The South African Motor Industry 1980

In 1980 over 400 000 new vehicles were sold in South Africa for the first time, according to CAR magazine South Africa. Of these, some 280 000 were passenger cars, and the remaining were commercial vehicles. The top-selling passenger car in 1980 in South Africa was the VW Golf/Jetta range, followed by the Mazda 323 and the Ford Cortina.

What were some of the highlights of the road tests carried out by CAR magazine in that year? For the average motorist, it was probably the new Toyota Corolla, Series 4 (P-170) range. The testers commented that the new model set new standards in terms of user-friendliness. In time, this vehicle set standards in terms of reliability and running costs. It would become the best-selling car in South Africa for many years to come.

Opel released their new Kadett, a body shape completely different from its predecessor.CAR tested the 1.3 GLS for their May 1980 issue. It had good performance for its small engine capacity and clocked a top speed of 158 Km/h. The slightly more well-heeled motorist would have taken an interest in the Audi 100 GLS 5E, now available with a 5-speed gearbox. The GLS 5E had fuel injection and electronic ignition, which was rare at that time. It had solid performance too, with 0-80 km/h acceleration taking 7,4 seconds. And, with a reading of 67 dba recorded at a steady 80 km/h, it was one of the quietest cars tested at that time.

BMW fans would have liked the 528i Automatic, which was featured in the September 1980 edition. The vehicle accelerated from 0-80 km/h in 8 seconds. Luxury car enthusiasts would have taken notice of the BMW 733i, published in the May 1980 issue of CAR. Its 3210cc 6-cylinder engine produced 197 hp(145 KW) which enabled it to record a top speed of 190 km/h. The test summary concluded that the 733i had superlative comfort, but they found it hard to justify paying R 25 000 for a car!

The lowest-priced new car in the CAR magazine car guide was the Mini 1275 E, which sold for R 4 300. The most expensive new car in the car guide was the special import BMW 635 CSI, which was to be had for R 55 000. I hear that Porsches were only sold through Lindsay Saker in 1980 (not featured in the guide). One can assume they sold for over R 60 000 for the top 928 S and 930 turbo models. The South African motor industry certainly looked a whole lot different in 1980. Big changes were ahead.

Written by Kenneth Neuse, your All Things Motoring correspondent in Charlotte, North Carolina.