Share

#Fathersday2019 - The cars your petrolhead dad always wanted in SA

accreditation
Image: supplied
Image: supplied
If your dad is a petrolhead, the models featured below were the fantasy cars he nearly bought, but didn’t in South Africa. 

READ: 'Cars I'd love to buy my petrolhead dad' 

We’ve compiled a list of the most iconic local cars your dad pined for, but could not have, before you happened.

1950s - The Protea 

Protea car
                                                                       Image: NJR ZA / Wikipedia

A proudly South African car and early indication of the automotive engineering skills available locally. The Protea was our first production car and subscribed to the principle of lightweight construction. A glass-fibre body made it weight comparatively little (only 630kg), which means the tiny 1.2-litre engine provided adequate performance, even if it only cranked 27kW. An iconic South African car and one your dad would have desperately wanted in the 1950s. 

1960s - Jaguar E-Type 

Jaguar etype

South Africa was one of the biggest export markets for Jaguar’s iconic E-Type during the 1960s. What your dad really wanted was not the V12 powered E-type but rather the 4.2-litre in-line six, which was introduced in 1964 and produced 198kW. A glorious car, which looks which only improved over time, it was the definitive 1960s poster car in South African garages. 

1970s - Chevrolet Can-Am

Firenza canam

A locally developed special, which became a giant-killing two-door performance car. Built on the compact Firenza platform, the Can-Am was powered by a 5-litre V8 engine borrowed from Chevrolet’s Z28 Camaro. The result was a little car with a 5-litre V8 good for 216kW. Only 100 were built, in 1972, and they were fast enough to bother any Italian supercar of the decade. This was the only local car dad really wanted during the 1970s. 

1980s - Porsche 928

Porsche 928

This was the car Porsche hoped would replace the 911, but didn’t. A fantastically futuristic design, it featured a V8 above the front axle and rounded styling. Also had ingenious pop-up headlights – hence it was the very definition of 1980s sportscar aesthetic. The Porsche 928 was by far the coolest German of the decade and its high-speed cruising ability and athleticism was ideally suited to South African driving conditions. Your dad really wanted one of these – preferably in white. 

1990s - Audi RS2

Audi RS2 Avant

Before this car, stations wagons weren’t cool. An absolutely gem of a 1990s sleeper car, the RS2 Avant was imported to South Africa in very limited numbers. In the early 1990s it would have allowed dad to go from 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds, run a 262km/h top speed and carry 1200-litres worth of luggage with the seats folded. 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE