Detour Pit Stop #79: Crossley & Webb, Cape Town, South Africa
Photo Sudhir Matai
For a caffeine and car fix in Cape Town Sudhir “Banzai” Matai pays a visit to a hub of South African auto culture.
Above the CBD of Cape Town and in the afternoon shade of Table Mountain lies the trendy suburb of Gardens, inhabited mainly by young professionals who moved there for its vibey cafes, boutique shops and chilled lifestyle.
However, nestled between the modern apartments and refurbished Cape Dutch houses is an industrial-style red brick building that is one of South Africa’s best known stops for car enthusiasts: Crossley & Webb. This revamped 1920s warehouse houses, sporadically, some of the finest classic and sports cars in the country, not just the Cape.
Crossley & Webb was the brainchild of Gareth Crossley and Bryan Webb. Crossley wanted to combine his loves of coffee and cars in one tasteful, naturally lit space, hence C&W was born. It opened its doors in 2013 and has developed an enviable reputation in the near decade that it has been in operation.
It began as a used car sales showroom that catered for buyers of classic, sports and supercars. Storage, management and detailing of enthusiasts’ precious metal were handy additions for those who don’t have the time or don’t live in the Mother City but prefer to enjoy their cars near the coast.
Owner Crossley sits in a glass office just a few metres from the coffee bar. In his workspace he’s surrounded by old motoring magazines from all over the world. There are black and white images of classic races and retro posters on the walls. The man lives and breathes classic cars and retro racing. You are unlikely to find someone as knowledgeable as Gareth when it comes to classics, modern machines and historic racing. If he isn’t striking a deal on the phone you can stop by for a chat to marvel at his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things automotive, old and new.
Aside from the cars on display for sale, there are also a number of highly desirable machines behind glass doors, and some on four-post hoists. There they wait patiently until their owners wish to take them out for a weekend or return to the city from elsewhere in SA, or abroad. Rumour has it that some of the vehicles belong to celebrities though Crossley will never break client confidentiality.
Regular visits are recommended as the vehicles on display change near weekly. One week you can catch a range of classic Porsches, the next a group of high-performance, limited-edition exotics from Italy and Germany and the following week you’ll see a Morgan three-wheeler standing alongside a single-seat racer.
And if you aren’t in the fortunate position to be shopping there, or waiting for your ride to be detailed, you can enjoy a fragrant cup of coffee in the open coffee shop. I highly recommend the croissants.
Words and Photography Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Twitter | Instagram