On Monday, 4 June 1897, at 4pm, the first horseless carriage in South Africa made its debut in Brea Park, launching a love affair with motor vehicles that would endure for ages…or did it?
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The 1940s saw the era of the “people’s wagon”, pioneered by Henry Ford and Dr Ferdinand Porsche, who focused on affordability and simplicity – making the motor vehicle accessible to everyone. As customers became more affluent in the 1950s and 1960s, and cars became more accessible, the focus shifted to promoting cars as status symbols. Bigger was better, and cars were given tail fins like jet fighters (and they burnt the same amount of fuel!) The 1980s saw Japanese upstarts Nissan, Honda, Mazda and Toyota undercut the European and America market – it was also the era that saw factories being exported offshore. The continued globalization of the 1990s saw greater cooperation as manufacturers began running plants together, and sharing designs. Today the industry offers greater variety in terms of price, design and technology than ever before.
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