Described as one of the most scenic routes in the world, Cape Town’s Chapman’s Peak Drive was officially opened 100 years ago. Ian McLaren got behind the wheel of a locally built model from a fellow centurion to explore some of the wonders this unique stretch of coastline offers.
Sent ashore near Hout Bay to source supplies for the crew of his ship, British sailor John Chapman would instead chance upon a spectacular view. Some 300 years later, then Administrator of the Cape Province, Sir Frederic De Waal, would initiate plans to create a driving route along this treacherous coastline to bisect this original lookout point.
Even by today’s standards, standing at one of the many lookout points more than 500 m above the crashing waves below, while looking out to where Chapman’s ship would have been anchored, you can but marvel at the magnitude of the task those involved in this project over a century ago faced.
More than 9 km long and made up of around 114 rockface-hugging corners, Chapman’s Peak Drive took seven years to complete. The official opening ceremony was held on 6th May 1922. If a traverse of Chapman’s Peak in its current, completely tarred and refurbished form still takes your breath away, imagine doing it in a 1920s passenger bus or vehicle.
With a road surface constructed from available onsite materials such as granite, sandstone and mudstone, initial journeys on this extension of Victoria Road – linking Cape Town to Noordhoek via the Peninsula’s west coast – in vehicles fitted with tyre technology not yet inclusive of steel wire beading (this was only invented the same year that the pass was opened) must have been epic, yet dangerous.
The same year also proved to be a significant year for the makers of the vehicle I travelled to Hout Bay in. Formed when the existing Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG aircraft company incorporated Rapp Motorewerke’s brand name and engine production facility, Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) was founded on 20th May 1922.
While any number of inclement acts of nature over the years have seen Chapman’s Peak Drive, for reasons of safety, closed to the public for extended periods, BMW’s strive towards its status as a leading premium automotive company has proved unrelenting, even in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Besides being early adopters of future-focused all-electric technology with models like the i3 city car, BMW has also been at the forefront of the current trend towards the raised ride-height SUV shape. Indeed, with the introduction of the original X3 in 2003, the brand is broadly acknowledged as having created the now hugely profitable premium mid-size SUV segment.
Popular Exports
Positioned below the X5 and X4, the recently updated third generation X3 is assembled at BMW’s Plant Rosslyn, outside Pretoria, for export around the globe. Much like this popular BMW SUV is appreciated worldwide, “Chappies” is a trendy and widely admired destination for overseas tourists to the Western Cape.
It was a fact we appreciated each time we came face-to-face with a fully laden tour bus at the tightest points on the pass, but also while enjoying a coffee at the wonderfully sophisticated Tintswalo Lodge nestled at the foot of the pass. Recently refurbished after extensive fire damage, both the restaurant and luxury accommodation of this boutique destination offer dramatic views across Hout Bay.
While it was called Beach Hotel at the time that construction work on Administrator De Waal’s new road began in 1915, Chapman’s Peak Hotel is positioned at the unofficial start of the pass in Hout Bay. The hotel has hosted local fishermen, sailors and travellers alike for over a century, with a famous bar and a restaurant renowned for its seafood dishes.
About 70% of local BMW X3 sales to date favour the 2.0-litre turbodiesel derivative, and getting reacquainted with it; it was easy to see why. Its impressively refined drivetrain, delivering 140 kW and 400 Nm of torque to the xDrive system via an eight-speed auto transmission, offered more than enough punch to tackle an incline such as Suikerbossie on the other side of Hout Bay.
For a brand that has built its reputation on driving dynamics, even the relatively heavy X3 package (with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 213 km/h) offered enough smile-inducing cornering prowess to agitate an unsuspecting passenger.
12 Apostles Hotel
Our overnight destination was programmed into the standard Live Cockpit Pro infotainment system of our M Sport model, and sparkling wine awaited us for a suitably chilled check-in at the five-star 12 Apostles Hotel, nestled at the foot of the Table Mountain complex overlooking Camps Bay. The mountain range, stretching almost to Hout Bay, actually consists of 18 peaks, including St Peter’s Peak, St Luke’s Peak and Judas Peak.
Considered one of the most romantic hotel and spa destinations worldwide, the 12 Apostles Hotel (12apostleshotel.com) began life in 1836 as a hunting lodge on the Oudekraal Estate. It was changed into a magnificent home in 1929. This prime piece of real estate would then become home to an advertising agency before being transformed into a hotel and conference centre 30 years ago.
A signature property in the family-owned Red Carnation Hotels group, visitors to this landmark outpost can enjoy everything from cocktails on the deck while watching the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean and regular live music events in the beautifully appointed bar area, to a selection of fine-dining experiences and luxurious overnight accommodation.
The reward for the latter is to awaken to the sound of the ocean, followed by breakfast on the open patio. On the morning of our stay, this view included a portion of the wreck of the ship Antipolis that ran aground here in 1977, as a recent storm had shifted it to shore.
Considering how spectacular the views over the ocean are, as well as the impressive general condition of this coastal road, it is easy to get comfortable and simply cruise past any number of the buildings and locations set along the M6 route leading away from the Cape Town CBD. What remains pertinent, though, is the amount of history that this stretch of coastline boasts.
Report & Images © IAN MCLAREN