive on 25 and 26 October. The weekend begins with the Classic Car race on Saturday, a celebration of motoring’s timeless jewels, before shifting to all-out speed with the King of the Mountain showdown on the 1.8km course.
The standout car in Farouk’s entry is his King of the Mountain challenger: a red 2024 Ferrari SF90 Stradale – one of no more than 15 in the country. When it was released, it was the fastest road-legal Ferrari ever built and the first to feature plug-in hybrid technology, pairing a V8 engine with three electric motors.
Combined, the engines produce 1,000 horsepower, launching the SF90 from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. Farouk’s car also features the Fiorano Pack, a carbon- fibre and aero upgrade with coil-over suspension, enhancing its already formidable performance.
Farouk’s Ferrari will be making its racing debut at Speed Classic Cape Town this month, much to the dismay of his wife. “When I told my wife I’d enter the Ferrari, she thought I was crazy. But I told her ‘I can do it and I know my car can do it’. It is built to race and made for this challenge.”
On Classic Car Saturday, Farouk will take the wheel of his 1993 BMW M3 E30, the only one of its kind in South Africa and still in original touring car condition. Although it produces just 130 kilowatts, he believes its handling gives it the edge. “We don’t try to push maximum kilowatts out of the engine, because its handling is fantastic. The handling and the braking are so special, which allows us to challenge faster cars with bigger engines and beat them!”
Farouk’s passion for cars began at 18, selling mag wheels in Klerksdorp before founding Speedy Car Sales in 1980, a business that is still thriving today. Around the same time, he began racing as a privateer on oval tracks, even representing South Africa internationally. Apartheid laws prevented him from earning official Springbok colours, but he soon moved into production car racing, first in a Ford, then in BMWs, during what he calls “the golden era of South African motorsport.”
In 1993 and 1994, he raced touring cars, first in a BMW and later a Vauxhall Cavalier. However, competing without factory backing was a constant challenge “It was tough to race against the factory-supported drivers as a privateer coming from Klerksdorp. We couldn’t always get near them, but we’d always try to give them a challenge.”
At the end of 1994, Farouk honoured a promise to his mother that he would stop racing when he turned 40-years-old. He hung up his helmet and stopped racing.
Although Farouk stayed active through occasional track days, tragedy brought him back to competitive racing. His late son, Mohamed, began racing at the annual Simola Hillclimb about a decade ago. After Mohamed was murdered in 2019, the Simola organisers encouraged Farouk to honour his legacy by returning to the track himself.
Now with five years of hillclimb experience under his belt, Farouk is ready to tackle his latest challenge; Speed Classic Cape Town. In the King of the Mountain event on Sunday, Farouk is looking to make his mark in the eight cylinder or above road-going saloon car class and put his Ferrari to the test. “I’m looking forward to Speed Classic Cape Town. I’m particularly keen to see how my car goes up against the McLarens and Lamborghinis. I know there’ll be some serious competition, so it’ll be good to see how Ferrari measures up against the other manufacturers.”
You can catch Farouk in action at Speed Classic Cape Town by purchasing your tickets from Webtickets. Visit www.speedclassic.capetown for more information.
EVENT DETAILS
Name: Speed Classic Cape Town Dates: 25–26 October 2025
Venue: Philip Kgosana Drive, Gardens, Cape Town Distance: 1.8km from Start to Finish | Elevation Gain: 150.1m
More Info:
info@speedclassic.capetown | www.speedclassic.capetown
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok: @speedclassic.capetown | X: @speedclassic_ct
Published by: Daniel Roodt
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