South African Pics

As promised some MK1 pics from South African honeymoon. Spent about week and half in and around Capetown. Weather was fab and it?s an ace country, thoroughly recommend it and lots of MK1s!

Not sure about rest of SA but Capetown is very western/European in flavour and so are the cars.  Lots of the very latest Passats, Polos, Golfs, Touregs, Tourans etc and also lots of Renaults, Fiats, Alfas etc that you normally never see outside Europe. Not many BL/Austin/Rovers which was surprising considering countrys connection with the old British Empire and UK Tranny vans replaced by hoards of T25. The dryer climate means that there were some older 1960/70s cars (Beetles,Cortinas, Escorts, ancient Nissans and Toyotas) still in daily use. However there were also some very rusty cars about with massive holes in A-pillars and sills, not sure how strict the MOT is over there but def wouldn?t be allowed in UK.

Apparently taxation on new cars is as high as 40% making new cars very expensive. Looking at a car mag I bought the prices seem to be about 25% more expensive than UK. New GTI is about ?25K instead of ?20K. Considering the average income in SA will be quite low  that?s probably more like us paying ?30k for the GTI?

Stopped at a VW garage an had a look at a 2001 Citi that still had the ?old? features and it looked very familiar to 1980s European MK1, The two things that struck me were the beetle type organ pedal accelerator and the giant door hinges with welds to match.

One disappointing aspect was the lack of Caddys, lots of Toyota Hiluxs and other Jap stuff but the smaller end seems to be cornered by a Nissan that looks like it?s based on a 1960s saloon.

The Jetta is called Fox and has the Golf round headlights

Saw a few earlier Golfs inc some chrome bumper versions but only manage get 1 pic them

Anyway enough rabbiting?.


The entry level Chico version of the CitiGolf



The latest version has no front quarter lights, side indicators, rear wiper is in glass and Polo style dash




Fox


Police Traffic car


Earlier (Euro?) car


Caddys

Nice pics!

I see the SA police like their modded Mk1s - alloys, exhaust and bee sting! :twisted:

Bet your other half loved you going round looking at VWs!

MMM…. wimpy.
And a nice cheese yellow mini, takes me back that does  

She's quite OK about my VW and MK1 problem :roll:

However after moving house, getting married (not paid for by parents, they've already done that once…..) and trip-of-a-life-time honeymoon, the kitty is empty so its getting difficult to justify running 3 cars. But she doesn't moan that much.

But what to get rid of? :dontknow: