QUEENSLAND business

owner Marius Swart hadn't

driven a rally car since he

arrived from South Africa

five years ago.

But yesterday he created a

stir when he completed his

first day of rallying Down

Under in one of the most

exciting cars, the so

nicknamed 'King of Africa',

the super 2000 Volkswagen

polo.

Swart and co-driver

Gerard McConkey were sitting

in 10th spot in the ARC

rankings at the end of

yesterday's stages, with

Canberra's Neal Bates and

Coral Taylor leading the

way.

''It's absolutely fantastic,

it ran without missing a beat

today, the driver missed a

few, but the car was just

phenomenal,'' Swart said.

''The harder you drive it

and the rougher you are

with it, the happier the car

is.

''Because I haven't driven

for such a long time, five

years, we had a few hairy

moments and I backed off

quite a bit, but we changed a

few suspension settings and

it's just been getting better

and better.

Swart decided after his

five-year hiatus, to get back

into the sport in the best way

possible.

Last year he contacted all

the super 2000

manufacturers, the new

generation rally cars,

including Canberra-based

Toyota Racing Development,

and eventually bought

the Volkswagen in November

last year.

It was after the car had

won the 2007 South African

Rally Championship, for

which it acquired the 'King

of Africa' tag.

Swart won't say how

much he paid, but it's likely

it was more than $200,000.

It only arrived in Australia

four weeks ago, but this

week has been the first time

Swart has driven it and the

first time he has driven with

McConkey.

Swart met McConkey four

years ago, when he was

watching an event McConkey

was competing in.

''I'd gone up and had a

chat to Gerard then, and so

when this came up his name

came into my head and I still

had his number,'' Swart

said.

''When I said what it was,

he was hooked, and there

was no way he was missing

out on that.''

Yesterday a crowd gathered

around Swart's tent to

check out the car.

Right down the end of the

service park, but it attracted

just as many fans as the

others.

''We are true privateers,''

Swart said.