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.

Our shop

Wire cars

Wire cars

Each wire car is crafted by the community - no two are...

Merchandise

Merchandise

Wear the legacy. Support the race.

Donations

Donations

Every donation goes directly to the Philipstown WireCar Foundation, empowering new generations...

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.

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