The Gusheshe, the Tazz, the MK1 - these cars truly resonate with Mzansi car heritage
Mzansi has a love affair with cars that transcends all cultures. There surely aren’t many nations in the world whose citizens have the ability to take relatively simple cars and turn them into something truly special, like South Africans can.
Of course local manufacturers have also created some iconic cars over the years, with homologation specials like the Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0, Ford Sierra XR8, Basil Green’s Ford Capri Perana and BMWs like the 530 MLE and 325iS all achieving legendary status both on the track and on the road.
Toyota Land Cruiser 79
Legend has it that farmers in the Free State only put on extra layers of clothing once the temperature dips below -3 degrees celsius.
And after that you’ll see them in two pairs of khaki shorts.
But as tough as that may seem, surely nothing beats their chariot of choice, the Toyota Land Cruiser 79, when it comes to hardiness.
Stereotypes aside, these days the ‘Cruiser bakkie appeals to a more diverse audience than ever, especially since the price of a Mercedes G-Wagon is not far from breaching the gazillion-rand mark.
Mind you, the Cruiser is not exactly bargain bin material these days, with the newly introduced 3.0 D-4D models costing from R917,100 in single cab form and a shade over a million as a double cab.
Its basic shell has been around since the 70 Series made its first appearance 40 years ago, with minor updates made along the way to keep it fresh but without diluting its core essence. And that’s the beauty of this Land Cruiser.
It’s a trip back to simpler times before all these disposable jellymould SUVs came along with their ten thousand centimetre touchscreens.
Suzuki Jimny owners surely know the feeling too.
BMW E30 3 Series “Gusheshe”
Of those homologation racing specials we mentioned earlier, few have resonated with South Africans as much as the 325iS, or the Gusheshe as it has become affectionately dubbed.
The E30-generation BMW 3 Series, built in Rosslyn between 1983 and 1992, has become a legend on the spinning scene thanks in part to its near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution and although there have been some iconic local versions like the 333i, the 325iS (often referred to as Botsotso) is seen by many as the epitome of the E30 generation.
The locally developed model had a 2.7-litre straight-six engine, available in 145kW and 155kW guises, and also sported a limited slip differential and M Sport suspension.
Gusheshe, is widely believed to mean ‘panty dropper’ although the late actor Papa G said the word may have been derived from Akusheshe, which is an African slang word for ‘quick’.
Dare we suggest the BMW E30 qualifies with flying colours on both fronts.
Motoring blogger Jehran Naidoo, who founded AutoRush, says the E30 is iconic for many reasons, but more recently because of the influence it’s had in the spinning world and how versatile it is.
“You can literally throw in any rear-wheel drive engine in there, from a 2J to RB26 (Skyline GT-R) to a Lexus V8, everything which is now used in the spinning world.
“It just has that reputation of being a gangster’s car, even from where I am in Durban, if you own this car you have this reputation like you’re some sort of gangster.”
Volkswagen Golf and Citi Golf
Don’t we all have a Golf story to tell?
Nights out clubbing with tunes pumping through those newly acquired subwoofers and smoke from badly stumped cigarettes wafting from the ashtray.
Trying not to sweat through that fancy new collar shirt on your way to that important job interview, while cursing that your Volkswagen never came with air conditioning.
Holiday road trips with friends squeezed in the boot packed to capacity.
Making modifications to your Citi Golf was mandatory. Some kept the mods minimal, but many went the drag racing route, taking advantage of its excellent power to weight ratio.
But we all had that friend who took things to the next level. You know, the one who thinks Wolfsburg’s engineers are incompetent because even the latest Golf R only produces 235kW.
His Golf, of course, thunders out a thousand more than that, but mentioning reliability is not a polite thing to do. His car, of course, is usually never running (insert excuse about dodgy mechanic who messed him around here).
The Citi Golf was a lot of things to a lot of South Africans, which is why many felt sad to say goodbye to it in 2009, after 25 years on the market.
Toyota Tazz and Corolla “Kentucky Rounder”
The Tazz was very much like a Citi Golf, but for those who were addicted to Toyota’s promise of evergreen dependability.
It wasn’t as much fun to drive, unless you bought the 160i model, but like its antiquated German rival, owners often turned their Tazz into their own personal canvas.
But the Tazz is part of a bigger legend, having originated from the Conquest that was essentially a hatch version of the “Kentucky Rounder” shape Corolla first introduced in 1988.
As with the Gusheshe, opinions differ on how its unofficial but distinctly South African name originated, some stating the obvious that it was much rounder than its box-shaped predecessor, while others felt that despite being affordable it was also a very respectable car for taking your date for a meal at KFC, which was a bigger deal then than it is now.
Either way, this generation of Corolla resonated highly with South Africans, particularly the GLI version with its high-revving 4AGE engine. Although many would argue that the 20-valve RSI/RXI models that came in the next generation, were even bigger legends.
These four cars - Gusheshe, Land Cruiser, Citi Golf and Kentucky Rounder Corolla - are just a handful of the cars that resonate heavily with South Africans.
From those Beetle-based beach buggies clattering all over the KZN South Coast to the high-rollers parading through Sandton and Clifton in the G-Wagons.
Drop us a comment on our Facebook page. Which other cars do you consider distinctly South African?
IOL Motoring