Cheap cars can be a relative phrase. What is affordable to my neighbour, an Arabian oil prince, may be too expensive to me. So, cheap cars need to be put into perspective to make any true sense. To the average South African family, an economical motor vehicle could mean any car drastically more affordable than a brand new luxury German four door with a star on its bonnet. This means the term “cheap car” means an inexpensive car for the purpose and financial means of the person looking at such vehicle. Cheap cars could therefore be seen as either a second hand car much less costly than its new derivative, or else a new motor vehicle of a smallish design without any stars adorning its hood.

In the context of Africa, particularly sub Saharan Africa, cheap cars will mean something different to a large number of people than it would to their richer counter parts somewhere else in the world, who may acknowledge the above definition. To these people who would mostly be rural dwellers and often be subsistence farmers, an inexpensive car would mean an inexpensive motor vehicle with great reliability and which might run on the smell of an oil rag. The vehicle would also need to be multi-purpose and drivers friendly. So, what would these cheap cars look like and would be their purpose? To answer this one would want to look at the environment the car would be utilized in as well as the application areas of such a vehicle. Let’s look at a subsistence farmer in the Transkei area, who for many years worked on the mines and saved some money to go “farming”. Although he might have a bit of funds to buy seed etc. and also have a few oxen he could in span to plough with, he has no means to transport production goods, nor any transport to sell his produce at any reasonable market. He further more has no means to reach his local medical center 80 kilometer away on a dirt road or visit his kids in Umtata.

This means the man’s requirement of a cheap car, might look something like: A robust car, with a load area on the roof, if possible a dish like device, able to carry some 300 kilo’s. A great suspension system to manage the roads, very good brakes, a smallish motor which is easily and economically maintainable, light on petrol , roomy inside and lacking any splendid luxuries like radios, air-conditioning and leather seats (a real pig may from time to time share the seating, after all). The vehicle, on the other hand, would need to have headlights and windscreen wipers. The petrol tank would have to be large enough to carry enough petrol as the nearest filling station is 80 kilo’s away, but he should be able to service the vehicle himself. Overall the need would thus be a simple, strong and easy to run car, not something to boast with at church or the local headman’s indaba. The Pricewell not more than 10-15 cows worth when new

Well now – how does your expectations of cheap cars compare with that of our Transkei friend?