Motoring Today with Roger McCleery cover art

Motoring Today with Roger McCleery

Motoring Today with Roger McCleery

Written by: Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard
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Few voices have shaped South African motoring quite like Roger McCleery's. A six-time Western Province Motorcycle Champion in his youth, he went on to build the local Honda motorcycle business in the 1960s, then ran PR and marketing for Alfa Romeo and Nissan before founding Motoring Media Promotions in 1985. He has commented on motorsport on radio and at race circuits since 1969 and on television since 1976, served seventeen years on South Africa's Formula 1 Grand Prix committee, and represented the country on the FIM, bringing motorcycle and motocross Grands Prix to local soil between 1980 and 1993. On Motoring Today, Roger brings that depth (and the address book that goes with it) to a weekly conversation covering motorsport, road cars, the global and local industry, and the heritage that built it all. From Kyalami's glory years to the latest launches, from F1 to bakkies, this is motoring through the eyes of the man who has seen, driven and called most of it.Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard
Episodes
  • MotoGP Barcelona Crashes, Nurburgring 24H, Nampo Show and Mahindra Bolero Max

    MotoGP Barcelona Crashes, Nurburgring 24H, Nampo Show and Mahindra Bolero Max
    May 19 2026
    Roger Hutton (Independent | Veteran Motoring Journalist)
    Peter de Toit (Killarney International Raceway / Swakopmund -- PLEASE VERIFY | Circuit Owner)
    Colin Windell (Independent | Veteran Motoring Journalist)
    Rajesh Gupta (Mahindra South Africa | Outgoing CEO)
    Johnny Shand (Bike Man | Owner)

    South Africa's longest-running motoring radio show - weekly news roundup

    This is the Toyota Motoring News weekly roundup on Radio Today - South Africa's go-to motoring radio programme for petrolheads who want the full picture on local and international motorsport results, new model news, and South African motor industry developments, all in one hit.

    Veteran journalist Roger Hutton calls in from Mauritius to debrief on the Nampo Agricultural and Motor Show, covering the record-breaking Toyota Hilux gathering, the new Ford Ranger Super Duty, the Kia Tasman making its South African debut, the Isuzu facelift, and the bittersweet farewell of Nissan Navara production moving from Roslyn to Egypt. Colin Windell sits down with outgoing Mahindra South Africa CEO Rajesh Gupta for a first look at the Mahindra Bolero Max platform - a one-point-three, one-point-five and one-point-seven ton payload single cab launching in June, and news of a potential full manufacturing facility following an MOU with the IDC.

    On the motorsport front: full reaction to the Spanish MotoGP at Barcelona, where multiple crashes including Brad Binder's first-corner fall, Fabio Di Giannone's maiden Grand Prix win on the Ducati, and Pedro Acosta's last-lap tumble leading the race made it one of the most dramatic weekends in recent memory. Max Verstappen's two-hour stint at the Nurburgring 24 Hours gets its own breakdown, along with a preview of the Canadian Grand Prix and the DTM at Zandvoort. South African racing fans get a full guide to the Kyalami Nationals round at Swakopmund Raceway on Saturday, featuring Formula Four, single seaters, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Volkswagen, Kawasaki bikes, and 150 national-level entries.

    Elsewhere: South African car brand loyalty data shows Volkswagen tops repeat-purchase charts at 26 percent while BMW sits last at 9 percent; the Beijing Motor Show sets a record with 150 exhibitors; Toyota reaches 11.8 million vehicles produced globally; Ducati's ownership by Audi/Volkswagen Group explained; spark plug costs hitting R700 each on some motorcycles; delivery bike economics and rider training with Johnny Shand of Bike Man; a history of motorsport's worst crashes from Le Mans to Kyalami; and the dark story of Jimmy Guthrie at the 1937 German Grand Prix. Mahindra South Africa - official website · Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit · Nampo Harvest Day agricultural and motor show
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    54 mins
  • Chinese Brands Take 26% of SA Car Sales, Kimi Antonelli Wins Miami GP and More

    Chinese Brands Take 26% of SA Car Sales, Kimi Antonelli Wins Miami GP and More
    May 15 2026
    Roger Houghton, Dennis Klopper and Johnny Shand on wheels.

    Motoring Today is South Africa's longest-running motoring radio show, and this is episode one of its new format on Radio Today 1485. Hosted by one of SA's most experienced motor journalists, Roger McCleery, this episode is pure petrolhead fuel: Formula 1 results, MotoGP from Le Mans, South African hill climb news, the Chinese car invasion of the local market, new book releases on Ferrari and Porsche history, and a conversation with a Suzuki motorcycle dealer on the West Rand. If you love motors, motorsport, and the stories behind the machines, this is your show.

    Roger Houghton, calling in from George Airport on his way to Namibia, gives a frank breakdown of the South African new vehicle market: Chinese brands now account for 26 percent of passenger vehicle sales, Chery alone sits at number four nationally, and legacy dealerships are being rebranded across the country. He also covers declining vehicle exports, fuel price pressures, and what GWM partnering with Mercedes in East London could mean for local manufacturing.

    Denis Klopper, reached in Colesberg on his way back to Cape Town, joins to talk about his new book: 70 Years of Ferrari in Southern Africa, launched at Cavallieri in Johannesburg. He also covers 60 Years of Kyalami Memories, 60 Years of Porsche at Kyalami, and upcoming biographies of Cyril and Ian, as well as a planned Alfa Romeo title. Books are available via SA Motorsport Memories online or through Exclusive Books.

    The show covers the Samola Hill Climb, with Peter Zealey's Toyota MR2 taking fastest modified car honours, Rob Walker's Gould Climb Special, and a nitrous oxide tank drama that spread oil across 300 metres of track. There is also a round-up of the greatest F1 drivers in history, from Juan Manuel Fangio and Jim Clark to Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, plus Hamilton's push to bring Formula One back to Kyalami as Africa's only Grand Prix circuit.

    Colin Windell runs through the updated Ford Ranger lineup: 23 derivatives, a new Sport variant, the 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine producing 222 kW and 452 Nm, and a six-year 90 000 km service plan. Johnny Shand of Bike Man on the West Rand reports that new bike sales are up, fuel prices are pushing commuters onto two wheels, and Brad Binder's KTM contract situation may explain his 2025 MotoGP struggles relative to teammate Pedro Acosta.
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    41 mins
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