The Gordon’s Bay resident, who made a significant contribution to South African motor sport throughout his life, was hailed as the “undisputed king of Paarlberg”, having never been beaten on the Paarlberg Hillclimb in his Renault R8 Gordini. He died at age 82 (“Q 6 March 1939-12 June 2021: Paarlberg’s undisputed king,” DistrictMail, 17 June 2021).
The motor-sport legend participated in his first hill climb in 1957 near Wellington, and the bug bit. However, only 10 years later was the start of a 10-year stint marked, when he dominated the Paarl hill climb. Mostert won in his class a 1100cc engine in the Renault Gordini in 1967, when he took overall victory and held the track record from 1968 to 1973. In 1973 the international fuel crisis occurred and the event was cancelled. Mostert, a member of the Paarl Motor Club, was club champion from 1958, and he won gymkhanas and rallies and even held the outright lap record at the old Paarl Oval Track.
His two sons, Berto and Jacques, scattered their father’s ashes on the same corner on the Paarlberg hill climb, where an iconic sideways photo of him in his Renault R8 Gordini was taken 50 years ago. Mostert’s entire family paid their respects to someone they knew and loved as a father, husband, father in law, grandfather and great grandfather, but who to this day is dubbed the undisputed King of Paarlberg.
Berto can still remember, 50 years ago, playing with his toy cars a couple of metres from the hill when he heard his father’s blue Gordini go over the finish line, breaking his own record. “That was the last time I was here. On 12 June last year we lost The King of the Hill. We went back [on 12 June] to say goodbye for the last time. The father, grandfather, mentor and legend he was will always be with us. King of the Paarl hill climb he will always be, never to be dethroned.”
Elzaan Mostert, Hennie’s daughter, described honouring her father’s life and the legacy he left behind as a special occasion.
Berto and Jacques Mostert scattering the ashes of their father on Paarlberg Hillclimb.
A photo of Hennie Mostert in his Renault R8 Gordini about fifty years ago. His ashes were scattered on the same corner recently.
