Official home of the wire car
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.
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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.
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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.
Experience the thrill of racing one of these unique cars yourself. We've mapped and faithfully recreated every street and corner of Philipstown. You’ll race against the real kids and champions. Think you’ve got what it takes? They won’t make it easy.
Wire cars
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Marius Display pickup truck #160
Regular price R 450.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 450.00 -
Abraham Display quadbike #167
Regular price R 450.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 450.00 -
Abraham Display truck #168
Regular price R 450.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 450.00
Donations
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Xtra-Large Donation
Regular price R 1,000.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 1,000.00 -
Large Donation
Regular price R 500.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 500.00 -
Medium Donation
Regular price R 250.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 250.00 -
Small Donation
Regular price R 100.00Regular priceUnit price / perSale price R 100.00
The story of the Philipstown
WIRECAR GRAND PRIX
Watch now on Prime Video
Dive into the heart of Philipstown in our unmissable documentary, now 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.