DAVID FURLONGER: Dusting off the past
A chance encounter with history shows how the South African motor industry has changed … and hasn’t
A brand-new Mercedes-Benz, straight off the production line, for under R200,000? Count me in. A small American or Japanese sedan for less than R20,000? I’ll take two. But be quick about it because the local manufacturers are all about to collapse or disinvest.
We’re undertaking a major clearout at home and I’ve just discovered a boxful of newspaper and magazine cuttings dating back to the mid-1980s, when I started writing about the South African motor industry. They make both encouraging and dispiriting reading: the former because the industry has developed so much over the years, and the latter because the same underlying battles are being fought over and over again. Only the battlefields are different...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.