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Cape Town – With more than 500 000km on Gavin Wiseman’s 1996 Opel Kadett, he reckons this trusty car is not just a means of transport, he affectionately refers to his “Opal” (old pal).
The Mother City resident said his 20-year-old vehicle has not missed a beat mechanically, despite the high mileage.
Wiseman, 45, bought the vehicle in 1998 from Reeds N1 City Cape Town, with 44 000km on the clock.
'Best in German engineering'
Wiseman said: “Since I bought the car I have been using it to get to and from work and to go about my daily tasks every day without fail. Back then already Opel was way ahead of its competitors in terms of performance, design and drive. Truly the best in German engineering.”
Boasting a full service history, Wiseman’s Kadett has never had any major problems.
He said: "The vehicle only had the clutch cable replaced once at 360 000km later the replacement of the bearings and the petrol pump."
Asked whether he would ever trade in his vehicle, Wiseman said he has his eye on the new Opel Astra, set to launched in South Africa in April.
READ: Here's how much you'll pay for Opel's new Astra in SA
History of Opel in SA
Opel has a strong heritage in South Africa with its products being sold in the market since the 1930’s. Known for its performance, the Opel Kadett was a true icon of the 1980’s and 90’s having set a number of high speed endurance records and winning Car of the Year in 1994.
The Opel Kadett was later succeeded by the Opel Astra.
Has your car or bakkie racked-up thousands of kilometres? Have you owned your vehicle for more than a decade? Share your SA car story with us