Menu
Apr
24
South African Nissan Bakkie 1200 & 1400
Reading the Speedhunters story about a properly built South African Nissan Bakkie 1400 reminded me of the time when I lived in South Africa. Digging through the pictures on my hard drive revealed quite a few pictures of these lovely little, but sturdy and tough, trucklets.
Read More»
Oct
09
While digging through my picture archives, I became aware of having many pictures that have one thing in common: matching color schemes. It really is interesting how some color combinations can be found whichever country you go to. This week I’m going to feature a selection of pictures containing the bright colors Yellow & Blue.
Read More»
Oct
07
Yellow and Blue | Day three
Chevrolet / Drive-by Snapshots / Germany / Renault / South Africa / Volkswagen / Volvo Posted by Sebastian
/
0 comments
While digging through my picture archives, I became aware of having many pictures that have one thing in common: matching color schemes. It really is interesting how some color combinations can be found whichever country you go to. This week I’m going to feature a selection of pictures containing the bright colors Yellow & Blue.
Read More»
Oct
06
Yellow and Blue | Day two
Citroen / Drive-by Snapshots / FIAT / France / Germany / South Africa / Toyota / Volkswagen Posted by Sebastian
/
0 comments
While digging through my picture archives, I became aware of having many pictures that have one thing in common: matching color schemes. It really is interesting how some color combinations can be found whichever country you go to. This week I’m going to feature a selection of pictures containing the bright colors Yellow & Blue.
Read More»
Oct
05
Yellow and Blue | Day one
Drive-by Snapshots / Italy / Mercedes-Benz / Porsche / South Africa Posted by Sebastian
/
1 comments
While digging through my picture archives, I became aware of having many pictures that have one thing in common: matching color schemes. It really is interesting how some color combinations can be found whichever country you go to. This week I’m going to feature a selection of pictures containing the bright colors Yellow & Blue.
Read More»
Apr
14
Before writing anything meaningful about the pictures you see here, I must apologize for the bad quality. The pictures have been taken with an old compact camera, not really suitable to night-time shooting without utilizing a tripod. The area itself was a bit dodgy after sunset, so we didn’t waste any time digging out the better cam. Actually, I didn’t even look at the cars on display then and there. All in all it took no more than a couple of minutes to snap those pictures. Quite a nice display, I must admit. Would have been nice to drive stop by during opening hours.
Mar
07
The Aepyceros melampus is so common in South Africa, that it is actually called lions’ fast food. The antelopes’ heavyweight namesake immigrated from Detroit in 1966 – and is a rather rare species by now. I found this two-tone painted Chevrolet Impala 4-Door Hardtop in Camps Bay, Capetown. The late afternoon light was glorious, again! You can even see a glimpse of the Table Mountain in the background of the second picture.
Mar
04
There might be tales about mountain lions in the area around Pilgrims Rest, South Africa. However, the biggest feline beauty we found was this red cat: a classic Jaguar Mk2. Overall, it was in great condition and purring like new. However, a wee bit of patina on some parts made it look alive and told a few stories of it’s past adventures.
Feb
23
Sometimes location and subject don’t really match. I would have never expected to find a BMW 7-Series E32 stretch limousine in South Africa – let alone in Beaufort West, of all places. But hey, I guess there is demand for a limo service even in rather remote places.
Feb
21
On the way from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein we found a couple of new livestock trailers parked at a service station. Looked like one of the animals just loved the motto on the DairyBelle delivery truck and enjoyed a ding dong day. Sometimes, advertising really does reach an audience 😉
Feb
18
It just happens sometimes, that you are in the right spot at the right time. Imagine walking past a vintage Shell petrol pump that is blocked by a boring new car, thinking you mustn’t forget to take a picture of it on the way back. And as you walk back an hour later after a cup of baie lekker hot chocolate and a biscuit, there is a matching vehicle parked right next to it. In this case a yellow Datsun 1200 GX with beautiful patina. A couple of minutes later it was gone again. This really happened in Pilgrims Rest, back in 2007 – imagine the smile it put on my face! 🙂
Feb
16
A sunny weekend at the Blyde River Canyon. We took a little detour to visit the provincial heritage site Pilgrims Rest in the Mpumalanga region. A tranquil little town that dates back to the Transvaal gold rush in 1873. The Massey Ferguson 165 tractor we found resting there wasn’t quite that old. While taking pictures of it, I had a look at the side facing the corrugated iron shed. And… surprise! The hood featured a sticker from a German Opel dealership! Auto Thielmann in Aerzen. Ever since then I’ve been wondering how the sticker ended up on a tractor in a rather remote part of South Africa. The dealership still exists today, but has a different phone number.
Feb
11
Considering the name of this blog and the nature of the subject pictured here, it really wasn’t easy to find a suitable title and words to describe this unusual vehicle I spotted in Barberton, South Africa. Let’s just look at it from a technical point of view, shall we? The base vehicle is a short wheelbase W126 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The chassis has been stretched and a third axle has been added. The wagon body is covered with vinyl and utilizes W124 taillights and probably a few other bits and pieces of the same donor vehicle.
Jan
25
Visiting the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Capetown sure was an awesome experience. Beautiful plants and trees, the Table Mountain in the background and the perfect weather and light for taking pictures. While leaving the venue and turning onto the main road, I spotted a rare classic Triumph 2500 sporting a rather modern touch. Quite tastefully done, actually.
Jan
13
Somewhere in the Free State, south of Bloemfontein. We are on our way from Capetown to Johannesburg on the N1, being treated to a stunning sunset in the beautiful landscape. The road ahead is straight and smooth. We stop at a little rest area under a bridge and find a pair of tired looking Mercedes-Benz trucks, sitting peacefully on a flatbed trailer and enjoying the warm light of the low sun.
Mind you, the lorries of the New Generation are considered classics by now in Germany and eligible to wear Historic license plates.
Jan
07
Swaziland, February 2008. Just before we left the the beautiful Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, two Toyota HZJ 78 B̶u̶s̶h̶t̶a̶x̶i̶s stretch limos pulled up at the visitors center. They looked like rather luxurious vehicles for long-distance traveling – but due to the decreased break-over angle caused by the extended wheelbase, the off road abilities might not be that great any more. Still far better than most SUVs, though.
Jan
04
Sodwana Bay is a famous fishing and diving spot in South Africa. The beach is accessible for all wheel drive vehicles and boats are launched directly from the beach without a concrete slip. The salty water from the sea and the heat add quite a nice patina over time. This rusty but trusty Ford F-250 4×4 has apparently seen many seasons launching boats…
Jan
02
In December 2007, we decided to spend a weekend in Swaziland. For a more adventurous feeling, we decided to take the scenic route and enter the country via the Bulembu border post. We refueled the car at a Caltex station in Barberton, where I found this bright blue Ford Cortina Bakkie. The tow truck conversion was neatly executed and the vehicle looked to be in good shape, despite it’s obvious age. The owner was wondering why on earth I would like to take pictures of his old bakkie, but granted his approval. Thank you, sir.
Apr
24
Cars parked under trees in South Africa
BMW / Drive-by Snapshots / Ford / Mercedes-Benz / Mini / Porsche / Renault / South Africa / Toyota Posted by Sebastian
/
0 comments
Sometimes, coincidences are funny. While finishing this blog post for publication, a friend sent me a link to an article over at speedhunters.com. Keith Charvonia wrote a great piece about finding project cars in the local neighborhoods of Tuscon, Arizona. I really love the article, because it described exactly what I’ve been doing for the last decade and a half: taking pictures of cars found along the roadside, without actually getting out of the car. Here is what I found during a one-week trip in South Africa. Albeit shot in various locations, all the pictures have one thing in common: the cars are parked under a tree.
