History
The Toyota Twin Cam Club
The car enthusiast – a special breed who passionately
enjoy their form of transport.
The Toyota Enthusiast – a breed who can drive on a
daily basis their form of transport and share a common passion
on any occasion.
17 November 1988. A group of passionate Toyota Enthusiasts
got together and decided to share their common interest, which
gave birth to the Toyota Twin Cam Club. Spearheaded by Barry
Simon and Guy Keeling, the first Annual General Meeting was
held on 25 January 1989 in the Auditorium at Toyota South
Africa in Johannesburg. Barry Simon was nominated as Chairman,
and assisted by eight committee members proceedings were started
off for what has now been a successful term of 15 years.
The first steering committee of the Toyota Twin Cam Club
consisted of Richard Dames, Guy Keeling, Andrew Kayser, Andy
Adendorff, Ahmed Moolla, Barry Simon, Melville Weddell, Tony
Weitz and Glen Sherwood. The initial mission of the club was
to gather as many owners of Toyota Twin Cams as possible for
social events, monthly meetings, Gymkhanas and fun runs. The
club would also be considered as a platform for technical
discussions, Concourse d’ Elegance competitions, track
days and advanced driving courses.
“We would like to be seen as a group of Toyota Enthusiasts
that enjoy the company of fellow enthusiasts that feel the
same way we do about their cars”. Barry Simon 1989.
This same simple philosophy still remains the fundamental
backbone of what the Toyota Twin Cam Club stands for today.
Throughout the years, the club has hosted many various different
events of which some have become a deep-set tradition. The
Car of the Year show day, the Ladies Revenge rally and the
Advanced Driving Instruction are legends in their own right.
What initially grabbed the attention of the South African
community and indirectly led to the formation of the Toyota
Twin Cam Club, was the new generation of Toyota motors, with
its multi-valve technology and fuel injection, known as the
legendary 4-AGE motor. This is where it really all started.
The name RSI conjures up fabled legends as great as the Samurai
itself. Even today, in its latest incarnation, the RSI still
remains the legend that was born so many years ago. Toyota
set a benchmark in the performance industry which, to this
day, enjoys great status within the local performance arenas.
The longest standing Chairman within the history of the Toyota
Twin Cam Club is Clive van Kerckhoven who has contributed
a full term of six years. In his own capacity, together with
his involvement with Toyota itself, he has added great value
and depth to the club, and now enjoys honorary lifelong membership
(another tradition awarded for exceptional commitment).
Currently, the club enjoys a 60+ strong membership from all
over the country. The clubs hosts an event once a month, which
ranges from the traditional Advanced Driving to the well-attended
show days. Moving with technology, the club is proud of their
web-site, and the information base that is shared through
it.
Members have come and gone, some still remain, the cars have
changed and the motors have become more technologically advanced,
but one thing that has remained unchanged is the spirit with
which the Toyota Enthusiast proudly drives their vehicles.
Thags Govender
Chairman
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