BY CORRESPONDENT
Simon Fisher with his 1934 Alvis Firefly and a 1965 Rover is the latest addition to the list of the 44th CBA Africa Concours d’Elegance scheduled for September 28 at Nairobi Racecourse.
Fisher is working round the clock to prepare the two vehicles for the motor beauty contest. According to organisers, entries are streaming in steadily for the event with cars approaching the 50 mark and over 25 motorcycles. Talking about his vehicles, Simon Fisher said, “This Alvis Firefly is among the 871 built by the Alvis Car and Engineering Company in Coventry in England between 1932 and 1934. Only 90 of these machines now survive in the world. I acquired the Alvis Firefly in 1974 and shipped it from England to Kenya in 1981. It still carries the original drop-head coupe body built by Cross and Ellis of Coventry.”
“When I bought this Alvis Firefly, it was in a dismantled state and I have rebuilt it steadily. I have entered it for the Concours for over 20 years and it has won first in class, meritorious and elegant prizes. My family and I have driven this 80-year-old machine from Nairobi to Kampala twice and to Mombasa and back once. It is still capable of doing over 100 kph and cruises comfortably at 85 kph.”
Talking about the Rover, Simon Fisher said, “I purchased this car early this year from Gary Farrant who is a Concours competitor. This vehicle has entered the event before and last year it was used as a service car. It is in good condition and will compete in the up to 3,00 cc touring car class at the Concours.”
Simon Fisher’s Alvis Firefly will contest the pre-1940 car class. In this category, he will face stiff competition from the 1928 Ford Tudor of Phoenix Aviation, John Wroe’s 1930 Ford Tudor and Bentley made in 1936.
Courtesy of the-star.co.ke