Before the outbreak of WWII, motor racing in South Africa had been developing strongly and, in fact, the last pre-war South African Grand Prix, held in January 1939, was the first major ‘scratch start’ event in the country and included a top class field of voiturettes comprised of nine Maseratis, four ERAs and a Riley.
Drivers of the caliber of Luigi Villoresi, Franco Cortese, Piero Taruffi and Paul Pietsch in Maseratis, pitted themselves against the ERAs of Lord Howe and Peter Whitehead.
