Welcome to Philipstown

Philipstown, a remote Karoo town in South Africa is a place wired with tradition, passion, and creativity. Once a year, the town erupts with excitement as kids push the wire cars they’ve built around the dusty streets in the WireCar Grand Prix - a celebration of resilience, innovation and the joy of creating something with your own hands.

  • WHAT IS A WIRE CAR?

    A wire car (or draadkar, as locals call it) is a homemade toy built from scrap wire, soda cans, bottle caps, and a lot of ingenuity. They might look basic, but they’re surprisingly complex - with suspension, steering and even custom designs. Every year, kids test their creativity and skill by pushing these cars to their limits.

  • THE WIRECAR GRAND PRIX​

    The WGP is the main event on the town's social calendar with a rich history spanning over 14 years. Kids line up barefoot, ready to race a gruelling 3km track, battling rocks, dust, and their own stamina to cross the finish line. It's a race that gives them hope, pride and community in a world that doesn’t give them much.

The story of the Philipstown

WIRECAR GRAND PRIX

Coming to Prime Video soon.

Dive into the heart of Philipstown in our unmissable documentary, soon streaming on Amazon Prime. Meet the kids and find out what drives them, on and off the track. Watch the build-up to the race and the excitement as the starting flag is dropped. But most importantly, watch how a small race in the middle of nowhere, was re-invented and put on a global stage.

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