Cheap cars are a relative term. What is inexpensive to my neighbour, an Arabian oil prince, might be too expensive to me. So, cheap cars need to be put into perspective to make any real sense. To the normal South African family, an economical motor vehicle could indicate any motor vehicle drastically less expensive than a new luxury German sedan with a star on its bonnet. This means the term "cheap car" means an inexpensive car for the purpose and financial means of the person looking at such car. Cheap cars could hence be seen as either a second hand car considerably less costly than its new derivative, or alternatively a new car of a smallish design without any stars beautifying its bonnet.
In the context of Africa, especially sub Saharan Africa, cheap cars will mean different things to a large number of individuals than it would to their wealthier counter parts somewhere else in the world, who may acknowledge the above definition. To such people who would mostly be rural dwellers and often be subsistence farmers, an affordable car would mean a cost-effective car with great reliability and which could run on the smell of an oil rag. The car would also need to be multi-purpose and drivers friendly. So, what would these cheap cars look like and would be their purpose? To answer this one would need to look at the environment the car would be employed in as well as the application areas of such a car. Let's look at a subsistence farmer in the Transkei area, who for many years worked on the mines and saved some cash to go "farming". Although he might have a bit of money to buy seed etc. and have a few oxen he could in span to plough with, he has no means to transport production goods, nor any transport to sell his produce at any reasonable market. He further more has no means to reach his local clinic 80 kilometres away on a dirt road or visit his children in Umtata.
This means the man's requirement of a cheap car, might look something like: A tough car, with a load area on the roof, if possible a dish like device, able to carry some 300 kilo's. A great suspension system to handle the roads, very good brakes, a smallish motor which is effortlessly and economically maintainable, light on fuel , roomy inside and without having any luxuries like radios, air-conditioning and leather seats (a real pig may from time to time share the seating, after all). Your vehicle, however, would need to have headlights and windscreen wipers. The petrol tank would have to be substantial enough to carry enough petrol as the nearest filling station is 80 kilo's away, but he should be able to service the car himself. Overall the need would thus be a simple, sturdy and easy to run vehicle, not something to boast with at church or the local headman's indaba. The Pricewell not more than 10-15 cows worth when new
Well now - how does your expectations of cheap cars compare with that of our Transkei friend?
Author Resource:-
For more information about the Tata motors cheap cars or Vista, click the relevant link!
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articlelog.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites