Two old friends – André Loubser hands a copy of his book ‘Kyalami’ to Sir Stirling Moss in the Drivers’ Club Lounge at the 2011 Goodwood Revival © Tony WillittIt is with great sadness that we bring you the news of André’s passing this last weekend. André was an extremely enthusiastic and clever writer and a contributor to PORSCHE ROAD & RACE.
Andre was born on 18 February 1940 in Cape Town, and was educated at Bishops in Rondebosch, Cape Town, matriculating in 1957. At the tender age of 7 years he ‘borrowed’ the keys of his father’s Morris to drive it out of the garage, and he watched his first motor race in 1948, the Van Riebeeck Trophy Race at Paarden Eiland, an area close to the Cape Town harbour.
In 1958, Stanley Porter, the Mercedes-Benz and DKW agent for Cape Town and the Cape Province, opened a branch in the city of George, 275 miles (440 km) due east of Cape Town. The founder’s son, Allan, was appointed as branch manager and the following year Andre joined the dealership as PA to Allan, and salesman. In December 1960, Porsche racing manager, Baron Huschke von Hanstein, Jo and Marianne Bonnier and Count Wolfgang ‘Taffy’ von Trips, spent several days in George after the Cape Grand Prix and before competing in the South African Grand Prix in East London. André Loubser was assigned to look after the visitors while they were in town, which, through Huschke von Hanstein, led to André eventually joining Porsche in Stuttgart in 1962.
André spent two years with Porsche before joining Stirling Moss’s Paint-A-Car system in the UK. In the four years he was with the famous racing driver’s car spraying company, André learned much about the business, which would benefit him in later years. In December 1966, André married Gill Scott in Old Woking, Surrey and in 1968 the happily married couple moved back to South Africa.
André’s love of motor cars and racing led him to continue his work in this field and even at the age of 80 years, he shared with this writer, his plans for opening a sports car manufacturing plant and showroom in Cape Town. Not one to sit still for long, André was a long-standing member of the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists and an Honorary Life Member of the Cape Town based Nomads Motorcycle Club. He was also the Editor of the Crankhandle Chronicle, the monthly publication for that active motoring club of the same name.
On Sunday 25 October 2020, André was attending an old car meet in the Cape when he collapsed and died. The automotive world has lost an energetic and highly respected, fun-loving member of this worldwide community.
All at PORSCHE ROAD & RACE are deeply saddened by this news, and we offer our sincerest condolences to Gill and the family.
Written by: Glen Smale
Image by: Tony Willitt
I sat with Andre at a year-end Guild of Motoring Journalists’ dinner some four years ago, and of course our love of Porsches and Andre’s close connection to the brand and its drivers of the Von Hanstein era made for a conversation-fest of note. It was wonderful to get the inside story on Joe Bonnier, Taffy von Trips, Stirling Moss, Godin de Beaufort, Graham Hill and so on and on. As a follow up to this dinner, we shared Porsche news by e-mail on a regular basis so Andre’s sudden passing came as a terrible shock. Condolences to his family who I am sure will look back with pride on a life well spent.
Richard, yes it was a shock to us all. I never knew Andre when I lived in SA, I think the first time we ‘met’ was by email in the early noughties and we kept in contact all these years. He was a fountain of knowledge on Porsche matters from the ’60s, you must have had some wonderful conversations with him. It is very sad indeed!!
A fitting tribute to an incredibly knowledgeable man who would always, happily, share that with anyone interested enough to ask. Enjoyed many fine conversations with him over the years.
Thank you Colin. I had the recent privilege (maybe a year ago) to review his Kyalami book, it is really an excellent piece of work that took him many years to complete. He will be missed by many, thanks for your kind words.
A Porsche history fan, I am kicking myself for missing André Loubser during his lifetime. Fortunately his book and now his passing have not escaped the all-seeing radar of Porsche Road & Race to which I am once again very grateful for filling in yet another gap in my knowledge. Now I’m off the buy the book.
Kieron, the book is available form Chaters I believe. I seem to remember André telling me that he had done a deal with Chaters, but failing that André had a stash of them at his house, so his widow would be able to get one off to you.