20 Bonanza or Bust

26 Samba, Slivovitch & Sasol

60 What’s In a Name

68 Small is Big

69 Need for Speed

74 Coshed in Klerksdorp

T h e P h o e n i x

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 92

w w w. a b r b u z z . c o . z a

Zoom Zoom Growth andDevelopmentABR covers are not specifically chosen to match events, as we have a first come firstserve policy with regard to allocations, but intriguingly our covers are starting to follow a trend, matching ABR’s inexorable march to relevance, pertinence, significance and importance. The four words I have just used are all similar in meaning, but with subtle differences, and this accurately describes the nuances thatcan be ascribed to our previous four covers.

The July 2009 issue had the David vs. Goliath theme, a cover story on the relevance of parts distributors in these

changing times, and the relevant importance of size vs. agility. Similarly, ABR was starting to punch above its fighting weight, and

becoming increasingly relevant in its publishing niche. The August 2009 issue highlighted the pertinence of new battery manufac-

turing technologies and the need to stay ahead of the game, and once again parallels could be drawn as to ABR’s pertinence in the automo-

tive aftermarket publishing genre, and its phoenix like ability to rise above the challenges. September 2009 was a significant month, with the

cover celebrating the first anniversary of the rebirth and re entry of an iconic brand to the South African car market. Ditto ABR, 12 months

after its breech birth and its significant rise in the aftermarket conscience, and its appointment as the official mouthpiece of AAMA

(Automotive Aftermarket Manufacturers Association). This month, we have the Mazda3 on the cover, a brand that had lost its way after its

meteoric rise in the seventies, but is back with a bang, and becoming an increasingly important brand in the Ford stable. You can read about

the dynamic new Mazda3 on page 12. Similarly, ABR is ratcheting up its importance with the assistance of AAMA’s Editorial Advisory Board,

a recently constituted body, which will advise ABR’s editorial team on the direction it would like the magazine to take with regard to edito-

rial policy and content, and to actively participate in identifying themes of mutual interest. ABR is indeed in the midst of zoom-zoom growth

and development. It is with this introduction that ABR is thrilled to introduce to its readers the AAMA Editorial Advisory Board, which will

have an increasingly important role to play in the coming years. A blend of youth, enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience, and all with one

uniting feature; a passion for the automotive aftermarket and an understanding of the relevant, pertinent, significant and important role that

each and every one of them plays in defining this market, and the responsibility to convert this denotation into action, via education,

information and proseletysing. ABR shall add one important ingredient to the mix...WORDS IN ACTION.

The AAMA / ABR Editorial Advisory Board

Chris Hillier, Sales &Marketing Director, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Southern

Africa (Pty) Ltd

Colin Murphy, CEO, BrakeHose & Component Supplies

(Pty) Ltd

Derick Knight, Senior ProductManager for Bosch Diagnostic,

Robert Bosch South Africa

Megan Naicker, - AftermarketCountry Manager Southern

Africa, Tenneco Inc

Corné Strydom, DivisionalManager Automotive,Powertech Batteries

C o n t e n t s

88 1313 4040

4

The publisher and contributors have done their best to ensure the accuracy of the articles and cannot accept responsibility for anyloss or inconvenience sustained by any reader as a result of information or advice in Automotive Business Review. The informationprovided and opinions expressed in this publication are provided in good faith and do not necessaraly represent the opinion of thepublisher. No article may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission from the publisher, except for the quota-tion of brief passages in reviews.

2 The Phoenix Zoom Zoom Growth and Development

6 What’s the Buzz

12 Cover Story All New Mazda3

16 Personal Profile Interview with Dr. Casper Kruger

18 AutoTopical DTI Obsession with Vehicle Prices

20 Frankly Speaking Brands – Bonanza or Bust

22 The Chery Story High-Speed BEV S18 Passes Collision Test

24 AIDC AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE 2009

26 Tony’s Take Samba, Slivovitch and Sasol

28 Weighty Issues Another Chinese Truck Heads for South Africa

30 Managing the Risks Keeping It Clean #2

32 Health Care An Update on Moto Health Care

34 Tyre Safety Tyres’ Contribution to Safety in Motoring

36 Intelli-Driving RCAP

38 Customer C.A.R.E. Customer Relationship ManagementTrilogy Customer C.A.R.E. Programme

Publishing Editor

Graham Erasmus

083 709 8184

Commercial Vehicle Editor

Alwyn Viljoen

082 458 9332

Intelli-Driving Editor

Eugene Herbert

082 941 3785

Correspondents

Beeton, Frank

Borlz, Baron Claude

Burford, Adrian

Gamble, Austin

Hogg, Gilbert

Keeg, Howard

Macaskill, Richard

McCleery, Roger

Twine, Tony

Wilde, Fingal

Published by:

Trilogy Publishing

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e-mail: abr@stanport.co.za

C o n t e n t s

5O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

5858 7070 8181

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44 Robert Bosch Brake Assist SystemsThe Golden Triangle

48 Capricorn Insights Playing the Game

51 e-CAR Bonding with the Community

52 Top Class Topics Free Permatex Samples

54 Launch Technologies China’s Launch Pad

56 Innoventions Super Vooma no RumourNew Generation Cylinder Head Gaskets

60 Diamond Dialogues What’s in a Name?

62 AIDC Quiz

64 Life Goes On Electrifying AGMLeading Change in a Turbulent Period

66 Burford on Brands Heady Days for Hyundai

68 Vehicle Launch Small is Big

69 Vehicle Evaluation The Real Deal

70 Fast Software Need for Speed

72 Tipping Point Eco-Friendly Cities

74 Partinform Coshed in Klerksdorp

78 Corporate Conscience Building a Brand on Positive Energy

80 Hogg’s Wash We Are the Champions

82 Fast Wheels Formula 1 Heading for Cracking Finish

83 The Last Writes

Official Mouthpiece of

5

The fearless band of Monroe Warriors got their briefing at Midas head office, before heading off to Ficksburg, and then on to the Sani Pass and the Katse Dam.

Monroe / NAPA Sani Pass ChallengeThe NAPA / PIA Monroe 4x4 excursions are becoming a thing of legend, and these challenges are built around Monroe’s dedicated and extensive rangeof off-road shock absorbers from the price competitive Gas-Magnums, through to the imported high pressure gas mono-tubes to the premium elitetriple-tube, nine-way adjustable gas Ronchos. Customers are set Monroe sales targets over a five month period, and those achieving the best results areinvited to participate in a fully paid five day 4x4 adventure to different parts of South Africa led by the experienced Alex Smit of Eco 4x4 Africa. Lastyear the intrepid Monroe Manne braved the Kalahari, and this year it was the Sani Pass Challenge, tackled from the 10th to the 15th September. It isreported that all got back in one piece, and before the snow could be brushed off the vehicles, the question already being asked is where to next year?ABR can neither confirm nor deny that it could be the toughest challenge of all – taking on the giant potholes of Sandton!

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 96

Goaaaal!Ladumaaaaaa!A Brazil Trade Mission to Africa 2009 took place inSandton, Johannesburg from 1 to 3 September 2009.Some 50 Brazilian companies participated, meetingwith trade groups from Africa and South Africa overtwo days to increase trade and knowledge exchangebetween the countries for mutual economic benefit.Apex-Brasil president, Alessandro Texeira, commentedat a media briefing that, “Brazil has developed excel-lent technology in many sectors, in social and eco-nomic climates not unlike those in Africa. We are in aposition to share these insights with South Africa andthe rest of the continent and similarly, South Africanand African businesses have much to offer us. In orderto capitalise on these opportunities, especially duringthese trying economic times, we need to first shareinformation as to the prospects available and then lookat how best to take advantage of them. Apex-Brasil iscommitted to strengthening trade relations betweenBrazil, South Africa and Africa.” Brazil’s economicgrowth is the definitive success story among develop-ing countries and the country is now the fourth largestdestination for Foreign Direct Investment amongemerging markets, boasting a GDP of US$1.8-trillionin 2007. A look at the statistics and Brazil’s globalrankings as both exporter and consumer provides suf-ficient testimony to its many economic and social tri-umphs over the past decade in particular. However,probably the most convincing evidence of its successlies in the tangible growth of its middle class, from42% to 53% of its 190 million-strong population,between 2002 and the present day. Now, as the worldreels from the biggest global downturn in recent mem-ory, a study by the Paris-based Organisation forEconomic Cooperation & Development has identifiedBrazil as one of the 34 major economies most likely toavoid recession in 2009.

Power GM Trio Briefs Media

General Motors International Operations Presidentand parent company General Motors Vice-PresidentNick Reilly paid his first visit to Africa since thelaunch of the New General Motors Company in July.The visit incorporated tours of the company’s pro-duction operations in Port Elizabeth, the company’snew state-of-the-art vehicle conversion and distribu-tion centre (at Aloes), and the Coega industrialdevelopment zone (IDZ), where construction hasbegun on the company’s R250-million Pan-Africanparts distribution centre. At a media function at thecompany’s Woodmead offices on 19th September,Edgar Lourencon, the successor to GM President ofAfrican Operations & GMSA Managing DirectorSteven Koch, was also introduced to the media, witha beaming Steve Koch in attendance. Lourencontakes up the reins officially in October 2009, and ina wide ranging discussion with the media, the powertrio of Reilly, Koch and Lourencon gave an informa-tive overview of General Motors, both domesticallyand globally, and ABR shall cover this in detail in theNovember 2009 issue.

Steve Koch, Nick Reilly and Edgar Lourencon atthe media briefing at GMSA Woodmead. Reillypaid tribute to Koch’s herculean efforts the pasttwo years during the industry crisis, and said

that GMSA was well placed to take advantage of the upswing, whenever it comes.

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 98

Mille Miglia AnnounceSA ParticipationThe tribute to the world's greatest road race officially took place inSouth Africa in 2010.

The Mille Miglia is to Italy what the Tour de France is to France. It is literally “the world's mostbeautiful road race” – as Enzo Ferrari called it - . Mille Miglia is a vintage car race which takes placeevery year in May on a route of 1000 miles (mille miglia) from Brescia to Rome and back. The RedArrow (Freccia Rossa) is the most popular road race in the world. Mille Miglia has an 80 year his-tory of impassioned, emotional and traditional vintage automobiles and drivers. The ItalianMinister of Economic Development, Claudio Scajola, announced the Presentation of the MilleMiglia at the launch event that took place at the Sandton Sun Hotel on Sunday 30 August inJohannesburg. The Italian Delegation enjoyed a premier trip to South Africa, complete with a CapeTown experience earlier in the week. The delegation arrived in Johannesburg for the unveiling ofthe Mille Miglia on the Sunday and the event took the form of a formal presentation to announcea Mille Miglia tribute in South Africa in 2010. This was followed by a gala dinner which wasenjoyed by Italian and South African guests. A stellar Opera Performance of the artists of the“Verona Arena” was the highlight, followed by a sumptuous Italian-inspired dinner. The Master ofCeremonies was South Africa’s gem: Gerry Rantseli. A host of South African Celebritiesattended the event, including Naas Botha, Maki Mandela and herdaughter, as well as Claudia Henkel. Also at the event wereAlessandro Casali, President of Organising Committeeof Mille Miglia, Amb. Umberto Vattani, thePresident of ICE (the Italian Institute for ForeignTrade), Amb. Elio Menzione, ItalianAmbassador to South Africa.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 910

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

WHAT DO USED CAR BUYERS WANT?In the 2000 movie of the same name, Mel Gibson had a fairly good understanding of “What Women Want”. Well nowDarryl Jacobson, managing director of Burchmore’s, has revealed what used car buyers want. Burchmore’s sells thou-sands upon thousands of vehicles off its floor and on auction each year, and so it has a thorough understanding of theneeds of used car buyers. According to Jacobson, the first requirement is a reasonable price tag. “Cars between R90 000and R120 000 are in extremely high demand; we are seeing the most trading within this sector of the market,” hereveals. In this price sector specifically, brand is not necessarily a buying factor. “We are selling any brand within thisprice range, as it is the most popular price sector. When we receive stock in this price range, it generally sells withindays. Buyers in this sector are concerned purely with price; the floor could be full of any brand and, if was priced inthis range, it would sell,” says Jacobson. Buyers also have no specific preference in terms of type of vehicle. “Thedemand is widespread – buyers want sedans, hatches, 4x4s and mom’s taxis,” he comments. Within the R90 000 toR120 000 price range, some buyers are snapping up well spec’d cars at good prices. “For that price, you can buy anextremely good second-hand BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz, with every imaginable feature. The vehicle will be in greatcondition and represent good value for money.” Moving slightly upwards in terms of pricing, Jacobson says buyers witharound R160 000 to spend are looking for the smaller Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo and BMW models. “But, what dif-ferentiates these buyers is that they generally want a vehicle with some sort of motorplan,” he comments. When itcomes to buyers with over R200 000 to spend, the German luxury brands are still firm favourites. “However, we arealso seeing massive demand for Jaguar products, Range Rovers and Volvo XC90s,” he notes.

HYUNDAI TAKES NUMBER ONE IN UKOfficial car sales figures released in September 2009 sent shockwaves through UK vehicle indus-try. Hyundai sold more cars to retail customers in August than any other brand, overtaking Fordand Vauxhall. The figures, which would have seemed inconceivable a few months ago, showedthat Hyundai’s overall sales for the month rose 323% compared to August last year to 3,737. Itgives Hyundai a record overall market share of 5.6%. The i10 city car has been the company’sbiggest success, with 2,431 finding homes in August. This makes it Britain’s third best sellingcar, relegating the Vauxhall Corsa to fourth place. Remove fleet sales from the equation and thei10’s achievement is even more impressive. The city car is not only the most popular modelbought by retail customers, but it outsold the second placed car by a factor of more than two toone! Hyundai’s managing director, Tony Whitehorn, said: “These are truly historic figures forHyundai. There are now thousands of happy new Hyundai drivers, and these owners’ recom-mendations will become our best advertising. It will ensure that Hyundai’s success continuesyears to come.”

IMPERIAL GROUP’S AUTO PEDIGREE AND AA AUTOBAY JOIN FORCESIn a recent transaction Auto Pedigree, the country’s largest independent dealer in second-hand vehicles and part of the ImperialGroup, acquired the license to AA Autobay – the progressive web-based facilitator of private-to-private sales. AA Autobay wasacquired from the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA). “Whilst the two brands will operate independently, signifi-cant benefits are to be had in leveraging the two party’s infrastructures to the benefit of one another,” said Kobus Davidtz, CEOof Auto Pedigree. Over a period of time, all of the more than 65 Auto Pedigree branches countrywide will feature an AAAutobay private-to-private sales facility, making the service available to customers countrywide. “This process is already wellunder way all across the country,” said Davidtz. AA Autobay facilitates the entire sales process between a private seller and buyerin a secure and safe environment, including free listing of the vehicle, finance and insurance, with payment guaranteed. “Theparticular services that AA Autobay brings to the party are in line with Auto Pedigree’s strategic objectives of capturing a sig-nificant share of the fast growing private-to-private and web trading portions of the second-hand vehicle market,” Davidtz con-cluded. Auto Pedigree was formed back in 1981 and has since grown into the largest second hand car dealer network in thecountry, offering more than 3 000 vehicles.

Confidence in the brandwins the dayWhen major appliance distributor Whirlpool SAsought a new partner to manage warehousing anddistribution of its two national brands, Whirlpooland KIC, earlier this year, the process was put outto tender. All the major national carriers took partin the gruelling and competitive bidding process,with the worthy winner being family-run BakersTransport of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.Bakers Transport won the tender and its excellentsubmission and professional approach to qualitymanagement played a major role. As Rolf Calitz,Logistics Director of Whirlpool SA puts it: “Bakers’total footprint may not have been a 100% match,but their professionalism and dedication to quality,plus the excellent service they have rendered overthe past 10 years to one of our major competitors,persuaded us that they were the firm to partnerwith. A site visit to Bakers Transport headquartersin Pietermaritzburg confirmed this belief.” Whilethe decision as to whom to award the contract mayhave been complex, the choice of trucks and theirsource was a foregone conclusion. Bakers Transport,a 220-vehicle Mercedes-Benz fleet owner, turned toGarden City Commercials, its partner in truckingfor over 20 years, to supply the additional 56 vehi-cles required. Shabeer Tayob, National Logisticsand Marketing Director of Bakers Transportexplains: “Mercedes Benz reliability and ready avail-ability of parts country-wide means that downtimeis kept to a minimum. Add to that, the fact that ourown in-house workshops are Mercedes-Benzapproved, with all warranty and maintenance workcarried out on our own premises, makes for a win-ning combination.”

C o v e r S t o r y

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 912

ALL-NEW MAZDA3 PUSHES ZOOM-ZOOM DRIVING EXPERIENCE TO THE LIMIT

In approaching the development of

the all-new Mazda3, the design

team was determined to push the

Zoom-Zoom driving experience to

its limit and build on the success of

the original Mazda3. The redefined,

reengineered, and restyled sport compact

climbs atop its predecessor's tall shoulders

to deliver enhanced appearance and per-

formance, fresh features, and an

unmatched level of refinement. Like all

Mazda's, the new Mazda3 has the soul of

a sports car, ensuring that driving enjoy-

ment is a top priority. Offering two body

styles, five trim levels, and four separate

power train options, the new Mazda3 is

expected to spread the Zoom-Zoom spirit

far and wide. First introduced in 2004 the

Mazda3 has grown in popularity over the

years with owners and automotive experts

recognising the driving pleasure and qual-

ity of the vehicle as well as its distinctive

design. In South Africa Mazda has steadi-

ly increased its presence in the market

place despite the current global economic

pressures that are affecting the automotive

industry. Mazda has increased its market

share from 2.5% in 2007 to 3.5% in

2009. “Mazda has bucked the trend in the

market and has grown market share in a

declining market,” says Brendan Lyne,

General Manager, Mazda. “This trend has

been mirrored with the Mazda3, which

has increased its presence in the C-seg-

ment from 6.1% in 2007 to 6.9% in

2008.” As Mazda continues to grow its

footprint in the market place more and

more customers are looking to the

Mazda3 as a worthy contender in the ultra

competitive C-segment. Studies have

shown that the Mazda3 has the highest

penetration in the black market. “The

Mazda3 is a popular choice among the

emerging market,” explains Lyne. “We

have also noted that the Mazda3 attracts

the youngest buying power in the market

and has an extremely high penetration

among female buyers.” With the previous

generation model having enjoyed increas-

ing popularity among South African con-

sumers the stage is set for the new genera-

tion Mazda3 to impress with its compre-

hensive abilities. “The all-new Mazda3

has been fully reengineered and

redesigned to deliver an expressive design

and exhilarating dynamic performance

that will make you proud every time you

look at it, touch it, or drive it,” continues

Lyne. The renewal process began by iden-

tifying exactly what made the existing

Mazda3 such a global overwhelming suc-

cess. Since its release in 2004 the Mazda3

has won a total of 94 automobile awards

globally. The Zoom-Zoom driving experi-

ence rose to the forefront as the cars stand-

out attribute. With that in mind the

design team set to work creating a new

generation capable of delivering even

more driving enjoyment. Instead of alter-

ing the size and general makeup, the focus

was on implementing improvements

throughout the body structure, power

train, and chassis that would be immedi-

ately apparent to the driver and appreciat-

ed by every Mazda3 occupant.

DESIGN The design of the new Mazda3 aims to

deliver a strong impact that further

enhances the distinctive appeal and

unique value of the Mazda brand, even

among the increasingly crowded assort-

ment of C-segment rivals. “While still

maintaining the dynamic and sporty sig-

nature of the original Mazda3, the key-

word for designing the new model was

‘expressive’,” explains Lyne. “The idea was

to create an even richer assertion and bold,

striking look that represents an evolution

of the Mazda3.” The new Mazda3

includes both the 4-door sedan and the 5-

door hatchback. The 4-door sedan is char-

acterised by the flowing lines of its coupe

silhouette and its air of greater sophistica-

tion, the 4-door sedan features a side view

with a relatively short appearance and

high rear deck that give the cabin a well-

toned appearance, and a rear view with

distinctive lines that converge to place

focus on the car’s centre axis. The new 5-

door hatchback is characterized by its

compact appearance and racy flair. The

design’s most notable trait is its broad

shoulders inherited from the first-genera-

tion Mazda3. All lines of the rear design

help to emphasize a focus on the centre

axis and create a rich, bold expression.

PERFORMANCEIn preparing to develop the all-new

Mazda3, the design team first examined

what aspects of driving dynamics would

deliver the exhilarating and pleasing feel-

ing that is the essence of Mazda’s Zoom-

Zoom driving experience. “Engineers have

strengthened the sense of oneness between

the driver and car by providing an even

higher level of agility and stability for an

enhanced sense of control,” adds Lyne.

C o v e r S t o r y

13

To deliver just the right balance between

light, responsive steering wheel operation,

a feeling of system stiffness, and fuel econ-

omy, all configurations of the new

Mazda3 are equipped with the Electro-

Hydraulic Power Assist Steering system

(EHPAS) that earned high acclaim on the

original Mazda3. The suspension system

carries over the same basic layout as the

first-generation Mazda3, with Mac-

Pherson struts in the front and multi-link

suspension in the rear. But, in developing

the new Mazda3, Mazda aimed to ensure

even nimbler response to steering wheel

operation, and also to improve roll control

and provide a flatter ride by strengthening

suspension damping.

SAFETYImproving on the basic performance

aspects of driving, cornering and braking,

the new Mazda3 frees the driver to enjoy

confidently controlling the car at will.

It then adds a variety of active safety fea-

tures to support a safe driving experience,

including an Antilock Braking System

(ABS), EBD (Electronic Brakeforce

Distribution) and BA (Brake Assist).

Passive safety equipment also excels,

including the Mazda Advanced Impact

Distribution and Absorption System body

and its rigid Triple H structure, as well

as a complement of up to six airbags.

A new front seat design incorporates

active headrests. When triggered in the

event of a rear impact, the active headrest

prevents excess rearward angling of the

neck, which greatly reduces the load to

which it is subjected. The advanced driver

seatbelt adopts a new double pretensioner,

while both the driver and passenger seat-

belts adopt a digressive load limiter retrac-

tor (LLR). To top it off, even pedestrian

protection performance is improved.

ENVIRONMENTALRESPONSIBILITYUnder the motto of “sustainable Zoom-

Zoom”, Mazda is making every effort to

raise the level of environmental and safety

performance as engineers work to build

cars that will let customers continue to

enjoy a pleasant driving experience well

into the future. “Concerns about global

warming and other environmental issues

grow increasingly stronger and automakers

are under a great deal of pressure to

respond quickly. In 2007 Mazda

announced its long term vision aimed at

achieving ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom’. The

announcement reinforced Mazda’s belief

that the only path to achieving higher lev-

els of Zoom-Zoom driving pleasure is to

strive not only to improve on designs and

driving performance, but also to work even

harder at improving environmental per-

formance as we work towards the develop-

ment of a sustainable society,” says Lyne.

A ZOOM-ZOOMEXPERIENCEThe sporty, expressive countenance of the

new Mazda3 takes your breath away at a

single glance. Opening the door and sit-

ting behind the wheel gets the heart

pounding in anticipation of the driving

pleasure that is about to ensue. Satisfying

driving performance that fully adopts the

environmentally responsible nature need-

ed to welcome in a sustainable future is

sure to bring pleasure to any customer.

“I am fully confident that the new

Mazda3 will once again exceed customer

expectations, and that it is sure to earn

even higher acclaim than the outgoing

model enjoyed,” concludes Lyne. The

Mazda3 offers 15 000km service intervals,

an impressive four-year/120 000 km fully

comprehensive manufacturer warranty, as

well as the MazdaMotion five-year/90 000

km service plan. A three-year roadside

assistance plan comes standard with the

purchase of any Mazda vehicle.

MAZDA3 RANGEThe all-new Mazda3 line-up consists of

nine models compared to the previous

generation line-up that consisted of

14 models. The smaller model range has

allowed Mazda to package the content in

such a way as to offer better value for

money. The Mazda3 4-door is available

with the choice of two engine options:

a 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre petrol model. The

5-door hatch is available with either a

1.6-litre or 2.5-litre petrol power-plant.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

C o v e r s t o r y

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 914

MAZDA3 MPS - AN EXHILARATING PROSPECT

South Africa got its first taste of the Mazda3 MPS in

July 2007. As one of the most powerful front-wheel

drive hot hatches in the market the Mazda3 MPS has

developed a loyal following. The Mazda3 MPS, now

available in its second manifestation, continues the

Zoom-Zoom philosophy that Mazda has become known for. The

Mazda3 MPS blends the five-door functionality of the all-new

Mazda3 Sport (5-door) with bolder, more aggressive styling and

exhilarating performance to meet the needs of driving enthusiasts

with active lifestyles. Carrying forward the award-winning MZR

2.3-litre DISI Turbo engine, the new Mazda3 MPS builds on the

legendary performance of the original while adding a fresh new

look and even better handling. “The Mazda3 MPS is the flagship

of the Mazda3 range and pushes design and driving dynamics

to an entirely new level of excitement and pleasure

with its emotional design and exhilarating

performance,” says Brendan Lyne,

General Manager, Mazda.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 916

Q & A INTERVIEW WITH DR. CASPER KRUGER

Another South African motor man going places swiftly in the local motorindustry is Dr. Casper Kruger. At 42 years of age he is a man that has notonly lectured on Marketing Management, but practices what he preachesas the head honcho of one of South Africa’s most successful and dedicat-ed truck manufacturers, Hino.

Q: You just love the motor industry?

A: I find it very much “Marketing in

Action”. You can see the results of what

you try to achieve quickly. It is very inno-

vative so you have to rise quickly to meet

the many daily challenges it presents.

Q: After joining Hino in May 2009,successes have come your way?

A: I came from a car and bakkie back-

ground but just love this new challenge

with Hino and the truck people. In July we

were Number One across the board thanks

to a fantastic team of dealers, our own

Hino people and customers who just keep

coming back for more Hino’s and Dyna’s

that are well supported and make money

for them.

Q: Hino is now a separate companyfrom Toyota but still part of the family?

A: Yes. We have the full range of vehicles

from the Dyna 1½ ton up to the extra

heavies with engines that produce 480 HP.

Being separate from Toyota as a truck com-

pany allows us to concentrate solely on all

our commercials apart from the Toyota

Hilux. Truck people also talk a different

language to car folk.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I was born in Virginia in the Free State

Goldfields and went to school there. First

of all at the Merriespruit Junior School

where my grandfather was Principal and

then the Hentie Cilliers High School. In

fact my parents still live there.

Q: What subjects did you major in atHigh School?

A: My main interest always was Eco-

nomics and Business Economics.

Q: Did you carry on with this afterschool?

A: Yes, I went to the University of the Free

State in 1985 for five years and got my

Bachelors, Honours and Masters Degrees

in Marketing Management. My disserta-

tion involved research around the motor

industry. I also met my wife Hanneretha at

varsity.

Q: After that?

A: A year in the army at Heidelberg and

Voortrekkerhoogte where I learned the

value of discipline, teamwork and com-

radeship.

Q: Where was your first job?

A: I got a bursary and worked in the Post

Office in Pretoria for a year and went on to

lecturing at Unisa. My wife was appointed

a year before me and now heads up and is

a Professor in the Department of Private

Law.

Q: It was time to put what you havelearned into practice.

A: Yes. In 1996 I joined Toyota in the

Marketing Planning Department. Then I

looked after Lexus, became National Sales

Manager for Toyota passenger cars and

LCV’s and moved into Marketing and

product planning in 2005.

Q: Is that where you have stayed?

A: No. In 2007 I was offered a position at

Ford as GM of the Ford brand. I found

them a tremendous team to work with.

Q: And joining Hino came when?

A: In May this year I was offered the job

of heading up Hino as Piet van Wyk de

Vries was retiring. And that’s where I am

now.

Q: Did you have a mentor who influ-enced your life?

A: José Taylor, my Physical Education

Coach in junior school, and obviously my

parents who taught me to believe in people

and yourself and be disciplined, dedicated

and carry things through to the end.

Q: Sports at school?

A: I played cricket and rugby until I

injured my knee and was advised to play

golf for exercise, which I now do regularly.

Q: What is your handicap?

A: 5.

Q: Future plans?

A: I am very happy where I am here at

Hino. I wouldn’t mind sometime in the

future maybe getting involved in the car

and bakkie business again.

Q: Do you travel a lot?

A: I was fortunate to go to Japan for two

Toyota Management Courses and have

been over there fairly often and to a num-

ber of other places on business. In time I

want to take the family to see Europe and

the States in more detail and also Ireland

and Scotland.

Q: Plans for the family?

A: We are a pretty close family unit. My

eldest son, Janco, wants to go into

Engineering. My daughter, Elisbe, has a

liking for Biokinetics and loves animals,

while my youngster, Herko at 8 years old,

hasn’t given even a thought about his

future.

Q: What would you do if you retirednow?

A: Travel and play golf.

P e r s o n a l p r o f i l e by Roger McCleery

Between the preceding copy deadline and the availability of this magazine

in both hard copy and online formats, in the first days of September, Trade

and Industry Minister Rob Davies delivered the set of industrial policy

interventions designed to give some cyclical relief to the domestic motor

sector. These included:

A u t o T o p i c a l

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

• Bridging and Investment finance from

the IDC to assist cash-flows.

• Case by case extensions of Import

Rebate Credit Certificate validity

periods

• Liaison with National Treasury for

acceleration of investment support

measures

• Deferment negotiations in respect of

replacing ad-valorem duties with CO2

taxes.

• Moratorium on retrenchments by

recipients of assistance

• No excessive executive bonuses or div-

idends to be paid during assistance

period

• A further commitment has been made

to an independent quarterly bench-

marking of prices of major passenger

and light commercial vehicles (both

locally produced and imported) dis-

tributed in South Africa, relative to

comparable developing countries, to

provide transparency regarding vehicle

affordability in the domestic market.

The first six of the seven items listed above

were widely anticipated, and have been

topics that have bounced around industry

level discussions since interventions were

first formally mooted, ahead of the

Presidents first briefing on intervention

strategy on 19th February. They were kept

alive at his second briefing on 5th August,

although without any detail. With the

exception of the items covering executive

bonuses and dividends and retrenchments,

they all rest squarely on the activities of

Government departments, rather than the

industry itself. The last item may leave the

local vehicle suppliers, both manufacturers

and importers, in a bit of an awkward posi-

tion, because their pricing does not come

without baggage accumulated over years

and decades.

Vehicle pricing has long been a bone of

contention between the Government, par-

ticularly as represented by DTI, and the

Industry. As nobody outside of the indus-

try has a chance of understanding how

prices are derived, there is a lasting obses-

sion in trying to compare the prices of

domestically available units against ostensi-

bly equivalent units in the rest of the world.

This is a major National sport, stretching

from officialdom to occasional readers of

foreign car magazines. It has never amount-

ed to anything, usually because there are

differences that escape the cursory inspec-

tion of even the most talented amateur in

vehicle specifications in different markets.

Not even the investigative powers of the

Competition Commission, lifted word for

word from the act which brought into

being the former Directorate of Special

Operations, the Scorpions, within the

National Prosecuting Authority, could

bring anything resembling proof of exces-

sive pricing by the South African Suppliers.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that

prices are made in markets. Markets con-

sist of structures which allow both the sup-

ply and demand sides to interact.

The supply and demand sides of the mar-

ket structure each have structures of their

own. The bargaining power of suppliers,

vehicle buyers is different from one side of

town to the other, let alone across National

boundaries. A vehicle transaction is made

up of a multitude of prices, of which the

price of the vehicle sold is only part of the

deal. There are other important variations

that come into play, including the primary

discount, the value of any trade-in, the

interest rate attached to the deal, any con-

tractual residual value at the end of the

finance period, the prices (if any) of extras

used to sweeten the deal, service and

extended warranty prices, and so on. But

DTI remains obsessed with the vehicle

price list, and the competition commission

with the flexibility of discounts.

Perhaps the DTI might like to keep control

of cost drivers to supply side inputs and

demand side financing costs, like the

exchange rate of the Rand and the interest

rate. But Tito Mboweni and Gill Markus

may try to guard the Reserve Banks man-

date against even the DTI.

by Tony Twine

DTI OBSESSION OVER

VEHICLE PRICES REVIVED

18

Brands -Bonanzaor Bust

F r a n k l y S p e a k i n g

One of the most interesting manifestations during

this period has been the deliberate dismantling of

automotive groupings. Just before the failure of

Lehman Brothers convinced the world that the

US sub prime crisis was really going to hurt, I

wrote accounts of the centenaries celebrated by both the Ford

Model T and General Motors Corporation. The content revealed

that GM, by grouping together several brands, had eventually

broken Ford’s total domination of the global market in 1926. For

some time after this, it seemed that gathering vehicle manufactur-

ers together into families was to become the most appropriate

strategy for ensuring market success.

The General Motors “family” of products just grew and grew,

mostly by acquisition, sometimes by minority shareholding, and

sometimes by just creating a new brand. At its peak, it encom-

passed Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland, Cadillac,

Saturn, GMC, Hummer, Vauxhall, Bedford, Opel, Holden,

Euclid, Terex, Frigidaire (!), AC Delco, EMD (diesel rail locomo-

tives) Detroit Diesel, GM-Daewoo, Isuzu, Suzuki, Fuji/Subaru,

Shanghai GM, Fiat (for a short while), Saab, and Ranger (don’t

forget – South Africa’s own car!). The first signs of distress came

in 1986, when the GM Heavy Truck Corporation was sold to

Volvo, marking the start of a move away from the heavy truck

business. This was followed by the scaling down of the previously

hugely successful Bedford truck and bus operation in the UK into

a van manufacturer, and the sale of the Detroit Diesel engine busi-

ness to Roger Penske. Momentum picked up in 2005 when GM

sold off its Fuji Heavy Industry shareholding, while in 2006 came

the shock news that GM had ended its 35-year equity participa-

tion in Isuzu Motors. Two years later, GM sold the last vestiges of

its Suzuki shareholding back to the Japanese manufacturer. Of the

domestic American brands, Oakland was an early casualty, and

Oldsmobile finally left the building in 2004, by which time

Frigidaire, Terex and Euclid had all been sold off.

The path followed by Ford after losing its global market lead to

GM was entirely different. For many years it remained all True

Blue Oval, with only a few Mazda sourced products on the side.

Ford was much envied by its competitors for an uncomplicated

identity, with the freedom to market its generic corporate image

world-wide, irrespective of how many continents happened to be

hosting Ford manufacturing operations. Then, in 1987, Ford

bought in to sports car specialist Aston Martin, starting a process

that would lead to the establishment of the Premier Automobile

Group comprising Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln and Aston

Martin, making the US company head of an international family

of its own, at the start of the 21st Century. By 2007, however, the

acquisition process started to unwind, and Ford sold off its major-

ity shareholding in Aston Martin, followed by the disposal of

Jaguar and Land Rover to emerging Indian manufacturer Tata the

following year. Even the long-standing one-third controlling

shareholding in Mazda was scaled down to just 13%. While Ford

has avoided soliciting US government financial assistance, it has

embarked on a comprehensive restructuring strategy to ensure

future viability, of which the above disinvestments and, very pos-

sibly, the disposal of Volvo Cars, form significant components.

The evidence suggests that the formation of large global automo-

tive groups is not a guaranteed recipe for business success. The

two preceding accounts are not unique, with other substantial

groupings such as British Leyland, and the American Motors

Corporation, having been lost in the sands of time. This raises an

important question: why, in the midst of all this global confusion,

does Volkswagen AG seem hell bent on creating its own version

of the automotive űber-empire? What will make the combination

of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercials, Porsche, Seat, Skoda,

Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti, and possibly also the

commercial vehicle interests of Scania, MAN, NeoMAN, MAN

Force Trucks and MAN/Sinotruk, more successful than other

macro-agglomerations? Intriguingly, there has been speculation

that this grouping will become the new Auto Union, reviving the

name of a 1930’s German consortium that was made up of

Horch, Audi, Wanderer and DKW, and whose four-ringed badge

is still used to embellish modern Audi products. Volkswagen has

made clear its intention to be the world’s Number One vehicle

manufacturer by 2018, an ambition that may even be realized ear-

lier, given current rumours that Suzuki’s 2½ million unit annual

volume may also be drawn in to this emerging powerhouse.

Whatever the outcome of the speculation, the grouping together

of the brands listed above is clearly an important component of

Volkswagen’s world domination strategy.

by Frank Beeton

The recent global economic crisis, triggered by the tribulations of the US financialsector that became apparent around the middle of 2008, has had a particularlysevere impact on the world’s vehicle markets, and the manufacturers that depend onthem for their very existence. Clear evidence of this is readily available in the con-tent of the two most recent columns in this series, which dealt with the bankruptcy,and financial rescue, of two of the largest vehicle manufacturers, and some discus-sion on their prospects for returning to unsupported viability.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 920

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 21

KenKen 4 x 4How to Play:

Like Sudoku, even though difficulty may vary from puzzle to puzzle, the rules for

playing KenKen are fairly simple:

For a 4 x 4 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-4.

• Do not repeat a number in any row or column.

• The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares, called cages, must combine (in any

order) to produce the target number in the top corner of the cage using the mathe-

matical operation indicated.

• Cages with just one box should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.

• A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or

column. Answer on page 81

Synovate global study reveals car buyer mindset, fears, attitudes, wantsand needs in current economic situation Anger, frustration, greed, lack of trust are a few of the many sentiments expressed by consumers and future car buyers globally, according to a new “TippingPoint” study by Synovate Motoresearch, the automotive division of leading global market research company Synovate. In an attempt to uncover and antic-ipate future car buyer wants and needs in the current recession, Synovate Motoresearch conducted a global qualitative study between March and April2009 involving 120 dedicated focus groups across 16 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Thailand, SouthKorea, the UAE, Turkey, Australia and South Africa. Respondents were asked about their views and opinions towards global corporations, brands and autocompanies, and the study showed that consumers across different countries shared the same views, values, ideals and beliefs overall. However, consumersacross the 16 countries fell into three distinct groups. The study revealed that future car buyers in the US, Germany, UK, Spain, Russia, France and SouthAfrica will eventually develop a desire for change, adopting a balance in life while practicing greater self-control and responsibility when it comes to spend-ing. Future car buyers across China, India and Thailand were quick to point out that they were less susceptible to the “greed and consumerism” they feelis practiced in the west but admitted that they too felt the influence of recession within their borders. Japanese, Australian, Brazilian, South Korean andcar buyers from the UAE were also vocal and highly critical in the focus groups, directing their anger and frustrations towards the US, believing it is themain cause of the economic slump felt around the world. However, respondents in these countries expressed a greater degree of optimism for the future.

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 922

A series of articles on the rise of the Chery automobile

Going off-line in February this

year in Wuhu, China, this

model of S18 is a high-speed

EBV developed based on S

platform of Chery. Chery S18, with a

336V, 40kw electric driving system and

40Ah lithium iron phosphate battery,

achieves zero emission and zero pollution.

It only takes four to six hours to charge the

battery completely by a 220V civil power

supply or thirty minutes to charge 80% of

the battery under a quick charging mode.

Top speed set at 120 Km/h, S18 travels as

far as 120 Km-150 Km once fully charged.

S18 is expected to be put into mass pro-

duction next year, followed by Tiggo3 EV,

M1-EV; hybrid Chery A5 BSG, A3-ISG;

and Fengyun2 BSG. Different from the

previous new-energy cars which are consid-

ered to be concept, Chery intends to make

all these new-energy models into mass pro-

duction as soon as possible, so as to realise

the goal of environmental protection, safe-

ty, and practicality of new-energy cars.

As early as the company was established,

Chery has long stuck to the principle of

“Safety, Energy Saving, Environment

Friendliness” and devoted itself to the

research and development of environment-

friendly products. Since 2001, based in

Wuhu, China, Chery started its research

and development work worldwidely in the

field of new energy. In 2009, the first

hybrid A5 BSG was launched in Wuhu,

which makes a start for civil use of new-

energy technology in China. After that,

Chery’s first independently developed BEV

S18 ran offline in February. In April,

another four models of new-energy vehi-

cles, including Tiggo3 EV, M1 EV, A3

ISG, and Fengyun2 BSG, were debuted at

2009 Shanghai Auto Show. A series of new

models brought forth by Chery indicates

its bright future in the field of new energy.

Presently, Chery possesses the largest and

most advanced research and development

capability in the filed of new energy in

China and it carries 17 scientific research

projects, among which 15 are national

projects. Within 2-3 years, the current

R&D center for research and development

of new-energy vehicles will turn into a

department, which is forecasted to form an

independent sales company of its own

within 5 years to exploit new distribution

channels and establish new distribution

network for new-energy vehicles.

Meanwhile, Chinese government offers

subsidy to promote application of new

energy technologies and encourage

Chinese independent car makers, repre-

sented by Chery, to increase their efforts in

research and development of new energy.

Since 2006, Chery has achieved more than

30 technology breakthroughs in the field of

hybrid, fuel cell, flex fuel, and energy-sav-

ing and environment-friendly technologies

for traditional petrol engines, forming a

full technology research and development

system of new energy. Currently Chery has

been awarded more than one hundred

intellectual property rights and 1600

authorized patents, making it the auto

company with the most patents in China

and the only one who has got the first prize

of National Advancement of Science and

Technology, the most authoritative prize in

the field of advancement of science and

technology. As we all see, Chinese inde-

pendent auto makers, represented by

Chery, have explored sufficient experiences

and gained successful outcomes along the

way of industrialisation of fundamental

research, technology breakthrough, tech-

nology development and advanced

achievements. All the original car makers

are transforming into manufacturers of

auto products and auto technologies.

Chery’s First High-Speed BEV S18Passes National Collision TestRecently, Chery’s first independently developed high-speed BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle)S18 has successfully passed the national collision test of China, fully confirming thestructural safety of Chery S18. After the test, no obvious eversion was found in fenderflares. It kept appearance integrity, with column A being as solid as original and allairbags being activated. Besides, there is no damage to batteries and interiors as well.With high scores, S18 proved to customers the reliable safety performance of new-ener-gy vehicles. As a matter of fact, except for the advantage of safety, the more profoundmeaning for launch of S18 is that, Chery has gained sustainable advantage in the threecore technologies of electric vehicles, including battery, electrical control system andpower management, all of which indicates that Chery is at the same level with worldrenowned auto companies in the field of new-energy cars.

AIDC Automotive Industry Conference 2009

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 924

SA Automotive Week & AIDC AutomotiveIndustry Conference 2009 Has Arrived

The October 2009 issue of ABR will hit our readers desks just a matter ofdays, if not hours, before the commencement of SAAW on 7th October 2009. To whet the appetite of those fortunate enough to be able to attend both SAAWand the AIDC Automotive Industry Conference 2009, we dangle some teaesrs...

THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN OF THE FUTUREWe may never arrive at the automotive supply chain of the future if we follow conventional wisdom of simply cutting overheads and

stretching existing processes, resources and systems to their maximum. In fact, these may be as dangerous as doing nothing at all. We

can run the risk of “saving” our selves to death, according to Matthew Quinn, Product Manager at CHEP SA. Quinn will discuss the

automotive supply chain of the future at the AIDC’s Automotive Industry Conference 2009. Supply Chain Management is under the

spotlight as much of the cost reduction effort in the industry has involved automakers passing more responsibility down the chain to

lower-tier suppliers, who often have neither the experience nor the capability to perform the tasks they are being assigned. As a con-

sequence, instances of supply chain failure are rising. Whilst the first day of the conference takes the form of a plenary session, the

second day sees delegates focus on specific areas of interest: Supply Chain Development, Supplier Development and Skills

Development & Training.

GETTING COSY WITH JOULE,SA’S FIRST ELECTRIC CAR

The growing focus on climate change, pollution and renewable energy

sources indicates that the world can no longer rely solely on fossil fuels.

With more than half the population on earth living in cities, urban

transport remains a major factor in the ongoing global warming debate

in that urban transport arguably plays a major role in energy wastage

and climate changing pollution. Cleaner, renewable alternatives need

to be found. Enter South Africa's first electric motor vehicle, the Joule,

developed in South Africa by Cape Town-based Optimal Energy. The

Joule is a five-seater lithium-ion battery EV with a top speed of a 135

km/h, and a range of 300 km. It will be on display at the AIDC’s

Automotive Industry Conference 2009 on 7 and 8 October 2009.

Entrepreneur Kobus Meiring is CEO of Optimal Energy, which spe-

cialises in optimal solutions for urban transport. He has always had an

interest in sustainable energy - particularly electricity, which he feels is

the most versatile form of energy available. With the tremendous

advances in battery technology made over that past decade, coupled

with the steady rise in the oil price, he believes that electric cars have

now become a viable option for urban transport. Meiring will be pre-

senting on the subject of breakthrough automotive greening technolo-

gy on the first day of the conference, which takes the form of a plena-

ry session with plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate. The

second day sees delegates focus on specific areas of interest: Supply

Chain Development, Supplier Development and Skills Development

& Training.

INNOVATION

– A SOUTH AFRICAN

PERSPECTIVE

What should automotive manufacturers and

suppliers be focusing on to become innovation

leaders? Is there anything unique about South

African innovation in the automotive industry?

A South African approach to innovation will be

discussed by Professors Niek du Preez and Koot

Pieterse at the AIDC’s Automotive Industry

Conference 2009. Supplier Development is

crucial to the success of the automotive indus-

try in South Africa, and it is for this reason that

it is the focus of the second day of the confer-

ence. The first day of the conference takes the

form of a plenary session, with government and

industry heavyweights debating whether Vision

2020 is fantasy or reality, as well as whether the

SA automotive industry deserves a bailout. The

second day sees delegates focus on specific areas

of interest: Supply Chain Development,

Supplier Development and Skills Development

& Training.

25O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

FIRST YEAR OF ECONOMIC CRISIS: WHAT’S NEXT?

As job losses in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry for the first half of 2009 reach a staggering

12,9% of the workforce, it is important to reflect on the first year of the economic crisis if the sector is

to plan prudently for the future. NAAMSA President Dave Powels is presenting this topic as the keynote

address at the AIDC’s Automotive Industry Conference 2009. He will so do against the backdrop of

NAAMSA’s recently released quarterly review of business conditions for the vehicle manufacturing indus-

try. The review showed that industry capacity utilisation levels reflect cut-backs in production and are cur-

rently at historically low levels. Unsurprisingly, all performance indicators confirmed that the South

African automotive industry is in the middle of a severe recession. Powels will also participate in a panel

discussion along with other industry heavyweights titled Vision 2020 – is it a fantasy or reality?

INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT HEAVYWEIGHTS SET TO ANSWER DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

eTV news anchor and seasoned journalist Jeremy Maggs will facilitate debates with both industry and government heavyweights in

the automotive industry. With his reputation for persistence and overreaching arrogance, Maggs is sure to ignite explosive discussions

at the AIDC’s Automotive Industry Conference 2009. The AIDC has secured the participation of Trade and Industry Minister Rob

Davies, as Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Firoz Cachalia and Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Affairs and Tourism

Mcebisi Jonas. Key stakeholders in the South African economic and political landscape invited to participate include Secretary General

of the ANC Gwede Mantashe and NUMSA national secretary Irvin Jim. Along with the MECs, they will debate whether the South

African automotive industry deserves a bailout. In keeping with the AIDC’s philosophy of a conference that is for industry, by indus-

try, the conference programme is spiced with industry heavyweights as well. The keynote address will be delivered by Dave Powels,

NAAMSA president and VWSA MD, and participation has been confirmed from Brand Pretorius (Mc Carthy Holdings CEO),

Dr Johan van Zyl (President & CEO of Toyota Motors SA) and Stewart Jennings (NAACAM President and PG Group CEO).

TRADE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER TO HELP SHAPE AUTOMO-TIVE SECTOR GOINGFORWARDTrade and Industry MinisterRob Davies has been clear thatwhilst Government supportsinterventions in industrial sec-tors where severe job losses arebeing experienced, businessshould not have the impressionthat things can simply continueas before. "There will be anexpectation to see changes inbehaviour leading to more sus-tainable development of sectorsand firms that may receive sup-port," Davies said recently. Healso indicated that it was impor-tant to preserve the capacity ofrelated business, including theengineering and steel industry,which supplied the automotiveindustry.

ASK AWAY! TRADE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER TO ANSWERYOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ON HOW THE APDP WILLIMPACT ON SKILLSAfter his keynote address at the AIDC’s Automotive Industry Conference 2009 at a plenary session, Trade and Industry Minister Rob

Davies will address a focused discussion on the APDP and how it will impact on skills in the automotive industry. It will be followed

by an interactive Q&A session. If you operate in the automotive industry and are concerned about skills, you cannot afford to miss

this opportunity to interact directly with the Minister. The AIDC’s Automotive Industry Conference 2009, which is being held in

Port Elizabeth on 7 and 8 October as part of the South African Automotive Week. The conference programme is packed with gov-

ernment and industry heavyweights, who will focus on the theme of Navigating the Storm: a roadmap to vision 2020.

Rub shoulders with industry and government leaders

Brazil possesses several large off-shore oil fields, at least one ofwhich holding reserves that would challenge those of Saudi Arabiaprior to day one of production in that middle-east Kingdom. But theBrazilian authorities are even prouder of the progress that they havemade with renewable energy sources. It is a large country, lying justsouth of the equator, around the water catchment area of the Worldsmightiest river, the Amazon. Another hugely significant catchment basin,

that of the Orinoco system in the North of the country, would do almost anyresource map very proud, but almost fades into insignificance when compared to theAmazon. These river systems have obvious positive implications for the production ofhydro-electric power. This natural resource is obviously a good start, but the last35 years of so have seen the Brazilians persist with a strategy that has probably leftthe rest of the world standing in terms of renewable fuels – rich equatorial and trop-ical climates give a huge impetus to sugar production, and sugar is an obvious feed-stock for ethyl alcohol production which we call ethanol fuel.

T o n y ’ s T a k e

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 926

Between these two renewable pri-

mary energy resources, Brazil is able

to boast 50% of its primary energy

requirements as being renewable, as long

as the sun shines and the rain falls in the

right proportions. The country began the

commercial exploitation of ethanol fuels

back in the early days of the first phases of

the realisation that global oil supplies were

finite, exhaustible and manipulable during

the first half of the 1970’s. A year ago, the

North Americans professed a brighter

shade of greenness with the increased pop-

ularity of E75, a 75% blend of ethanol and

normal gasoline. The Brazilians had been

there decades ago, and are at much higher

proportions of ethanol, ranging up to

100%.

Ethanol as an automotive fuel has an inter-

esting South African connection, relating

right back to the Brazilians love affair with

the fuel. Pre-dating even the 1970’s, were

special pumps, particularly at coastal

petrol stations, dispensing ethyl alcohol

called Union Spirit. It was used to boost

octane levels in gasoline produced in

South Africa. When Sasol 2 and 3 were

constructed at Secunda on each side of

1980, significant volumes of ethyl alcohol

became available as a by-product of more

profitable fuel production, and the domes-

tic market was unable to absorb anything

remotely resembling these proportions of

alcohol. As an export destination Brazil

obviously loomed large, as it already had

the distribution network and consumer

acceptance levels for the fuel. Sasol con-

tinued to export its surplus ethanol pro-

duction to Brazil until 1998, by when the

demand in Brazil had been over taken by

their domestically sourced sugar based

level of production. Brazil cancelled its

arrangement with Sasol.

Confronted with this changed scenario,

Sasol applied to the South African

Government to have the maximum per-

missible alcohol additive in gasoline raised

to 12% of the underlying gasoline volume.

This made significant inroads into the pre-

viously excessive supply. We must remem-

ber that South African petrol demand had

grown by 107% between 1979 and 2000,

implying that the increased ethanol pro-

portion was applied to a much bigger vol-

ume base than when the Secunda plants

began production. This fact begs the ques-

tion as to why the proportion of ethanol in

South African fuels is controlled at all?

Why not go down the Brazilian route and

simply enrich the ethanol blend within our

gasoline mix? The problem is that ethyl

alcohol has an unnerving affinity for

attracting water vapour, which it holds in

suspension in whatever fuel the ethanol is

part. This can have nasty side effects for

the fuel systems of cars, starting with rust

in the petrol tank and ending with damage

to carburetors, fuel injectors and other

parts of the fuel inlet system. The

Brazilians have clearly found ways to

counter this, but the method would add

complexity to the still dominant crude oil

refining process that provides 60% of

South Africa’s petrol and diesel.

The Brazilians have certainly stolen a

march on the rest of the World in terms of

bio-fuels, having gone the easily incremen-

tal route of ethanol substitution for nor-

mal gasoline power engines. For the rest of

the world to follow them poses a pair of

significant problems, however. The first is

related to the output energy mix – ethanol

displacing petrol would result in reduc-

tions of crude oil runs through refineries,

with a resulting loss of diesel production,

and the automotive fuel balance would be

thrown out of kilter. Then there is the

macro-political question of using food

resources for thermal energy production

and this is a long way from being settled.

by Tony Twine,Senior Economist,Director –Econometrix (Pty)Ltd

SAMBA, SLIVOVITCHAND SASOL

w e i g h t y i s s u e s

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

ANOTHER CHINESE TRUCK

HEADS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

That selfsame market is lit-

tered with the good inten-

tions of many aspirant

participants who have

found the going too

tough, or not worth the

effort required to sustain a presence. Even

established players such as the Japanese

brands Toyota/Hino, Nissan Diesel and

Isuzu endured long periods of momentum

gathering, starting back in the Nineteen-

Sixties, before they could celebrate posi-

tions of market leadership, and of these,

only Nissan Diesel can currently claim truly

competitive participation in the premium

Extra Heavy segment. The more recent

experience of Tata is another case worth

examining. Following an extremely circum-

spect market entry in 1998 with a limited

product range making effective support a

relatively easy task, the Indian manufactur-

er subsequently made huge strides up the

market ranking with a plethora of low-

priced new product, to the extent that it

contested the runners-up position with

Toyota in 2006. Unfortunately, the support

infrastructure was found wanting under the

strain of this success, and the rapid decline

of Tata to place eighth in the most recently

completed quarter should be cause enough

to focus the attention of any aspirant par-

ticipant in this market.

The problems with the South African truck

market are that it is a) numerically small (in

global terms), b) highly competitive and c)

very conservative. Being so small, bad news

gets around awfully fast, and if the owner-

ship experience of a certain brand or model

is less than exemplary, the results will soon

be reflected in falling sales and market

share. There is also considerable pressure on

the availability of good people to sell and

service trucks. Having been obliged to train

key dealer personnel, the established fran-

chises use every means at their disposal to

retain their services, making it extremely

difficult for new market entrants to become

established. Market-leading brands have

also gathered much experience of local

operating conditions during their years in

the market, and this inevitably reflects in

the performance and reliability of the prod-

ucts they bring in to the country.

The success level of Chinese trucks in the

South African market has, so far, been

extremely difficult to judge. In the absence

of NAAMSA sales reporting by the likes of

Asia Wing, FAW and Warrior (Dong

Feng), the only reliable indicator is provid-

ed by the PowerStar BeiBen and Shaanxi

products sold by Super Group Industrial

Products. After a promising start, financial

and management issues within that compa-

ny have probably influenced the NAAMSA

returns to a greater extent than the true

sales potential of the trucks. Observations

made out on the roads suggest that, in a

generic sense, Chinese trucks are definitely

here, but their sales volumes are not yet

causing any sleep loss to the established

market players. This does not imply, how-

ever, that the status quo will remain indefi-

nitely. Perhaps the most significant point in

the Foton announcement is the relationship

between the Chinese manufacturer and

global market leader Daimler Trucks. Early

in January, 2009, it was revealed that the

two companies were to set up a 50/50 truck

joint venture named Beijing Foton Daimler

Automotive. This operation is due to start

diesel engine production in 2011, and will

commence truck manufacture, at an annu-

al rate of 100 000 units, the following year.

Beiqi Foton currently produces its own

range of heavy-duty trucks, named Auman,

and is expected to continue to offer this

product alongside new JV-developed mod-

els incorporating Mercedes-Benz designs

and technology. The Auman-branded prod-

ucts would still be aimed at the mainstream

Chinese truck market, while the JV models

are targeted at the high-end and export

markets.

With their total domestic commercial vehi-

cle market still running at more than one

million units per annum, Chinese manu-

facturers have been mainly concentrating

on satisfying home demand. However, the

current sales rate is about 6% off where it

was a year ago, hence the elevated level of

interest in setting up export channels. The

trick will be in finding the right combina-

tion of source plant commitment and effec-

tive local representation to establish the

required levels of market credibility.

by Frank Beeton

28

The announcement, on August 18th, that Amalgamated Automobile Distributors areholding discussions with Foton Motor Group of China, over the possible introductionof Foton heavy duty trucks into the South African market, would have raised eyebrowsin the local road transport fraternity for two good reasons. Firstly, the initials “AAD”may have been confused with Cape Town-based Associated Automotive Distributors, thesuccessors to the Leyland interests in South Africa, who now operate retail motordealerships in that city. Secondly, the “new” AAD is a joint venture between McCarthy’sand Imperial Motor Holdings formed to distribute Chery and Foton products in thelocal market. Imperial’s intended return to the heavy truck distribution arena so soonafter terminating its earlier arrangements with Navistar International, DAF and RenaultTrucks, was a surprise. While it still remains active in the retail truck environment,Imperial faces a considerably more challenging task, this time around, in setting up a“green field” marketing, distribution and product support operation for a brand that isa completely unknown quantity in the local truck market.

Keeping it Clean #2

m a n a g i n g t h e R i s k s

30

Firstly, let us look at what happens in a modern dieselengine with standard filtration:

• Injector flows increase

• Fuel is lost out of exhaust with incomplete combustion

• Wide throttle openings

• More gear changes

• Frequent injector repairs

• Oil sludging

• High emissions

• High wear and tear

• High equipment replacement costs

• High operating costs

1. Between the needle (3) and the body (2), dirt jams the smooth

operation and causes suction

2. Between the needle (2) and the seat (at the bottom of the

body), dirt is trapped between the two parts and stops com-

plete closure of the injector causing weeping and/or dribbling

3. At the spray holes (7) fluid erosion wears open the holes result-

ing in over fuelling and eventually incomplete combustion

Fluid erosion caused by millions of very small particles blasting

through the injector spray holes causes these holes to wear open.

A small increase in diameter gives a large increase in x-sectional

area. Thus the volume of fuel injected per unit of time is greatly

increased and over fuelling occurs. A 10% increase in flow requires

less than a 5% increase in hole diameter and tip replacement.

With Ultrafine depth filtration, you get:• Stable injector flows

• Complete combustion of fuel inside the chamber

• Less gear changes

• Injectors last much longer

• Oil stays cleaner

• Reduced emissions

• Reduced wear and tear

• Equipment lasts longer and is replaced less often

• Reduced operating costs and therefore more profit

It’s the dirt that is the problem – with UDF your fuel is at least 20

times cleaner.

Overview1. Fuel that is 20 times cleaner

2. Eliminates 90% of carbon build up

3. Reduces fuel dilution

4. Reduces exhaust gas temperature

5. Reduces CO2 emissions – 6% on older engines, and up to

60% on new engines

6. Reduces sulphur emissions – approximately 50% on older

engines and 70% on new engines

7. Eliminates exhaust gas temperature related turbo failures

8. Greater than threefold increase in injector life

9. Fuel savings: approximately 3% with old injectors and up to

10% with new injectors

10. Extended oil drain intervals are possible

11. Greater transmission life through less gear shifts

12. Quieter and smoother engine operation

Séan Jackson

In the September 2009 issue of ABR, we discussed the UDF dieselfuel filter, and the dramatic effect it has on the power, emissions,fuel consumption, and engine life – all to the positive. We promisedto look at the technical aspects in this issue.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

It’s been said a million times before that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This cliché takes on a new reso-nance when describing the truck industry. Times may be tough, but trucks are tougher, and truckers are the toughest.This industry is literally the wheels of the economy, so thank goodness that when the going gets tough, the toughest getgoing. A critical element in this dynamic is the ability to keep costs down, and to ensure that operating costs are keptunder tight control. The first port of call in this endeavour is to protect against theft and misuse. The first port of call inthis endeavour is to protect against theft and misuse. A close second is thinking smart and keeping costs down. ABR hascommissioned Séan Jackson of TRUCKTEK to give our readers a series of tips on Managing the Risks.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

h e a l t h c a r e

An update on Moto Health Care

32

It is not surprising, therefore, that the

hot topic at the recently held Board

of Health Care Funders’ conference

at Sun City was the announced

National Health Insurance. Murida Khan

and Terry Greeff represented Moto Health

Care at the conference and this is what

Murida had to say upon her return from

the conference, “Nothing in the history of

our industry has evoked such a level of dis-

cussion, and robust debates were heard all

over the majestic kingdom. For once the

eagerly anticipated Medikredit party was

not the main point of discussion, not that

those who needed some serious de-stress-

ing after the first round of NHI discus-

sions turned down the invitation to the

gala function. By the close of the confer-

ence I can confirm with confidence that

many delegates were more baffled than

before, but everyone agreed that:

• All legal citizens of South Africa need

access to quality health care services.

• Not all our citizens have access to pri-

vate healthcare because for most it is

unaffordable.

• There will always be a demand for pri-

vate healthcare.

• The current health care system, both

public and private, is unsustainable

unless meaningful solutions are found

to the challenges facing it.

Upon my return to office after the confer-

ence and facing a further workshop on

Moto Health Care’s benefit design for

2010 I realised that there were a number of

unanswered questions relating to the NHI

that could have an impact. I, therefore,

looked forward to a Medical Scheme

forum to be hosted by Momentum

Medical Scheme Administrators on

17 September, 2009, at which the NHI

would be the main agenda item. Further

discussion and analysis of the NHI

was bound to deliver up answers I was

seeking.”

Considering that press reports have

revealed that not all senior members of the

ANC have the same view of the NHI and

its implementation it is no wonder that

one could be left baffled by it all.

Statements by some are at odds with state-

ments by others, thus sowing confusion as

to the manner of its implementation, its

funding model, and the future role of

medical schemes.

The opening address at the MMSA

Medical Schemes forum mentioned above

by Murida was delivered by Dr S Dhlomo,

the Kwazulu Natal MEC for Health.

Thankfully for the delegates attending the

forum, Dr Dhlomo, in 45 minutes, was

able to explain more about the NHI than

all the speakers at the BHF conference.

This is understandable given the fact that

Dr Dhlomo is to play a pivotal role in the

introduction of NHI, albeit at a provincial

level. Contrary to the impression given by

some within the ANC that NHI would be

introduced with a bang, he explained that

President Zuma, when announcing the

introduction of the NHI, chose his words

carefully in stating that the NHI “would

be introduced to the nation and imple-

mented in a phased and incremental man-

ner”. Dr Dhlomo went on to outline what

could be described as a blueprint for the

rolling out of the NHI.

Two significant points that could be drawn

from Dr Dhlomo’s talk were that medical

schemes would, for the foreseeable future,

continue to play their traditional roles in

health care, and that they, in the new dis-

pensation, would be significant partici-

pants in an integrated solution for health

care in South Africa.

So for Moto Health Care it is business as

usual.

The latest buzz words in the medical schemes industry are “National HealthInsurance (NHI)”. When the African National Congress came to power in 1994, it hadas part of its agenda its National Health Plan, the tenets of which would guide theimplementation of a health care system that would ensure access by all citizens ofour country to quality health care. So the announcement some 15 years later thatthe ruling party was determined to roll out the National Health Insurance solicitedsomewhat of a reaction from the entire health care industry.

Barry Canning, Chairman Board ofTrustees - MOTO Health Care

Next month we start another look at the tyres on fleet cars, the new technologies,

and new problems and fixes in these hard times... Now “next month” is this monthso let’s get going with the above promise which we made last issue.

by Marcus Haw

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 934

Tyresand TheirContribution to Safety in Motoring

Times change and technology moves on. During the past

few decades technology has moved at an unprecedented

pace in many areas, not least of all in the motor industry.

As mentioned before, tyre technology has to progress at the same

rate as the rest of the motor industry or even be slightly ahead in

some cases. For the average fleet owner/manager, some of the new

technology tyres sometimes pose a bit of a headache.

Obviously the cost, and

returns on outlay play a big

part in the choice of tyre for a

fleet. When buying tyres for

one’s own car, this is less

important. Although price

will always be a factor, per-

sonal preferences such as

appearance, brand and old

instilled beliefs win in many

instances. The fleet buyer has

to concentrate on perform-

ance versus returns on invest-

ment over all else. In days

gone by, this was far simpler

than with today’s high tech

tyres. And the reasons can be

more complex than one

thinks. Let’s look at some of

these.

In all matters a tyre is a com-

promise of design features to

accommodate market needs.

For example, a high mileage tyre commonly has less grip, while a

tyre with plenty of grip will give far less mileage. Equally a tyre

with good ride comfort usually will be less direct in it’s handling

responses, while a tyre with super responsive handling will have a

less forgiving ride.

These factors are true in all aspects of tyre design and manufac-

ture. You just can’t make a tyre which is all things at all times.

These are also the factors which are making the lives of fleet deci-

sion makers more difficult as the technology of motor vehicles

moves forward. The reasons; the cars designed for today’s require-

ments need super responsive tyres to cope with their phenomenal

capabilities. Because of this the tyres fitted to today’s cars as O.E.

(original equipment) are low profile high performance type tyres.

By design, these are not tyres with long life and high mileage as

priorities. The technology and modern materials in these tyres

make them expensive when representatively compared against

those of the past. And the mileage returns are going to be low

when similar comparisons are made.

So where does this leave

the fleet buyer, and what

should he be basing his

choices on? Well it leaves

him in a bit of a spot since

his choices are very limit-

ed. He should base his

choices on safety, manu-

facturer’s back-up and ease

of replacement. This

means settling on well

known imports and local-

ly manufactured products

and keeping away from

unknown cheap and nasty

imports. It is also good

practice to standardise as

far as practically possible.

This ensures good back-

up from the tyre supplier

and manufacturer, and

opens the possibility to

swop around between

vehicles when desperate. It

can pay off over time to have a company policy which is conser-

vative in both the types of vehicles purchased as well as the tyres.

Resisting all attempts by the vehicle users to fit aftermarket rims

and cosmetically appealing tyres, should also be company policy.

Giving in to user desires has cost many companies hundreds of

thousands of rands in the long term. It has also caused safety

issues in many cases.

Because purchasing choices are limited, finding other of ways of

saving and managing costs becomes an ever more important con-

sideration. Let’s look at some possibilities in this area.

35O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

www.bridgestone.co.za

Starting with tyre rotation, a relatively controversial subject, a

strictly adhered to tyre rotation program can be very effective. Not

only can it save tyre running costs, and improve overall mileage,

but safety can be improved as well. By regular and correct rota-

tion, even wear of all four tyres can be achieved. This results in

even grip at all four corners of the car, maintaining the highest

possible safety levels until the end of the tyre’s lives. Good tyre

management all round then.

Correct pressure maintenance is an obvious, but very difficult to

achieve cost saving method. While this shouldn’t be difficult, it is

extremely so because of a number of reasons. The most common

of these are also the simplest to understand. One is the pure apa-

thy of company car users to care about the tyres they drive on.

They don’t understand anything about tyres, they don’t pay for

them and they have no motivation to either care or find out why

they should. As with the general motoring public, they consider

tyres to be a necessary, but not very important consumable. They

place no safety importance on tyres at all.

Two is that the very few who do check their tyre pressures do so

at the local service station. The gauges at these are probably the

most abused and neglected pieces of equipment on the planet.

And the most inaccurate! But who is going to convince the aver-

age company car user to invest in, use regularly, and maintain,

his/her own personal pressure gauge?

Three is that tyre pressures should only ever be checked and cor-

rected when the tyres are cold. With today’s time constraints,

I have yet to see anyone check their tyres in the morning on the

way to work. The few that do, do so at a time which interferes

least with their daily schedules. Usually this practice results in

underinflated tyres. This happens because when hot tyres are

checked the pressures are inflated by the heated air having

expanded. They are generally then deflated to the “recommend-

ed” pressure. What people don’t realise is that recommend pres-

sures are given for cold tyres, with the knowledge that the correct

running pressure will be reached at the correct running tempera-

ture.

These are a very few of the factors facing the fleet operator who

would like to get more out of the tyres in his fleet. But by watch-

ing these few factors, running costs can be significantly reduced,

and both safety and efficiency can be improved.

So as petty as it may seem, introducing measures which control

the type of tyres purchased, putting in place a rotational program

for all vehicles and controls for monitoring the pressures are

extremely important.

Simple measures which are easily controllable and able to be

policed can save a fortune. To do this one needs to get back to a

subject we mentioned in earlier issues; the building and keeping

of accurate tyre records. A history of previous tyre use and

achieved performance/life will guide one in the needs of current

tyres in use.

By controlling these factors, the reduced buying choice can be

largely off-set in the long term, and various other factors such as

fuel consumption can be improved as well.

It just boils down to managing resources well and looking after

one’s business. The real problem is that tyres seldom get thought

as a resource to be managed, and this is an industry problem that

needs to be taken more

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 936

No, this is not about the Taxi Recap program but it

does by extension encompass some of the chal-

lenges we are facing in sharing the road with

Taxi’s and other road users. We of course can wax

lyrically about the woes visited on us by other

irresponsible road users but the fact of the matter is that a signif-

icant level of responsibility rests with us – you and I. So what is

there that we should focus on - RCAP

Responsibility, concentration, anticipation, patience and confi-

dence are the qualities that contribute towards driver attitude and

it is the driver's attitude which influence's his behaviour on the

road and what the outcome is. In defensive driving, a responsible

driver is always concerned with the safety of his vehicle and the

safety of all other road users around him. A defensive driver is

always tolerant of the mistakes of other road users and is aware

that everyone is entitled to use the road as much as him – yes I

know we can condemn the taxi that cuts in front of or who tail-

gates us but no amount of “bad attitude” will change them. Try

what I do – let them in or allow them to pass, that way I feel less

relieved and ironically enough less aggrieved. Better still come the

time – through some or other inadvertent error on my behalf – I

have to ask permission to enter the traffic I do so with a Taxi. He,

better than anyone else, understands my dilemma and inevitably

accedes to my request.

Due to the volume of traffic on our roads, concentration is the

key to defensive driving. You should avoid driving if you are feel-

ing unwell, upset or annoyed or suffering from any kind of stress.

You should never let your passengers distract you from the task at

hand, make phone calls (even hands free phones can be quite dis-

tracting), eat or drink, read road maps or even tune your radio

whilst on the move. Avoiding just the few of the things mentioned

above will help to improve your concentration immensely.

Anticipation in defensive driving is the art of planning well ahead.

Recognising hazards well before they develop and taking the most

appropriate action to deal the developing hazards. In defensive

driving, if you plan ahead and anticipate the actions of other road

users, you can avoid being taken by surprise, take evasive action

and be in control of the developing situation. Be patience of other

road users, especially the more vulnerable like young children, the

elderly and people with young children or animals. With defen-

sive driving you will show patience’s by avoiding hostile or aggres-

sive behaviour, making obscene gestures or abusive language. If

you are the recipient of such behaviour, you should try and ignore

it, never retaliate, keep calm and concentrate on your driving.

Even though it can be very hard but you are more likely to make

a mistake if you lose your cool or get upset and this can have very

dangerous consequences.

The Business Case – for Driver Training

Taking action to prevent ‘at work’ vehicle accidents means committing some additional resources but the potential financial

savings can be very significant indeed. The true costs of road accidents to organisations are nearly always significantly high-

er than the resulting insurance claims. HSE research into workplace accidents generally (The Costs of Accidents - HSG96)

suggests that, for every £1 recovered through insurance, between £8 and £36 may be lost via uninsured costs. While organ-

isations may be able to recover vehicle damage costs through insurance, many other costs may not be recoverable. These

include: lost time in wages and salaries; lost orders and output; administrative costs, legal fees; and costs due to other kinds of business

interruption. These costs come straight off the organisation's bottom line, reducing its profits or surplus.

Many of the resources required to put a management system in place to manage work related road risks should already be available to

enable the organisation to meet its normal occupational health and safety obligations. While some extra costs may be incurred, (for

example, in training managers and drivers, in setting policies and implementing new standards, higher specification vehicles and their

maintenance, or in adjusting route specifications and work schedules for safety purposes), these are likely to be offset by benefits such

as reduced accident losses, less lost staff time, lower insurance premiums and improvement in business efficiency generally, as well as bet-

ter staff morale and ‘company image’. Source: Occupational Road Safety Alliance – UK

Facts and FiguresIt is estimated that between 25% and 33% of road traffic collisions involve somebody who was using the road for work purposes.

This means that in Great Britain between 800 and 1,056 people were killed, and between 7,238 and 9,554 were seriously injured,

in work-related road collisions in 2005.

by Eugene Herbert

i n t e l l i - D r i v i n g

R C A P

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

37O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

Virtual reality:Computer worlds

inspire design conceptcreated by BMW Group

DesignworksUSA forthe latest high-end

Thermaltake gamingtower showpiece

The gaming industry – a sector that candeservedly adorn itself with attributes suchas visionary creativity, innovation and pro-gressiveness. However, who inspires thegaming industry and how does one settrends in a sector that is in itself theembodiment of progressive thinking andimaginativeness? One answer to that ques-tion is currently being given by BMWGroup DesignworksUSA, with the presen-tation of a design concept for a high-endgaming tower prototype that was inspiredby the gaming world itself. BMW GroupDesignworksUSA, a 100% subsidiary ofthe BMW Group, has for many yearsshaped the global design landscape work-ing for a multitude of industries. In addi-tion to creating yachts, trains, aircraft,lifestyle and IT products, the three studiosin Munich, California and Singapore arealso engaged with design concepts aimedat transforming visions into reality. One ofthese concepts is named “Level 10” forThermaltake, a manufacturer of computerhousings and components for individuallyconfigurable high-end computers.

FORD’S GLOBAL CEO REVEALS NEW FORD FIGOTARGETING INDIA MARKET AND EXPORT SALESIndia’s role as an important player in the future of Ford Motor Company’s international strategy wasunderscored on 23rd September when the company’s President and CEO, Alan Mulally, unveiled an all-new car targeting the heart of the Indian car market – the new Ford Figo. The Ford Figo, a new name-plate and a fresh face on the Indian market, signals Ford’s intention to compete in India’s largest and mostimportant small car market segment. Ford Figo is the result of a significant Ford investment commit-ment to expand its plant near Chennai for volume production as a small-car centre of excellence region-ally. Ford’s $500 million investment has doubled the plant’s production capacity to 200,000 units peryear and introduces major advances in high-quality automation and innovative, eco-friendly productiontechniques. “Our exciting new Ford Figo shows how serious we are about India,” Mulally said. “It reflectsour commitment to compete with great products in all segments of this car market. We are confidentthe Ford Figo will be a product that Indian consumers really want and value.” Ford Figo is designed andengineered to compete in India’s small car segment, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the newvehicle market. It leverages Ford’s small-car platform architecture, sharing underlying technology withthe Ford Fiesta, already familiar to Indian drivers.

Mercedes-Benz buses transportspersons with disabilitiesThree Mercedes-Benz buses specifically custom built to provide ease of access andsecure seating for persons with disabilities have been handed over to Durban'sEthekwini Municipality to enable them ease of travel arrangements. The buses werepresented to Durban Mayor Obed Mlaba who said they were part of a drive by themunicipality to assist the disabled to move around more freely. "We are looking toimprove things for commuters with disabilities on buses, in our trains and on ourtaxis. The idea is to make it easier for these folk to get to work and to help ensurethat a lack of suitable transport does not hinder them finding employment," saidMlaba. The buses have a hoist inside the main entrance to the bus and the disabledare able to manoeuvre their wheelchairs onto the platform and the hoist lifts themto the top of stairs. Inside there is special seat-belted provision for wheelchairs andtheir occupants.

Castrol Toyota Development Kart Team

Photographs: Quickpics.co.za

www.t-r-m.co.za

T 0861 TRM TRM

F 086 686 8382

C u s t o m e r C . A . R . E .

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 938

Customer Relationship Management

– it’s NOT asystem!

I did a search on Google the other day about CRM and it is noticeable how many soft-ware solutions are presented immediately. Most people seem to associate CRM with acomputer programme or system. This is however not the case.

Theo Calitz has been working inor involved in the motor industry

for the last 16 years. A Mechanical Engineer by

profession, he is passionate aboutcustomer care and his company, T-R-M specialises in automotive

CRM for the automotive industryand has been doing it for

nine years.

Yes, CRM does benefit and need things like a database

with database management. It is also important to keep

track of interactions and/or events and this is all done

very well by a computer. CRM however is a combina-

tion of people, processes and technology and if it all interacts

seamlessly, it works best. A holistic approach where all these ele-

ments are applied and where planning is done about what the

desired outcomes are, seems to be the most effective. With most

things in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

This is also true for CRM. A well set up programme with loyalty

elements, a Customer Contact Programme and so on will result in

amazing results. This is simply because the effort is benefitting the

right customers about the right products at the right time.

Most of my customers (which are from the automotive industry)

realises increasingly the importance of CRM but I find it interest-

ing how they have responded to the current financial crises. Some

companies has responded by focusing more on CRM elements

because it is cheaper than traditional marketing elements like

advertising and others have shut down departments that focuses

on CRM. Many times CRM staff form part of the Sales &

Marketing team and they are different in the sense that they tend

to have a multi year strategy and they can also measure the impact

of their activities which is not the case with traditional marketing

activities. Unfortunately, most companies requires departments to

submit budgets every year that has to be approved and this can

be quite disruptive of a CRM strategy that needs years to fully

develop. How do you go about implementing CRM in your

organisation? Well it is good to start by identifying what is that you

want from it but I have learned that you can never go wrong by

creating a good database of your customers. Knowing more about

your customer is great and interesting but, more importantly, you

need to believe your data. To have an up to date database in order

for you to trust the process is sometimes a bigger challenge than

you would think and I have been amazed how bad or absent some

of my client’s customer databases are! They might have some data

but it is scattered across systems and no one is sure which is the

correct version, what to do with conflicting data or what to do if

new data is received. A good, accurate database is the core of your

CRM programme. All the planned CRM activities should point to

the database. E.g., if you have a call centre, every interaction with

the customer should allow you to add information about your cus-

tomer or update their details (although this process can be tedious

and irritating to your customer – be careful!). Doing outbound

activities using this data is a logical step to take and, true to form,

you will find a higher conversion rate (more sales) using this data

than other forms of marketing and selling. It is just important not

to over ‘mine’ this data but to keep growing the database and care-

fully monitor the customer response to your activities. Best not to

reach the point where you irritate them.

CRM strategies have really evolved over the years and tend to

incorporate elements of quality measurements like CSI

(Customer Satisfaction Indexing), Customer Care (via Call

Centres as well as websites like hellopeter.com) and market

research. A new trend happening now is the interaction with

social network sites like Facebook and the use of blogs and twit-

ter. This seems like the obvious next step since it allows all the ele-

ments of CRM to be addressed but it is quite involved and not

100% understood and also quite time consuming.

I think it is safe to say that CRM is here to stay and is going to

affect our lives in more ways than one – hopefully mostly for good

reasons!

39O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

C u s t o m e r C . A . R . E . P r o g r a m m e

MODULE FIVE - DELIVERING ON YOUR PROMISES

How could I say such a rude thing?

What has got into me? I’ll tell

you what has got into me ......

I become an angry young (sic) man when

I see corporations, and particularly the top

management of these corporations, pay lip

service to the concept of customer care.

If you are going to make statements on

behalf of your company, about the won-

derful things that you do for your

customers, and how you care for your

customers, make damn sure that you are

going to do these wonderful things. If you

are not pretty sure that you are able to

deliver, then it is far wiser NOT to make

these statements. The South African

consumer terrain is a wasteland of unful-

filled promises, pledges, platitudes and

whatever. The scorched earth policy of the

British forces in the 2nd Anglo-Boer War

pales into insignificance when compared

to the behaviour of South African compa-

nies when dealing with their customers,

and their commitment to their promises of

exceptional service. I would need a book

far bigger than the Bible, if I were to relate

in detail all of the crimes in this regard, vis-

ited upon the long suffering consumers of

South Africa. Therefore, because we need

to seriously and urgently start addressing

the remedies to this malady, I shall be

brief, and only discuss one such example.

The example is that of a leading daily

newspaper in Johannesburg. It publishes

an eminently satisfactory sheet, which

compares favourably to most international

newspapers. From a journalistic point of

view, there is little to carp about. But its

marketing! Or more specifically, its cus-

tomer care!!! With its renewal notice that I

received a few years ago, these 5 statements

were prominently displayed, under a bold

banner, stating why one should subscribe:

1. IT’S YOUR WINDOW TO THE

WORLD

2. WE STRIVE FOR SERVICE

EXCELLENCE

3. CONVENIENT PAYMENT

4. SUSPEND DELIVERY WHILE

YOU’RE AWAY

5. GUARANTEED DELIVERY

I cannot argue with point no. 1, and I am

not surprised with point no. 3 - companies

are always on the ball when it comes to

relieving you of your money. I did not test

point no. 4, but as a result of my experi-

ences which I am about to relate, I doubt

it very much. Let’s look at point no. 5.

I had the misfortune to subscribe to this

newspaper, and I can assure you that this

promise was so far from the truth, that it

was eligible for submission to the human

rights commission. I can personally vouch

that no matter what methods of cajoling

that I used (and I came up with some

innovative techniques), for a matter of

months their delivery performance never

exceeded 60%. In addition, the phone no.

given for complaints, euphemistically

called a “hot-line”, was an invitation to

hell. After incredibly long periods of listen-

ing to a canned voice telling you to hang

on, and that they really care about you,

you eventually reach a live voice who

promptly transfers you into ......... noth-

ing. And when you eventually get through

to someone, they promise to come back to

you ........ a promise that is never kept. Do

I really need to discuss point no. 2, WE

STRIVE FOR SERVICE EXCEL-

LENCE. Someone please pass me the

razor blades. I hear you laughing, and I see

you nodding your head in wry agreement.

But do you want to know something ......

I will bet everything I own that your

company is just as guilty. Not in exactly

the same way, but just as guilty in many

other ways. Become a customer of your

company, and you will see what I mean.

What cardinal crime of customer care did

this leading newspaper commit, and what

cardinal crime is your company commit-

ting? They are, and you are, committing

the cardinal crime of OVER PROMIS-

ING, and UNDER DELIVERING. And

management is committing an even bigger

crime, that of LIP SERVICE. When these

promises were first discussed, then formu-

lated, then printed, then unleashed on the

poor consumer, there must have been

many opportunities for wise counsel to

prevail, and many opportunities to call a

halt to such blatant misrepresentation.

Management must have been aware that

these promises were not going to be ful-

filled. My personal experience with this

company made it quite clear to me that

no-one had been briefed on these promis-

es, and that no steps had been taken to

ensure that these promises were to be kept.

When questioned, the staff were not aware

of these promises, and it was also quite

clear that the resources needed to keep

these promises, were patently not there -

I should say pathetically not there.

I ended module four with what may appear to be quite a rude and dismissive statement.I said that we would be addressing the visionaries who really understand intellectu-ally and emotionally that C.A.R.E. stands for CUSTOMERS ARE REALLY EVERYTHING,and that I would not be addressing those who did not understand.

– sponsored by Federal-Mogul

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 940

C u s t o m e r C . A . R . E . P r o g r a m m e

DISCUSSION POINTS1. Discuss the ethical considerations of promising something, and not delivering.

2. Complete the saying, “You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the

people all of the time, but .................“, and under the heading of customer service, put

this into context.

3. To guarantee something and to deliver, takes courage and commitment. To guarantee

something and not to deliver, takes courage and arrogance. Critically analyse these state-

ments.

4. To make it next to impossible for a customer to lodge a complaint, has its merits. But

what do you think are the long term prospects of such a company in a competitive envi-

ronment?

5. Express your opinion on the disturbing fact that companies which provide atrocious

service, still manage to survive for so long.

And yet these promises were made. Why

are marketing departments allowed to

make such patently false claims? Does

the chief executive not know of these

blatant lies? If he/she does know, then

early retirement is the only answer. If

he/she does not know, then the answer

remains the same. The buck must stop

there! They are definitely being paid

enough for it. I do have an answer to all

this, but you’ll have to read on, to

explore the first steps of creating a cus-

tomer care culture in your company, and

how to avoid the dreaded trap of LIP

SERVICE.

Volvo drivesstraight intomobile phonesVolvo Cars' international mobile site waslaunched on March 6 this year. It has nowspread to 20 markets, the most recent addi-tions being Germany and Britain. VolvoCar South Africa launched its own mobilesite at m.volvocars.co.za on 8 June 2009."Our goal is to be leading in the autoindustry in terms of mobile informationand communication", says Sofia HeddsonFransén, acting Interactive MarketingManager at Volvo Cars. Information to andcommunication with customers via theInternet are natural ingredients for all com-panies today. Volvo Cars currently has 90websites in 36 different languages on 70markets. With the rapid technologicaldevelopment of mobile phones and theincrease in mobile surfing, it is becomingincreasingly important to adapt traditionalsite content to be mobile friendly. Surfingvia the mobile phone requires that graph-ics, texts, videos and other content be tai-lored for mobile users – to a different for-mat when compared to traditional web-sites. "A mobile site is a compressed web-site. It has less information and must beeven easier to navigate," says SofiaHeddson Fransén.

Link to the international mobilesite: http://volvocars.mobi/ or

http://m.volvocars.com or locally at m.volvocars.co.za

Avis leads the Carbon Neutral drive in Car Rental

Avis Rent a Car – SA has announced that it has achieved CarbonNeutral® accreditation for the offset ofits internal fuel and energy usage CO2 emissions. Avis is well-known for its already strong heritage of CSIinitiatives, transformation and investment. This prestigious accolade is another step towards its contin-ued commitment and responsibility to its people, environment and community. Wayne Duvenage, AvisChief Executive, explains, “For Avis South Africa, becoming Carbon Neutral is an important step notonly for our business, but for the industry as a whole. By committing to reduce its measured internalbusiness CO2 emissions of 11,000t to net zero, Avis has set the benchmark within the industry, and thiswe hope will encourage more businesses and also our customers to start taking action for their own car-bon footprint.“ From 1st October 2007, Avis South Africa began its programme which firstly involvedmeasuring its own internal CO2 emissions from the areas with the greatest environmental impact; busi-ness fuel use in non-customer vehicles and electricity consumption from all sites. Avis South Africaworked with The CarbonNeutral® Company, one of the world's leading carbon offset and carbon man-agement businesses, to cut emissions to net zero through carbon offsetting. This means that every tonneof CO2 that Avis South Africa produces is counter balanced with a tonne, saved by a validated emissionreduction project, which has met international standards.

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 944

Brake assist systems significantlyshorten braking distanceIn the September 2009 issue of ABR, we promised to look at the technical aspects of ESP®.However, we have come across a bulletin from Bosch, dated March 2008, that sheds evenmore light on brake assist systems, and it highlights the safety aspect from the pedestri-an point of view. We therefore give our readers additional information before we get intothe technical aspects of ESP®, which we shall cover in the November issue of ABR.

If a driver wants to come to a stop as quickly as possible in a

critical situation, he usually steps on the brake quickly, but

often not firmly enough – and therefore wastes valuable brak-

ing distance. A brake assist system provides support here. During

emergency braking, it builds up the maximum braking force with-

in fractions of a second, so that the vehicle stops sooner. According

to the EU Commission, if all vehicles were equipped with these

kinds of systems, up to 1,100 fatal accidents involving pedestrians

could be avoided in the EU every year. It has therefore recom-

mended mandating the installation of brake assist systems in all

passenger cars registered in the EU from 2009 on. Bosch offers

automakers various technical solutions that allow this function to

be integrated cost-effectively. Evaluations of the accidents stored

in the GIDAS (German in Depth Accident Study) database show

that drivers failed to brake with sufficient force in just under half

of all accidents. According to studies, a brake assist allows an aver-

age driver travelling at a speed of 100 kph (about 60 mph) to

reduce braking distance by an average of 7.6 meters (24.9 feet). If

he is travelling at 50 kph (30 mph), braking distance can be

reduced by a further 0.7 meters (2.3 feet). In other words, where

a vehicle equipped with a brake assist function has already

stopped, a car without this safety system is still travelling at a speed

of 45 kph and 10 kph (28 mph and 6 mph) respectively. If a driv-

er brakes more timidly than the average, the gain in safety can

even be considerably greater. What this ultimately means is shown

by an evaluation of official accident statistics: on the basis of a rep-

resentative random analysis of the German Federal Statistics

Office’s accident figures, Mercedes-Benz calculated the share of

serious collisions with pedestrians for every 10,000 newly regis-

tered vehicles. The analysis showed that if the brake assistant were

standard equipment, the number of serious pedestrian accidents

could be reduced by 13 percent. If a vehicle is equipped with the

Electronic Stability Program, the brake assist does not require any

additional components. Emergency braking is detected through

the very fast actuation of the brake. The hydraulic pump of the

ESP® unit then builds up the maximum brake pressure as quickly

as possible. With a corresponding software adjustment, this so-

called hydraulic braking assistant (HBA) can also be individually

adapted to the actual driving situation, i.e. it becomes intelligent.

For example, the triggering threshold of the brake assist can be

lowered if radar data tell the ACC system to classify the situation

ahead the vehicle as potentially critical. "Vehicles with ESP® there-

fore offer twice the safety,” says Werner Struth, president of Bosch

Chassis Systems Control. "On the one hand, ESP® supports the

driver in all critical situations and, on the other hand, the integrat-

ed brake assist considerably reduces the danger to pedestrians.” For

vehicles without ESP®, Bosch offers a mechanical solution inte-

grated in the brake booster. If the speed at which the brake pedal

is pressed exceeds a certain value, an inertia-controlled valve of the

so called Emergency Valve Assist (EVA) opens immediately, allow-

ing ambient air to enter the working chamber of the brake boost-

er. This instantly boosts the braking force until the ABS kicks in.

If the driver lifts his foot from the brake pedal, the additional

boost is immediately cancelled again.

R o b e r t B o s c h

45

Before we get into the details, we need to take cognisance

of the stress that Carlo puts on the fourth element, the

importance of which cannot be over emphasised. This

fourth element encompasses the Bosch training regime,

which makes the Bosch Systems Technician the equivalent of a

modern day Sherlock Holmes, approaching each job with the sys-

tematic approach equal to and many times superior to Arthur

Conan Doyle’s creation. Using the KTS, the ESI[tronic] and the

FSA intelligently and systematically, the Bosch Systems

Technician combines this technological assistance with his knowl-

edge, experience and training, to become the king of automotive

repairers and to rule the diagnostic roost. Thus, when Ewald

Faulstich, Director of the Automotive Aftermarket Division at

Robert Bosch South Africa, says that “Bosch and Bosch Service is

a name that is known by most consumers and is recognised as a

credible partner’, this is no idle boast, and no one is going to argue

with Ewald’s contention that technical competence, quality, cus-

tomer service and the brand are key to the ongoing success of

franchised aftermarket workshops.

Back to the specifics. Carlo says that the biggest challenge for an

automotive technician is to know how to work with the trouble

codes and how that system of that vehicle is working, and he reit-

erates that this is where training and experience play a key role.

He gives us a recent example of a customer coming into Cencar

with a five year old BMW 535i (e39), complaining of hard start-

ing and no power. Carlo got to work, systematically, knowing that

the system is (and in the knowledge that most of the systems that

he would be checking on this vehicle were developed and) manu-

factured by Bosch, so who better than Bosch to provide the equip-

ment to troubleshoot and repair this system, and he says emphat-

ically, “that’s the reason why I want Bosch equipment”. But first

things first, and that is to test the power supply, (from) the bat-

tery itself, and then the power supply to the ECU box for you

want to make sure there is no volt drop to the main computer box

when testing. If the battery is pushing out less than 10 volts to the

ECU, it would be elementary, my dear Watson, and all that might

be needed would be needed is a new battery or a recharge. Testing

the alternator charging power could resolve your problem too. If

the battery is pushing out enough juice (from source), then you

need to check whether the ECU is receiving enough volts/juice

for the sensors to work. The sensors on the modern vehicle are

sensitive to power variables, so the battery or alternator could be

the culprit, and thus Carlo needs to know where he stands with

the power supply. The KTS does. There are eight tests on a bat-

tery, to start with the Bosch (and the test procedure) BAT121 tool

which gives a print-out that you can give to your customer which

is a status report on the battery and charging system,(utilising the

ESI[tronic] software to explain what it all means). With this infor-

mation, it now needs a judgement call whether to do more tests,

and this is where experience makes the difference. However, since

Carlo does a free check on the battery for all his customers (the

battery is often the culprit in three to five year old cars), this pre-

liminary work is done at no cost to the customer. If the battery is

not the problem, and there is a volt drop on the wires, the KTS

will pick this up, but you also have the option of using the FSA

multi-meter to do a resistance test on the positive and negative

supply wires to the ECU. This is the intriguing thing about the

golden triangle – you can check various things with either the

KTS or the FSA, it all depends on what equipment you have and

what you feel more comfortable with. Using the information and

wiring diagrams on the ESI[tronic] software surely will make life

easier.

With this particular case, everything checks out fine, so Carlo has

to go to the next step, which we will review in the next issue of

ABR. Watch this space, folks.

Carlo du Plessis holds the very important ancillary to the golden

triangle – the certificate signifying his technical training; a vital

aspect in the diagnostic challenge.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

The Golden Triangle – KTS, ESI[tronic], and FSA

A series of articles on the versatile FSA 720/740/754 series

Last month we discussed the charming way Carlo du Plessis of Cencar described howbecoming a Bosch Service franchise put him on a successful business path, and hiscontention that it was “the best thing that I could have done. I will stick with Boschfor life!” Stirring words, but what is the substance behind this declaration? To exam-ine this, we need to evaluate the golden triangle of the KTS Compact Control UnitDiagnostic tester, the ESI[tronic] service information system, and the FSA engine man-agement system, the three products that Carlo relies on to solve any problem thatis thrown at him.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 946

Parts Incorporated Africa andMidas Stores now stock theQuick Brake product range

Parts Incorporated Africa (PIA) branches and Midas Stores

around Southern Africa now carry a comprehensive range

of Quick Brake fitment kits.

Quick Brake are a world leader in the manufacturing of brake

components for pads, drums, shoes and calipers, all of which are

vital to ensuring that the brake system operates correctly.

Brake pad manufactures and their compounds are often unfairly

blamed for squealing, graunching and low pad life when the fault

really lies with the fitment clips and springs. These components

have been designed by the caliper manufacturers to wear but are

not always replaced during a pad change - often because the fitter

finds they are difficult to source. Brake springs, clips and formed

mounting plates lose 50% of their tension while operating due to

the excessive heat created by the friction material on the disc. This

is aggravated by the fact that OEMs currently design the calipers

to be lighter and smaller, which requires complicated spring and

clip pad tensioners. Herein lies the root cause of many of your

brake fitment come-backs!

The universal squeal damping shim supplied by Quick Brake is

easy to apply to the back- plate of the pad and this will dampen

the vibration coming from the caliper, which is what causes much

of the noise. Use of this product means fitters do not have to

resort to the use of Coppaslip on the brake pad to try to reduce

squealing. In fact, Coppaslip should not be anywhere near the

brake system.

Quick Brake manufacture a full range of accessories for calipers,

including guide bolts, bolt rubber boots and bleeder screws.

Looking at brake drum accessories, Quick Brake do a comprehen-

sive range of springs and clips that fit around the shoes. Function

and hold-down springs are included with washers and clips

required for a shoe change. Drum brakes are often neglected on

South African vehicles, resulting poor brake performance of the

complete system. This is especially the case when it comes to light

commercial bakkies.

PIA and Midas have taken the decision to add this niche but vital

product range to their brake offering to ensure that their cus-

tomers along the distribution chain are able to supply the fitters

of brakes timeously with components that are often otherwise dif-

ficult to find. Because these brake accessories are difficult to

source:

1. Time is wasted during fitment trying to panel beat and

straighten old, damaged clips or springs in order to make

them fit.

2. Brake installations are not done correctly, leading to costly

comebacks at the workshop level. This results in measurable

expenses through having to repair / rectify the vehicle and

secondly, in having an unhappy customer.

Contact your nearest Midas Store, PIA Branch or BrakeHose & Component Supplies for more information.

W o r k s h o p & D i a g n o s t i c

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 948

I n s i g h t s

To join Capricorn Society Limited call Rob Mildenhall on083 654 2094 or e-mail him at

rob.mildenhall@capricorn.com.au or visit their website onwww.capricorn.com.au

Playing the Game and Doing the Right ThingThe past 12 to 18 months have been tough for the automotive industry worldwide,

and it is in times like these that the wheat is separated from the chaff, both from

a business and an ethical point of view. A shining example of this was when in

February of this year Trent Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer of Capricorn Society

Limited, published an open letter to Capricorn suppliers, committing Capricorn to

doing the right thing and guaranteeing its members debt, a true vindication of

Capricorn’s reputation of “an organisation that you can rely on”.

ABR reported in its June 2009 issue that whilst 30 day collection rates are only 65% for South Africa, the average for

counties such as the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand is 98%. This damning fact means that institutions that are

committed to doing the right thing are exposing themselves to inordinately high risks in our neck of the woods, unless

everyone starts to play the game to international norms. This was the rationale behind Capricorn introducing its

Capricorn Secure model in South Africa. This model basically follows the template as practiced by commercial banks

– we’ll lend you the money, but we do need security. Rob Mildenhall, Capricorn’s South African Business Development

Manager, recently told ABR that he was pleased by the reaction to the introduction of Capricorn Secure. Most of the members wel-

comed the move, and Rob believes this is because they saw it as a good move in that it was ultimately protecting their interests. ABR

tested this theory by interviewing four members in the Gauteng area.

Connie and Joe Silva, Speed Auto, Booysens Reserve,Johannesburg, hardly even noticed the issue, “We’ve got noproblems with this. We understand the scenario. Capricornis very important to us, and we treat them as a normal cred-itor. We are also extremely happy with the returns we are get-ting from the relationship, and intend to continue reapingthe benefits. Our accumulated rebates even helped us to pur-chase a truck recently. What problem?”

Hennie Louw, Henlo ServiceCentre, Isando, says that it isa very good thing. He elabo-rates, “There are a lot ofchancers out there. TheCapricorn system guaranteespayment to the suppliers, sothis helps the loyal group.The Capricorn Secure systemis also very fair. It’s like anoverdraft facility. If I lookafter my cash flow, I don’tneed it anyway, but it’s goodto have just in case. My

Capricorn membership is very convenient, so I want to belong, and thepoints that I am earning every business day are building up, so I’m securingmy pension.”

Vic Naidoo, MotolekLenasia, concurs,“Initially I regarded itas a bit of an inconven-ience, as I had beentrading for a year andmy account was wellmanaged. But afterthinking about it, Irealised that it was thebad boys who werespoiling it for the good

guys, so I’m now right behind it. Capricorn is important tome, and they have given me a great network of suppliersand it is good for my business.”

Ingrid Cilliers and AndreHattingh, IJ HattinghMotors, Centurion, areequally understanding, “We’reright behind this. We under-stand the dilemma. We haveno problem with our debtors,as our system is working, andour cash flow is fine, so whybecome a problem debtor?Discipline applies to bothsides. We cannot expect disci-pline from our customers ifwe are not prepared to showdiscipline to our suppliers.

There are unfortunately dishonest people, so companies have to secure theirpositions. As we frequently say ‘no pain, no gain’. And in our five years ofCapricorn membership we have worked up our rebate to over R100 000.This is valuable to us, and we may need it for a rainy day. We’re in it forthe long haul!”

The company that goes under the apt name of Bonding is a family business, and wasestablished in 1958 by Fred Senekal to service the booming mining industry in the KOSHarea of the then Western Transvaal. KOSH is the acronym for Klerksdorp, Orkney,Stilfontein and Hartbeesfontein, a complex of towns that form a perfect triangle, withKlerksdorp sitting prominently in the middle.

Bonding with the Community

To join the fastest growing workshop network in South Africa and to add a new dimension to your business, contact Wilfried Langenbach at 0860 003 227 (0860 00 ECAR)

The apple does not fall far from the tree ….Warren Hengst with father Kevin, who is

now semi-retired

Warren Hengst with his reliable front linestaff, Jackie Stoltz and Charlotte Jonker

51O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

Bonding fast developed a reputa-

tion for being able to handle any

fabrication or engineering proj-

ect that the mining and automo-

tive industry could throw at them, special-

ising in friction materials. After Fred

Senekal retired, his son-in-law Kevin

Hengst took over the reigns, and Kevin

soon built up an even more formidable

name as Mr. Fix-it in this pioneering

region. Slowly but surely Bonding became

the place to visit for the surrounding

community, expanding its reach beyond

the KOSH towns, to Potchefstroom in the

east, Ventersdorp in the north, Wolma-

ransstad in the west, and Viljoenskroon

and Bothaville to the south. Kevin’s son

Warren was introduced to the business at

an early age, and he soon developed a

passion for tinkering with all things

mechanical, and worked his way through

every facet of the business, from the wash

bay to the owner’s office. Warren describes

this hands-on experience as the best way to

learn a business, as his staff know that with

any situation, he has been there before.

With Bonding’s all round ability, including

the manufacture of in-house automotive

cabling and OE brake piping, and the

inconsistent service offered by other work-

shops in the area, customers were starting

to bring their vehicles in for complete

brake overhauls, as well as minor and

major services. This got Warren thinking,

and he approached e-CAR late in 2008, as

he wanted to belong to “a national market-

ing company with a nationwide service

network, and a real-time networking sys-

tem”, and his research showed that an

e-CAR was needed in Klerksdorp. The

requirements to join e-CAR had to be met,

so Warren got to work, acquiring the nec-

essary Bosch diagnostic equipment and

ensuring that his staffing levels were up to

scratch, and in August 2009 the North

West Province welcomed its newest e-CAR

outlet. Warren is very excited at being part

of such a well known and highly regarded

workshop network, and he is looking for-

ward to growing apace with the knowledge

that he has the necessary accreditations

and backing of venerable institutions and

brands such as Bosch, Diesel-Electric, the

Automobile Associa-tion and the RMI.

He is also eagerly awaiting his roadside sig-

nage to attract the passing trade looking

for a reputable company to service their

vehicles.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 952

T o p C l a s s T o p i c s

Calling all workshops and professional technicians. Are you using any of thePermatex chemical tools in your workshop? If not, you could be missing a few

tricks, and your customers could be losing out.

To introduce you to the incredible range of Permatex workshop products, Top Class Automotivewill be happy to deliver to you free of charge four free samples. All you have to do is to contactTop Class Automotive at tel. 011 974 1444 or fax 011 974 1377, to begin your Permatex Starter

Kit, consisting of four incredibly useful products:

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steel flanged mating surfaces. Ideal for on-the-spot and emergency repairs, or when a conventional gas-

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during service. Parts disassemble easily even after extended service and old gasket material can be

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Permatex® PermaPoxy™ 5 Minute General Purpose Epoxy

Versatile, easy-to-use, general purpose epoxy adhesive is two-part adhesive and filler system that elimi-

nates the need for welding or brazing. Sets in five minutes, no clamping needed. Clear appearance. Fills

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Suggested Applications: Ideal for complex, multi-piece assemblies. Bonds rigid materials including,ceramic, chrome, fabric, fiberglass, glass, hard plastic, metal and rubber.

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Makes reliable thread repairs without drills, taps, tools or inserts. Restores worn, stripped or damaged

threads and eliminates future corrosion, galling, seizing and rust. Effective up to 128 ft. lbs. of torque

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Permatex®Water Pump & Thermostat RTV Silicone Gasket

A noncorrosive, sensor-safe RTV silicone gasket material formulated specifically for water pumps and

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Suggested Applications: Water pump and thermostat housings

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O c t o b e r 2 0 0 954

China’s Launch PadThe automotive industry was late in blooming in China, but boy, no time has been wast-ed in playing catch up. In the past couple of years, China has gone beyond catch up,as it has zoomed past Germany, Japan and the USA to take number one spot in vehi-cle production in a phenomenally short space of time.

The transformation started with Deng Xiaoping, who

in 1978 after his personal political rehabilitation,

decided that China’s time had come, and with a

mixture of capitalism and state control, pulled the

levers to begin China’s makeover from an agrarian

society to an industrial powerhouse. Deng chose Guangdong

Province for his pilot study. Guangdong Province was an inspired

choice, as this was the home province of Sun Yat-sen, the founder

of modern China, and Guangdong (previously known as Canton

Province) also had strong links to overseas Chinese, as well as

neighbouring Hong Kong, thus serving as a commercial gateway

for entrepreneurs from near and far. Deng’s farsighted vision bore

fruit, with Guangdong Province going from a relatively backwa-

ter state into an industrial powerhouse in a very short space of

time, and this experiment served as a template to be repeated

again and again, throughout China. The most stunning metamor-

phosis, and the biggest beneficiary of Deng’s dream, was

Shenzhen, previously a small fishing village some 30 kilometres

along the coast from Hong Kong. Shenzhen is now a modern city

of some 10 million citizens, the vast majority entrepreneurial

migrants drawn to the flame of growth like peripatetic moths.

These migrants have made this hi-tech city the Silicone Valley of

the East, with thousands of pioneering companies having put

down their innovative roots the past three decades, and employ-

ing hundreds of thousands of engineers, technicians, artisans,

high powered executives, and anyone seeking their fortune, all

creating a vibrant buzz of creativity and inventiveness, and gener-

ating an enormous commercial and trading base which makes

Shenzhen the fastest growing city in the world.

Shenzhen was the launch pad for China’s rocket like growth, and

it was here in 1987 that a small company named Launch began

manufacturing personal computers, developing both the hard-

ware and software for these

machines. Five years later, in

1992, with the Chinese automo-

tive industry starting to stir,

Launch used this computer DNA

to become the first Chinese com-

pany to dabble in the nascent

arena of ECUs and automotive diagnostics. Launch Tech Co was

established in 1992 and has since grown into the leading Chinese

company in automotive diagnostics and a global supplier to the

automotive aftermarket, represented by 15 companies supporting

more than 400 distributors in 60 countries. Launch also saw the

bright future for the Chinese automotive industry, and as early as

its inception in 1992 Launch Tech Co had begun its annual auto

electronic colloquium in Shenzhen, inviting the Chinese OEM

industry to discuss the future of engine management systems and

diagnostic support. The vision of Launch has paid off, with

Launch now being the specified diagnostic equipment for over

90% of Chinese OEMs.

Launch also began to look outside China in 1997, as it realised

that to be an international player it had to support all the OEM

brands in both China and overseas. Thus the Carlink 5000 was

introduced to the world in 1997, to be followed by the ADC

2000 in 1999, which was both a code reader and oscilloscope.

With the strong international acceptance of both the Carlink

5000 and the ADC 2000, it was realised that for further growth

the company would have to become a public company, and so in

2002 Launch Tech Co Ltd was listed on the Hong Kong Stock

Exchange, and its future was secured, and further development

was accelerated by the establishment of an industrial park in

Shenzhen and an R&D facility in Beijing, to concentrate on

vehicle management systems.

More on Launch, and particularly Launch Technology South

Africa, in following issues of ABR.

Launch Tech Co Ltd employs over 300 qualified research and devel-opment engineers at its Headquarters in Shenzhen, in an industrialpark consisting of seven identical nine floor buildings, with a totalfloor area of 189 000 m². Here is one of these buildings.

A series of articles on Launch Technologies SA (Pty) Ltd

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

I n n o v e n t i o n s

56

Super Vooma’s benefits areno rumour By Richard Macaskill

Oftentimes one hears of ‘miracle’ engine additives that have no negative effects.They clean your engine, improve performance and at the same time improve fuel effi-ciency. Now there’s a new product on the market promising the same thing. In fact,it’s not new; it was developed over 30 years ago, and has been continually improvedsince, and now it has come to South Africa. This product, which goes by a variety ofnames all over the world, will be branded as Super Vooma on our shores.

Super Vooma is marketed in a different way to most

engine additives though, and with good reason. It is

actually not an additive – it is an engine treatment.

Application at 60 000 km and every 20 000 km there-

after will yield the promised benefits of the product, as

opposed to additives that need to be added on a regular basis in

order to yield results. Super Vooma is designed to soften the car-

bon deposits that build up in an engine during its working life

and remove any impurities that hamper a vehicle’s performance.

Super Vooma promises to clean “from inlet to exhaust”, and is

also said not to be abrasive, corrosive or even flammable.

However, it is important to bear in mind that this is a treatment

and not an additive, and is therefore something that may be able

to keep these promises. The product also claims to clean and

remove impurities from all turbo and superchargers, further

improving a vehicle’s performance.

The removal of carbon deposits allows an engine’s pistons to move

more smoothly, meaning less friction, less wear and tear and a

longer lifespan. This also allows for maximum rotational force to

be transferred to the crank shaft, in turn maximising the engine’s

torque output. Carbon deposits will also be removed from the

valve seating so that valves will close tightly, decreasing the loss of

fuel and air through improperly-closed valves and optimising fuel

efficiency. In fact, the savings achieved through the use of Super

Vooma can be quite substantial. Dyno testing has indicated that

along with a 20% performance improvement, fuel consumption

can be lowered by up to 15%. Take a vehicle that covers 20 000

km in a given period. At R8/l and 12.5 km/l, this would cost the

owner R20 000. Assume a conservative 10% fuel saving from

Super Vooma and this translates to an extra R2 000 in the owner’s

pocket. With only one R150 can of Super Vooma required during

this time, the ultimate saving is R1 850.

This makes financial sense for fleet owners and managers, as obvi-

ously, the more one travels, the greater the savings would be. On

top of this, environmental benefits are offered through this lower

fuel consumption, giving a company that coveted smaller carbon

footprint. Although Super Vooma claims to be a reliable treat-

ment and not a miracle cure – well, maybe it actually is one…

To get hold of this revolutionary product, you may contact:Lubemax: Steve Swart - Cell: 082 929 8971 or log ontowww.supervooma.com

=

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 958

In 2007, the worldwide productionof heavy commercial vehiclesincreased by 6 percent to almostthree million units. With 840.000medium and heavy-duty trucks,

China increased its leading position – pro-duction figures that are higher than thoseof East and West Europe together. And anend of the worldwide truck boom isnowhere in sight. With its Detroit DieselDD 15, Daimler AG introduced the firstversion of a new range of commercialvehicle engines. The Heavy Duty EnginePlatform (HDEP) is one of the mostimportant developments in the growingheavy-truck segments. The six-cylinderinline engines have been designed forexceptionally good fuel efficiency and veryhigh peak pressures. In order to imple-ment these demands, Daimler Trucksrelies on the Victor Reinz® gaskets fromDana – the leading manufacturer of gasketsystems and cylinder head gaskets. In theforefront are technical advances: allHDEP engines must fulfill present andfuture emission regulations.

A new pressure-intensified common-railinjection system and combustion pres-sures of up to 230 bar mean that the cylin-der-head gasket must withstand enormouspressures. What's more, the high-per-formance gasket must guarantee the spec-ified endurance for engine mileages of onemillion miles (1.5 million kilometers).During the pilot phase, developmentengineers of the Heavy Duty EnginePlatform subjected the special head gasketdesign to grueling tests. 3.5 million miles(5.6 million kilometers) on the road andon testing stands bore convincing results:Victor Reinz head gaskets exceeded therigorous standards for the Detroit DieselDD 15. Gasket specialist at Dana alsodeveloped selected components for vari-ous medium-duty engine generations.

Efficient gasketdesignThe one-piece head gasket for the DetroitDiesel DD 15 – Daimler AG's first six-cylinder in-line engine with a mid- andbottom-stop liner concept – is a two-layermetal/elastomer gasket with a stopperdesign and multiple beads. The materials

used are corrosion-resistant stainless steeland high-grade fluoropolymers, whichremain flexible at temperatures at minus25° C. Arranged topographically aroundthe combustion chamber, the multiplebeads provide multiple pressure lines withuniform pressure distribution. In combi-nation with the elastic behavior of the lin-ers, the plastic behavior of these beadsensures an optimal seal of the combustionchamber. Sealing of the oil and coolantchannels is achieved by means of cured-onelastomers, which are injection moldedonto metal insert sheets as sealing lips.

By means of a special laser weldingmethod, these metal sheets are weldeddirectly to the gasket's core. In particular,the advantages of this insert technologybecome apparent for gaskets with a largenumber of passages. Highly innovativerubber injection methods permit Dana tomanufacture its Victor Reinz gaskets withpractically no elastomer waste.

Best manufactur-ing conditionsWith its globally networked Truck Team,Dana offers developers and manufacturersof commercial vehicles engines a holisticsystems competence that covers the entiredevelopment and production process.With global access to comprehensive con-sultation, development, production, andlogistics services, this network is based indevelopment centers in Germany, Japan,and the United States – as well as locationsin every important automotive center in

the world. Truck gasket manufacturing isfocused particularly on new developmentsin the field of medium- and heavy-dutyengines. Multi-layer steel and metal/elas-tomer head gaskets with lengths of up to1.5 meters are manufactured on the latestmachines. For high flexibility in gasketdesign, the presses and laser-weldingmachines are equipped to handle single-cylinder solutions, as well as combinable

Cylinder-head gaskets for the newHDEP engine generation

Space saving innovativeSealing Technology.

Cylinder-head gasketsfor the new HDEPengine generation.

Efficient production and top quality:

I n n o v e n t i o n s

concepts with four to six cylinders. As aresult, combustion chamber diametersof 100 to more than 200 millimeters canbe produced. Presses with more than1,000 tons of stamping force allow theproduction of components with previ-ously unattainable precision and veryhigh stiffness. Scalable manufacturingconcepts permit batch sizes of just a fewhundred to several hundred thousandunits. The Victor Reinz head gasket forthe HDEP Detroit Diesel DD 15 is thelargest metal/elastomer gasket that hasever been produced by Dana’s innovativetruck gasket department.

Trucks andtrendsGlobally increasing transportation activ-ities present new challenges for theentire logistics industry. The present sit-uation is characterized by an enormousdemand for powerful but fuel-efficientmedium and heavy-duty trucks. As aleading supplier of gasket systems, Danaanticipated this trend and has made thenecessary investments. Variable gasketdesigns, constructional elements, and

new materials will determine futurehead gasket developments, while globalengine platforms and identical partspromise long-term cost reductions. Byusing Victor Reinz gasket expertise,commercial-vehicle engine makers willensure a decisive leading edge in terms oftechnology and costs – today and in thefuture.

Dana SealingProducts GroupUnder the brand name Victor Reinz, theDana Sealing Products Group – a centu-ry-old leading manufacturer of sealingsystems – develops and produces high-performance sealing, shielding, andvalve cover systems for engine and driveconcepts. The group is part of the glob-ally positioned Dana HoldingCorporation with 35.000 employees in26 countries, and headquarters inToledo, Ohio, USA. Dana acts as aglobal partner for all major automakers,and is a leading supplier to the automo-tive industry for drivetrain, structural,thermal, and sealing technologies. State-of-the-art – Manufacturing Facilities for

the Truck Production

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

NAACAM’s Roger Pitot sure to speak outRobust debate will be the order of the day at the AIDC Conference at the South African Automotive

week to be held in Port Elizabeth early in October 2009. And at the forefront will be Roger Pitot,

Executive Director of NAACAM. At a pre-conference media briefing in late September 2009 Roger

said that South Africa’s economic policy is fundamentally flawed, as there was insufficient focus on

manufacturing, and we do not leverage off our natural resources. Roger bemoaned the fact that 80%

of our platinum is exported, and surmised that chrome ore being sent to China for beneficiation was

not in the country’s interests. Roger also stated that the Rand was overvalued, and that the component

industry needed a Rand/Dollar exchange rate of 8,5 to 9,0 to be competitive. Will he be applauded or

attacked on these comments. Come to the AIDC conference to find out.

Eastern Cape heavily reliant on theautomotive industry

Over 30% of manufacturing jobs in the Eastern Cape are pro-

vided for by the automotive industry. This stark reality

emphasises the importance of the South African Automotive

Week, which will be held in Port Elizabeth from the 7th to the

10th October 2009. This vulnerability will be explored at the

AIDC conference to be held at the Moffet on Main Lifestyle

Centre on the 7th and 8th, and in attendance shall be the big

hitters from the Eastern Cape Development Centre and the

Eastern Cape Economic Development and Environmental

Affairs, to brief delegates on this question, as well as the excel-

lent progress on the automotive park at Coega. Josef Neumeier and Noludwe Ncokazi of the Eastern Cape

Development Centre, with Phumla Ndaba from the Eastern CapeEconomic Development and Environmental Affairs Dept.

59O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

I n n o v e n t i o n s

In our April and May 2009 issues, Giel Steyn discussed the words quality, “original, gen-uine, and pirate”, in the context of automotive parts. He bemoaned the fact that the word“pirate” is used and abused with gay abandon by the automotive fraternity, and by so doingthey are damaging the reputation of perfectly decent companies and brands, such as Bosch.

Giel Steyn would like to see the word pirate banned

from all discourse, as it is used entirely inappropri-

ately, and subsequently high quality parts are being

tarred with a particularly unworthy brush. Take,

for example, the expression “gay abandon” which

was used in the introduction. 50 years ago the word gay meant

something entirely different to what it means today. Similarly,

terms such as spanner assistant, grease monkey, panel beater, and

anti-freeze are no longer in vogue, as these terms are either deroga-

tory or misleading, being replaced with the more descriptive, cor-

rect and preferred automotive technician, collision repair outlet,

repair shop assistant and coolant conditioner. Giel appeals for

“pirate part” to go the same route and to be consigned to history.

This will solve the problem once and for all, since most aftermar-

ket parts are manufactured by the same manufacturers who make

parts for OEMs, their P&A divisions and the quality aftermarket.

These manufacturers are proud of the technology, quality, safety

and value for money that is inherent in the product that they

manufacture, and abhor being referred to as pirates. Giel says

“inferior quality parts” should be called exactly that, or parts that

are passed off as the real thing, should be called “counterfeit”. The

definition of counterfeit is “made in imitation of something gen-

uine, with the intent to deceive or defraud”. To fully appreciate

this definition, we need to understand that the definition of orig-

inal is “of or relating to an origin or beginning”, and genuine is

“not fake or counterfeit; original, real, authentic”.

Please folks; let us make Giel Steyn happy and do the whole indus-

try a favour by banning the word “pirate”, unless we are referring

to Blackbeard or Somali maritime interlopers. And let us also put

to bed the lie perpetrated by Shakespeare 400 years ago, by saying

that there is much in a name. Names such as Grandmark

International, a company that follows the Diamond Dialogue

template to the letter. For those who prefer visual stimulation, the

above pictures may get the message across.

Giel Steyn

D i a m o n d D i a l o g u e s

EditorialPartnership

What’s in a Name?

This is the original Elvis, and thegenuine article

This is a counterfeit Elvis, andnot the genuine article

This is a real pirate. Someone who likes his drink strong and hiswomen even stronger. [editor’s note: I remember in the 1980’s

when McCarthy took control of Midas, and Rolf Güdegast making a strong point at a Midas convention, by

presenting a pirate suit to the late Brian McCarthy]

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 960

In this series of articles ABR discusses with Giel Steyn of Grandmark International the four significant factors that should be taken intoaccount when purchasing automotive parts - Technology, Quality, Safety and Value for Money. These four characteristics are inter-related, andeach cannot stand on their own, and together they become a motorist's best friend. Similarly, diamonds are also judged on four characteristics,known as the “four c's” - carat, clarity, colour and cut; and of course, diamonds are a girl's best friend. Grandmark International, as a dis-tributor of automotive parts, is keenly aware of the need to source only the best in Technology, Quality, Safety and Value for Money, andtherefore it is appropriate that this series of articles is titled Diamond Dialogues.

Q & A

Roger McCleery asks the questionsSee how many of these 20 Questions you can answer.

by Roger McCleery

Answers on page 78

1. Name the Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyundai South Africa.

2. What company is the fourth biggest motor manufacturer in the world?

3. What tyre company supplies the most OE tyres in Europe?

4. What was the first make of car in South Africa?

5. The British Marcos sports car took its name from two Brits. Who?

6. Who won the Swedish Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1976 in a 6-wheel Tyrrell?

7. What American 3 litre all alloy V8 engine was used in the Rebco Brabham for two World Championships?

8. What is the largest one-day sports event in the world?

9. GSM Dart was the first car made in South Africa. What does GSM stand for?

10. Who ran the first Alfa Romeo Grand Prix Team?

11. Who designed the Porsche 356?

12. What Nationality was Louis Chevrolet?

13. Who is the only man to have won world championships on 2 and 4 wheels?

14. Name two drivers in line to win the 2009 South African Rally title.

15. Who founded NASCAR Racing in the States?

16. What is the name of the South African who heads up the Hendriks NASCAR team in America?

17. What is the name of the Volkswagen Beetle featured in the film “The Love Bug”?

18. The first four cars to be exported from America were sent to what country?

19. What is the maximum time for a Formula 1 GP?

20. The Porsche 924 was originally designed by what company?

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 962 O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

MAN Truck & Bus South Africadelivers 110 intercity busesfor FIFA World Cup 2010About nine months before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa, MANNutzfahrzeuge is further expanding its presence on the nation's market. The region-al sales company MAN Truck & Bus South Africa received an order for 110 Lion’sExplorer intercity buses from the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Thevehicles are initially to be operated as general spectator buses by subsidiary Autopax,and later in urban public transport in various large South African cities and surround-ings. The order also includes a service level and maintenance agreement through theMAN service network. Intensive training of more than 220 Autopax drivers will beconducted before the World Cup, including the MAN ProfiDrive program, to ensurea maximum of reliability and safety once the buses go onto the road.

At the signing of the Bus Procurement agreement in September 2009, ThomasHemmerich, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus South Africa, said: "We are proud of thefact that we have secured this major order in conjunction with the soccer World Cup.The vehicles boast excellent chassis that are made in Germany and first-class bodiestailored to suit the needs of the market and produced locally at our plant inOlifantsfontein. Through our extensive service network we'll devote all our efforts toensuring high availability of the vehicles." Tshepo Montana, Group CEO of the trans-port agency PRASA, said the order marked a "major innovation in local transport inSouth Africa, satisfying the requirements of the FIFA World Cup and subsequentlythe need for urban public transport renewal in the country."

Tshepo Montana (CEO PRASA) [left] and ThomasHemmerich (CEO MTB South Africa, right).

The Lamborghini Reventón Roadster is a sports car of breathtaking fascination, menacing power and uncompromising

performance. The 6.5 litre 12 cylinder generates 493 kW, catapulting the Roadster from 0 to 100 km/h in 3,4 seconds,

with a top speed of 330 km/h. Fast and exclusive, Lamborghini has limited the series.

Pretoria to host first exhibition for heavy vehicle industry in 2010The first national exhibition dedicated to the latest products, services and concepts in the heavy vehicle industry will be staged at the Tshwane EventsCentre in Soutter Street, Pretoria West from March 23 to 26 next year (2010). The HeavyWeight Expo, which enjoys the endorsement of the RMI,will also incorporate industry related conferences and workshops, and will be the gathering place for the major players in the industry, from bulk trans-port to passenger transport and materials handling, construction plant and equipment, agricultural applications and special vehicles. There will becategories for heavy commercial vehicles, buses, trailers, mobile cranes and lifting equipment, forklifts, earthmoving plant and equipment, miningequipment, road construction and maintenance equipment, agricultural vehicles and special vehicles (like dumpers, tippers, mixers, tankers, emer-gency vehicles and security vehicles). Tshwane Events Centre’s Fanie Fourie is the moving force behind this unique exhibition and brings a wealth ofexhibition and transport experience to its staging. This includes the establishment of the very successful 2008 Johannesburg International Motor Show.“It is time for an expo which showcases the heavy vehicle industry,” said Fourie. “It is a sizeable and influential sector of the transport business and ofparticular significance in today’s environment of major infrastructural development and construction throughout the country. “The HeavyWeightExpo will provide a unique platform for the leading manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to display their products and do business with exist-ing and new customers, all in one place. We also expect to attract fleet management companies, vehicle finance houses, logistics providers and soft-ware and equipment suppliers, heavy industry driver training institutions and specialists such as consulting engineers, project managers and civil engi-neering contractors. “It will be the ultimate heavy vehicle shopping experience,” added Fourie.

63O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

After the formalities (gratefully short and sweet, thanks to

the efficient approach of Dr. Paul Vorster, the CEO of

ITSSA), in which it was clear that despite the gloomy times

for the automotive industry, life indeed goes on for ITS practition-

ers, centre stage was taken by Kobus Meiring, CEO of Optimal

Energy and the public face of the Joule, South Africa’s much

hyped electric car. Not having previously been privy to all the ins

and outs of the Joule, I was all ears, not least because of their slo-

gan, “imagineering mobility”, which is a great play on words, and

which would surely get the seal of approval from our publishing

editor, who insists on “words in action”. And I was not disappoint-

ed, because 45 minutes later I had been converted to the electric

car brigade, as if even half of what Kobus Meiring said comes

about, the Joule will be playing a significant role in the global

romancing of the electric car. Space constraints preclude a com-

prehensive overview of Kobus’ presentation, but I believe the high-

lights will provide fascinating fodder for ABR’s readers, and I

promise to revisit the Joule story many times in the future.

We all know that electric cars are greener than the current batch

of internal combustion engines and hybrids, but did you know

that the Joule can be Eskom’s salvation? Ironically, it was indeed

an appropriate presentation on the same day that Eskom

announced a R9,7 billion loss! Kobus Meiring explained that

South Africa’s biggest energy problem is basically its off peak

wastage between the hours of 11pm to 6am. This wastage is equiv-

alent to charging 8 million electric cars during that seven hour

period, and enough juice to drive each car for 20 000 km pa. Even

if only 10% of the government fleet went electric, it would meet

government’s energy savings targets for 2013. If that does not con-

vince the sceptics, how about these convergence of factors:

• Global Warming

• Pollution – and the internal combustion engine is one of the

big culprits

• Energy Security – oil reserves are finite

• Urbanisation – 50% of global population is already urbanised,

and the trend is accelerating

• Global vehicle market – now standing at 800 million units,

and projected at 1,5 billion by 2030

• Advances in battery technology – lithium ion batteries have

come down in weight, from 1300 kg to 300 kg, and now have

a lifetime of 10 years and more (200 000km), the price is

decreasing, and they are still in their infancy! Imagine when

the chicken and egg scenario is over, and volume production

begins!

There’s much, much more, but I’m keeping my powder dry for

future articles, because it seems that the era of electric vehicles is

about to begin. At last year’s Geneva Show only three electric cars

were on display, then about 30 made their appearance at the Paris

show, and 60 are expected at this year’s Frankfurt Show. It is

exploding, and South Africa could be at the forefront of the explo-

sion. Watch this space.

L I F E G O E S O N

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 964

Electrifying AGMAnnual General Meetings are normally boring and staid affairs. Not sothe AGM of the Intelligent Transport Systems South Africa (ITSSA)held on 27th August 2009 at the appropriately named Innovation Hubin Pretoria. The atmosphere was literally electrifying, all because ofthe keynote speaker.

Kobus Meiring, CEO ofOptimal Energy

The ITSSA Brains Trust for the coming year

Mthembeni Mkhize, President of ITSSA,outlined in his President’s address thechallenges for the new year:

• FIFA World Cup transport challenges• Dealing with the skills shortage• Ensuring that the stakeholders under-

stand the requirements for sustainabletransport systems, CAPEX for the shortterm, OPEX for the long term

• Capacitating institutions in theappropriate and integrated use oftransport systems

by Austin Gamble

65

Leading Change in a Turbulent PeriodFinlay Events hosts regular breakfasts under the banner of “Meet the CEOs”, invit-ing leading businessmen to share their secrets of success and to pass on motivation-al titbits to a full house of those in search of the Holy Grail of Business, the pro-ceeds going to the commendable charity NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of AIDS forHumanity). On 8th September 2009 it was the turn of Clive Thompson, CEO ofBarloworld.

Barloworld went through a massive restructuring and repo-

sitioning exercise in 2007, and Clive Thompson could

have been forgiven for expecting an easier ride than what

Barloworld has experienced these past 12 months, but this is what

comes with the territory, and he ruefully admits that he does get

nervous when he hears someone utter the ominous words

“Lehman Brothers”, the guys who started all the trouble last

September. Clive likes to quote Thomas Edison, whose pointed

and precise observation that “vision without execution is halluci-

nation” could have been twisted to “hallucination without vision

is execution” during the dark times in 2009. But the guys at

Barloworld are made of sterner stuff, and this 100 year old com-

pany and its CEO was perfectly placed to address the topic

“Leading Change in a Turbulent Period”.

Clive Thompson defines the tension between memory and vision

as the creation of a burning platform for change, with the provi-

so that it must be based on the template of past successes, and the

philosophy that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Thus the commitment

to lead in empowerment and transformation, the need to manage

long term relationships, and the requirement of an ability to

develop and grow business in multiple geographies (even Siberia!).

This presages the need to leverage core competencies, systems and

best practices. All of this required a recalibration of Barloworld’s

vision and strategy, which came out as “To be a recognised global

market leader in the provision of integrated solutions in distribu-

tion, rental, fleet management, product support and logistics to

customers in our chosen business segments”. This required the

unbundling or selling off of Barloworld’s manufacturing business-

es, and the renewed focus on the core business of distribution in

equipment, automotive, handling and logistics.

So what is Barloworld’s leadership philosophy? Clive spelt it out

succinctly and clearly:

• Focus on long term sustainability

• Servant leadership – the removal of obstacles for the guys cho-

sen to do the job

• Nurture talent and cultivate succession

• Develop and empower people

• Embrace and harness diversity

• Lead by example

• Inculcate Barloworld’s culture and value systems

• Clear communication – refer previous points

The other critical part of the mix is Barloworld’s 10 pillars of

sustainability. ABR looks at some of these, which are all premised

on the fact that the customer and all stakeholders are key:

• Leveraging brands – from Audi to Subaru to VW in the

automotive context

• Products to Solutions – a reduced emphasis on physical prop-

erties, and a shift to a higher order value proposition, i.e. focus

on selling solutions

• Growth – particularly in emerging markets, which includes

shivering in Siberia

• Solutions for the energy crisis – innovation and inspiration

• Empowerment and transformation – BEE is now a given, so

the need to go beyond what is expected

• Leading change – through the worst financial crisis since 1929

• Focus on capital preservation and sustained cash flow – the

importance of this pillar cannot be overemphasised

Add to this the need to read the signs in advance and to take

action early; to remain alert to acquisition and organic growth

opportunities; and to position the company to be strong for the

upturn which is coming, the only question is when.

There you have it. Life goes on, and it’s good to know that there

are companies like Barloworld who are prepared to lead change

through turbulent periods.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

L I F E G O E S O N

Lynette Finlay and Clive Thompson at the Finlay Events breakfast.Lynette estimates that there are 2 million AIDS orphans in South

Africa, and she adds the scary statistic that one in four SouthAfricans are orphaned by the age of 15.

B u r f o r d o n b r a n d s

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 966

Heady Days for Hyundai

When the first Hyundais arrived in South Africa in the early 1990s thanks to

the now long-defunct (and distinctly shady) Wheels of Africa group, we had a

good chuckle and it was nice to have something to knock in print again, seeing

that the Japanese brands had long-since proved their worth. And some of those

early Hyundais were a bit dodgy, though maybe never as bad as was made out and

anyway, their low price was adequate compensation. They rapidly became known

for offering tremendous bang for the buck (they were ostensibly built in

Botswana from 1996, thereby sidestepping South African import duties because

the factory was in the same customs community) and even today the first Accent

and smoothly-sculptured second-generation Elantra still have an enviable rep-

utation in the marketplace.

And as the twilight of the first

decade of 21st century

approaches, Hyundai (and

for the sake of accuracy it

must be pointed out that the

umbrella company includes Kia Motors,

which they purchased 51 percent of in

1998 though now own some 38 percent)

is now the fourth largest car manufacturer

in the world by volume, sneaking past

Ford after sales figures for the first half of

this year were announced.

The Reuters news agency researched the

industry and recorded 2,153 million units

for the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group,

just ahead of Ford, with 2,145-million. Of

the 10 leading brands in the survey,

Hyundai’s decline in sales (two percent)

compared to the same period last year was

far lower than all its rivals. Ford was down

by a third, and Toyota – the largest seller

of vehicles – declined by just over a quar-

ter. The global market was down by

15 percent year on year and Hyundai’s

figure meant it outsold Renault by a figure

of two to one...

This strong performance came on the

back of sales of over 250 000 units in

China, 56 percent up from a year earlier.

Africa has also become an important mar-

ket and sales recently passed the one mil-

lion mark, of which Hyundai Automotive

South Africa has contributed 20 percent.

While the first half-million took 29 years,

it took just another four years to double

that number.

Hyundai Motor Company was founded

in December 1967 and soon entered into

a contract with Ford to assemble the

Cortina and Granada for the South

Korean market. Towards the mid-70s the

brand set out to make its own cars, using

ItalDesign for styling and design and

Mitsubishi for most of the mechanicals.

The result was the Pony, production of

which began in 1975. Through the 1970s

and 1980s Hyundai continued to make

use of Ford and Mitsubishi technology

but by the early 1990s was making its own

engine, signaling the start of an era of gen-

uine independence.

Wheels of Africa was liquidated at the end

of 1999, briefly leaving local Hyundai

owners wondering what would happen as

far as warranties, servicing, and parts

availability were concerned. But by April

2000 Hyundai Automotive South Africa

had been formed after Associated Motor

Holdings, a division of Imperial Holdings,

announced an agreement with Hyundai

Motor Company for the importation and

distribution of Hyundai vehicles and

parts.

There was a collective sigh of relief that a

large, established group had picked up the

pieces, and today there are over

90 Hyundai dealers in Southern Africa.

It is represented in most segments of the

market, including recently venturing into

the van and light bus sectors with the

H-1, a model which has had very positive

reviews.

Hyundai is keen to highlight its environ-

mental credentials and at the recent

Frankfurt Show, it created a special ‘Blue

Drive Zone’ on its stand where it

showcased a wide array of its new eco-

friendly technologies and products.

Centre stage went to the world debut of

the ix-Metro, a new Hybrid Electric

European sub-B segment which promises

CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The other

world debut for Hyundai was the i10

Electric, a production-ready zero emis-

sions vehicle which is set to go on sale in

Korea in the second half of 2010.

Powered by a 49kW motor and a 16kWh

battery, the i10 Electric promises a driving

range of 160 km and top speed of 130

km/h.

While the plug-in version may be a long

way from being relevant in South Africa,

its internal combustion namesake is

establishing a solid reputation for itself, as

is the larger i20. They’re playing a vital

role in shifting the brand into a new space

in the marketplace where high value is its

main calling card and where it is taken

very seriously indeed. Laughter is only

notable for its absence.

by Adrian Burford

V e h i c l e L a u n c h

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 968

Small isBIG Fiat Group Automobiles South Africa(Pty) Ltd is on a mission, and this mis-sion is to build the Fiat brand in SouthAfrica, and in the process to positionitself as a provider of European styledvehicles and to offer an unequalledvalue proposition. The launch of theFiat Linea is an important buildingblock of this strategy. And it was clear atthe launch that Fiat, even though it wasunsaid, is anxiously hoping that SouthAfricans would be more like theEuropeans, and accept that small is big.

The Fiat Linea is not a small car, but in relative terms its

engine is small. It sits comfortably in the segment C

sedan class, and in the words of Oscar Rivoli,

Managing Director of Fiat Group Automobiles South

Africa, the essence of the Linea is “bang for buck on the style,

space and gadget scale, you don’t get any better than the Linea.”

The Indians and indeed the Europeans agree, with the Linea

scooping both the 2009 Indian Car of the Year title (Autocar

India) and the Autobest 2008 award (representing 15 European

countries), successfully fending off contenders like the Hyundai

i20, Kia Cee’d, Mazda 2, Skoda Fabia and Toyota Corolla. Styled

in Italy, built in India, and sold across many continents, the Linea

is a world car by most measures, and if international trends are

anything to go by, then it should do well in South Africa. The big

question is whether the average South African family will accept a

classy sedan, with all the bells and whistles, but with a smallish

1400 engine pushing out 66kW? The engine does the job, but not

without judicious use of the gears, and that is why I predict that

Fiat will soon cover their bases with additional engine options in

the not too distant future. Not that I am personally against small-

er engines, and despite the motoring media having passed prema-

ture judgement on this matter, it is maybe time for South Africans

to be more European. Maybe they are already on this path, and

companies like Fiat are accelerating the process? No matter, with

this engine, which incidentally is built entirely by robots, the Fiat

Linea has a top speed of 165 km/h, and accelerates from 0 to 100

km/h in 16.62 seconds. Consumption is among the best in its

class: 10 l/100 km in the urban cycle, 6.6 l/100 km out of town

and 7.8 l/100 km in the combined cycle.

It is in the category of interior appointments that the Linea really

excels, with standard equipment that normally only comes with

much more expensive cars. This is the trade off that Fiat is hop-

ing that the consumer will buy into, and in the words once again

of Oscar Rivoli, going for “substance and function, aspirational,

more for less, i.e. the intelligent choice”, or my translation, the

European choice. Of particular interest is Fiat’s unique

Blue&Me®* telematics system, which is state of the art and the

benchmark in communication, information and entertainment.

The launch price of the Fiat Linea 1.4i Emotion is R175 000

(incl. VAT), with 20 000 km service intervals and a three-year 100

000 km Warranty (three years on paintwork and five years on rust

anti-perforation) as well as a standard three-year 60 000 km serv-

ice plan, and AA Fleetcare roadside assistance for 12 months.

How well will the Fiat Linea do? Only time will tell, and time is

what is needed for the South African motorist to become more

European.

by Howard Keeg

V e h i c l e E v a l u a t i o n

69

The Real Deal by Howard Keeg

It has been some time since I had a German car for a week long test, and within fiveminutes of getting into the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI Highline, I started to realisewhat I had been missing. Superb build quality, a solid feel, precise gear changes,rocket like performance, and top class ergonomics; an all round package that is dif-ficult to fault – in short, the real deal.

What definitely helped were the options that this

wonderful Golf came with. Electric sunroof,

leather seats, a multifunction steering wheel, and

an oh so convenient satellite navigation system,

with an oh so different fraulein voice compared to my regular

GPS. It made the car complete, and I could easily visualise myself

walking into the nearest VW showroom and parting with, let’s

have a look, WHAT! Oh dear, with all these options, the price

sticker is at a wallet searing R320 040. Eina. Even without the

options, the standard price is R272 900, a little steep for a 1400

hatch, albeit an engine from heaven. It is amazing what the mod-

ern gurus can get out of small engines these days. This perfectly

balanced baby delivers 118kW@5800rpm and 240Nm@1500-

4500rpm, with the help of turbos and compressors, making it a

thoroughly marvellous mill.

But maybe, when it comes to price tags, the problem lies with me.

You must realise that my first car, a humble Beetle, purchased in

1972, was well under R2 000, and it was a 1600. Years later, as I

slowly progressed up the corporate ladder, in 1981, I took posses-

sion of a spanking new Audi 100 5, a 1900cc 5 cylinder large

sedan, for R10 000. I stayed with Audis for another ten years, and

I recall that my last Audi, a 1991 500SE, set me back R104 000.

Inflation was starting to take its toll, so maybe new car prices in

2009 are just a reflection of a steadily weakening rand. To get

some perspective, let’s look at house prices. My first house, pur-

chased in 1978, set me back R19 500. The last time I purchased

a house, in 1991, it was R275 000. This self same house would

now fetch over R2 million, even in these depressed times, so

maybe I am the one living in the past. It looks like a decent vehi-

cle, equivalent to the 1991 Audi 500SE, should be roughly one

third of a decent three bedroom home. A third of R2 million

equals roughly R650 000. Let’s look at the price of the top of the

range Audi A4 sedan. R378 500. Aha, so the price of cars is not

bad at all. Better than what it was 20 years ago, relatively speak-

ing. The R272 900 for the standard Golf 1.4 TSI Highline is

looking better and better, but just don’t expect me to fork out

R28 290 for the gps option, even if it has a sexy voice.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

A built in satellite navigation system is very convenient, but R28 290 for this convenience is simply outrageous, considering

the cost of a regular Garmin.

F a s t S o f t w a r e

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 970

Need for Speed shifting intoa higher gear By Richard Macaskill

Need for Speed is an institution in the gaming world. The very first game of the series,The Need for Speed, was released in 1994, and EA’s Need for Speed brand has grownexponentially since then. One of the brand’s most successful instalments came in2003, with Need for Speed: Underground. Almost too successful, some might say, asUnderground was followed by a number of sequels that continued to follow the ille-gal street-racing theme.

Subsequent Need for Speed titles included Underground 2, Most

Wanted, Carbon, ProStreet and Undercover, all games focused

on illegal street racing, modifying and tuning ones cars. Most of

these games were hugely successful, there is no denying that;

but the fact of the matter is that these street-oriented games

were growing more and more tiresome with each instalment.

However, it seems that EA has finally brought back a ‘real’ racing game, not

one in line with the successful street theme, but one that uses real race cars,

real race tracks and offers realistic performance. Enter Need for Speed: Shift.

Pegged on the idea of offering a real driving experience, Shift is a game that

does not limit the player/driver to one city. The games predecessors focused

on the player building up an illegal reputation and evading police through-

out an intricate and involved story, almost losing track of the real racing

experience in the process. However, Shift makes use of tracks from all over

the world, including arguably the two most iconic racetracks in the world,

Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nurburgring in Germany. Shift

rather focuses on a more realistic element: still building up one’s reputation

and career, but as a legitimate racing driver. This means being able to race

on tracks from all over the world, as well as partaking in legitimate and

organised street races in some of the world’s most notable locations, includ-

ing a race along the Thames River in London. What is more impressive than

the Need for Speed franchise’s step away from the illegal scene though, is the

fact that, as Shift has proposed, this game offers one of the best driving expe-

riences that one could get from a game today. Diverse options mean that this

game is ideally suited for both absolute beginner and consummate veteran.

These diverse options mean that, if set correctly, the performance, reactions

and experience of being in control of these race cars comes as close to real as

could be expected. One of the most notable areas in which you get the true

driving experience is in the handling of the vehicles. Although some might

say the handling is extremely difficult to deal with, it is certainly much more

realistic than Shift’s predecessors, and this applies to every car. Furthermore,

the settings can be dialled down until one becomes accustomed to the han-

dling and controls. With an array of cars ranging from old Nissan Skylines

to the GT-R and from the Toyota Corolla to the Pagani Zonda, Shift offers

the player the opportunity to experience myriad vehicles, and to do so in a

game where the differences of front, rear and all-wheel drive make a tangi-

ble difference on the racetrack.

Accurately-modelled vehicles, accurately-modelled racetracks and city loca-

tions and a fresh idea from EA mean that Shift is definitely the game to take

the franchise further. While it may have been risky to step away from the

street scene, the sheer impressiveness of the game ensures that not only will

Shift carry the brand’s mantle successfully until the next instalment, but

move it forward as well.

Speedster Bryan Habana was trundled out for the occasion

Sean Vollmar, Track Modeller, shows some intrigued kibitzers how to out Schumi Schumi

T i p p i n g P o i n t

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

Eco-Friendly CitiesIn the previous Tipping Point article in the July 2009 issue of ABR, we analysed the race for

environmentally friendly vehicles, driven by the need to arrest and reverse global warming, dwin-

dling fossil fuel resources, and the realisation by humanity that we simply cannot continue with

our wasteful ways. Klaus Langer predicts the demise of the internal combustion engine within 15

years and he anticipates a wave of new engines and new technologies to emerge in a much shorter

space of time than we currently anticipate. But it not just the automotive industry that has to get

its act together. In this Tipping Point article, we take an intriguing look at eco-friendly cities.

Abu Dhabi is at the forefront of change and is

building a city that will run entirely on solar

power, recycled waste, and other new age power,

and it will not allow cars in this city. The premise

is that fossil fuels belongs to the previous century,

and that the city of the future will be zero-carbon

and zero-waste, and that the main power source will be the sun, a

natural resource that mankind has been ignoring for centuries,

but is available 12 hours a day, free of charge. It is true that the

initial costs of Masdar (the name for this city) will be higher than

a traditional city, but once built it will comprise 1 500 business-

es, 50 000 residents, and 40 000 commuters, and these corporate

and private citizens will consume 75% less electricity and 60%

less water than older and badly planned cities. Masdar means

“source” in Arabic, which in years to come will prove to be entire-

ly prescient, as this city will be the source of inspiration and the

pioneering source for the environmentally friendly cities of the

future. The city will not be just a showpiece; it will

be home to a green-tech research institute, and the

city will also serve as a laboratory to test carbon-

free products and alternative energy ideas. The

one question that is still to be answered is whether

smoking will be allowed within the city limits?

Sun Power can be mined in manyinnovative ways:

• Solar thermal farms concentrate the sun’s heat with mir-

rors to create power, and this may be the way for Eskom to

boost its electricity reserves without burning any more of

that dirty sulphur leaden coal (the sun does not play

favourites – it gives all of humanity its warmth and poten-

tial power!)

• Photovoltaic plants use silicone cells to turn sunlight

directly into electricity, and this is a technology that still

has a long way to go, and when it becomes ubiquitous it

can provide the world with carbon-free power

• Solar-powered desalination plants can be used to provide

potable water for all the sea facing cities around the world

Klaus Langer

A series of articles based on interviews with Klaus G. Langer, an inde-pendent supply chain consultant and self confessed environmentalistwho proudly sees himself as a “Cultural Creative”, which is an influen-tial group of new progressives who are disenchanted with materialism andhedonism, and who are at the forefront of prodding mankind to movefrom conventional to rational and responsible thinking, and to encour-age participation in an ethical expansion, focusing on “balanced ratherthan negative reciprocity”

72

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 974

Coshed in Klerksdorp

Partinform is fun. Partinform is a must to attend, and

Partinform is a great forum to network in a relaxed

informal environment, with munchy food and nour-

ishing drink to wash it down and a chance to win

some really useful prizes. Partinform is also serious,

and for those in the aftermarket who tend not to look at the

aspects of safety, quality, technology and value for money, and

their responsibility to their customers, Partinform can be a reality

check. Thus, it would not be remiss to say that for those dabbling

in low priced poor quality product in the KOSH (Klerksdorp,

Orkney, Stilfontein, Hartbeesfontein) area, a visit to Partinform

would have been the equivalence of running into a firmly held

cosh. Klerksdorp is the biggest town in the gold mining area of

KOSH, and it is named after the first landdrost in the area, one

Jacob de Clerq. This area serves the needs of a large slice of North

West motorists, and thus was deemed important enough for a

visit by Partinform, the information arm of AAMA (Automotive

Aftermarket Manufacturers Association). Partinform promotes

local brands and disseminates the vital message of quality, safety

and value for money to all corners of the country through its tried

and tested mini-trade show format, by getting face to face with

the resellers and end users in the rural areas and emerging mar-

kets. The focus is on educating the industry on the different qual-

ity levels of the automotive parts that are available in this country,

and the ancillary aspect of warranty and technical support, which

with the introduction of the Consumer Protection Bill in 2010,

assumes a huge role for the future. ABR gives its readers a mon-

tage indicating the good vibe at the show:

Howard Keeg follows the action

75O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

The name is Murphy, Colin Murphy.

Colin Murphy, Chairman of Partinform,reminded the audience of the importance ofthe Consumer Protection Bill, and the addi-tional responsibility of parts resellers and fit-ters to meet the needs of the modernmotorist in times of recession, and to keeptheir vehicles in pristine condition. Peopleare holding on to their cars for longer, andthey have demonstrated their commitmentto maintaining their cars, and the onus restson the shoulders of the aftermarket industryto provide superior levels of service to thesemotorists – and a critical aspect of this serv-ice is to provide branded, quality productwith the concomitant support in technicalback up and warranty support.

A new face at Partinform was that of Jayaprakash(JP) Divakaran, Business Manager South Africa &

Southern & East Africa, Adhesive Technologies,Henkel South Africa (Pty) Ltd. JP, a 20 year veter-

an at Henkel, told ABR that he comes to SouthAfrica after eight years in Dubai handling a similarportfolio for Henkel’s Middle East and North Africa

area, encompassing 13 countries. Henkel achieved400% growth in the Middle East over the past fiveyears, and JP is hoping to make analogous progress

in South Africa. The Teroson brand, a marketleader for Henkel worldwide, will play a major role

in these plans, and JP is holding a can of Terosonbrake & clutch cleaner, which has some great prop-

erties. More on this in future issues of ABR.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 976

Jackie Wiid of KCC EngineRebuilders was the happy winnerof the Forza Racing Ferrari TrackExperience, which will take place

at the Zwartkops Race Track onFriday 19th November 2009. Fourother lucky winners will be drawn

at the Port Elizabeth Partinformon the 13th October 2009. These

winners will truly deserve thisprize, as they will have been part

of the readers who responded toABR’s Competition Corner sincethe beginning of the year. A big

thank you for the impressiveresponse, and well done in advanceto the fortunate four, and bad luckto the hundreds who did not have

the luck of the draw. Better lucknext year.

There were hordes of photographers at the event.

C o r p o r a t e C o n s c i e n c e

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 978

Corporate governance encompasses

many things which would require

many tomes of dry prose to fully

explore, so for the sake of brevity Patrick

Latouche distils its essence into the fact

that in today’s enlightened times business is

no longer just about making money, or get-

ting the best possible return on investment

in the short term. The financial aspect is

still vital for the sustainability of a business,

but nowadays two additional pillars of pro-

bity are seen as equally important. The sec-

ond pillar is that of a social conscience,

which Andrew Carnegie recognised a cen-

tury ago, but only became mainstream less

than fifty years back. The third pillar of

environmental awareness and proactive

behaviour is extremely broad but has come

frighteningly onto the radar in the past two

decades, and who knows where this aspect

will eventually end up in the big scheme of

things. On this premise, Patrick asked him-

self a single question, “Where does

Sparepro fit into this dynamic?”

Using examples quoted by Judge King,

Patrick cites two large multinationals who

exemplify the modern approach, and

examples of their reaction to regional or

behavioural problems, and the conversion

of these challenges into opportunities, and

transforming a negative into a positive.

Coca-Cola, a brand builder of note for the

past 100 years, had a bottling plant in India

that was denuding the immediate environ-

ment of its potable and irrigation water,

and this was generating negative publicity

over and above the impact on the local

population. Rather than close the plant

down, which would have been the easy way

out, Coca-Cola redesigned the plant to use

recycled water, and now is lauded for con-

tributing to the regional economy and con-

tinuing to employ the locals whilst not neg-

atively impacting the environment – and

good for business. The second example is

that of Proctor and Gamble developing a

bio-degradable disposable nappy, which

shall be shortly on the shelves, and thus

allowing young mothers to continue their

throw away lifestyle whilst at the same time

solving the serious waste problems that

were arising from millions upon millions of

non-disposable nappies accumulating on

dump sites. Sparepro may not be as big as

these giants, but it is a microcosm of what

business is all about, and its report card is

first class. From a financial perspective,

2009 has been a good year by any measure-

ment, be it margins, stock turn, debtors

ageing, liquidity position, transparency,

you name it. But what really excites Patrick

is that in the area of social conscience,

Sparepro is ahead of the game, and that the

change came from within. Sparepro’s social

initiatives revolve around handicapped

children, disadvantaged women and the

elderly, and these sterling activities have

been well documented in previous issues of

ABR. On the environmental front,

Sparepro has begun to beautify its sur-

roundings, and has many plans in the

pipeline. The Sparepro building is going to

get a facelift in the coming year, and

unutilised land will be cleared to allow for

the planting of fruit and vegetables, with

each patch and each tree the responsibility

of individuals and departments. This is all

designed to wake up the consciousness, and

to encourage a commitment to an individ-

ual’s environment, be it business, family,

friends, community, etc. The bottom line is

to support the Sparepro/Toni brand with

positive energy. Sparepro wants its cus-

tomers to buy the Toni brand not because

of price only, not because of quality only,

but because of the perception of overall

value. Value throughout the supply chain,

value through relationships, value through

a corporate and social commitment.

Patrick strongly believes that the customer

of tomorrow will buy on perception, not

price, and will support a business on the

basis of a set of values, and the package that

the business and its brands represent. In

other words, the customer will support a

business with heart and soul. Patrick gets

immense satisfaction in the fact that he sees

on a daily basis the change in the people in

the organisation, and he is driven to up the

game, and to take Sparepro even further

along the corporate conscience curve.

* YPO is the acronym for the YoungPresidents’ Organisation, a group of some 20 000 leaders across 100 countries, a fraternity of achievers sharing, growing andgiving back. Price Govender, the founder ofSparepro, is a member of this exclusive organ-isation.

Building a Brand on PositiveEnergyRecently, the Pretoria chapter of the YPO* hosted Judge Mervyn

King, to allow him to dispense his words of wisdom on corporate gov-

ernance. It was the astute observations by the learned judge that

gave Patrick Latouche, C.E.O of Sparepro, pause to reflect on how

Sparepro measures up against other companies, big and small.

1. Stanley Anderson2. Hyundai3. Continental4. Benz Velo5. Jem Marsh and Frank Costin of Cosworth6. Jody Scheckter7. Buick8. Indianapolis9. Glassport Motors10. Enzo Ferrari

11. Ferry Porsche (son of Ferdinand)12. Swiss13. John Surtees14. Hergen Fekken and Johnny Gemmel15. Bill France16. Ken Howe17. Herbie18. South Africa (in 1904)19. Two hours20. Audi

Answers From page 62

Down, but not outEmperor’s Palace was the location of a breakfast presen-tation, hosted by Hulamin, from Cees Bruggermans,chief economist at First National Bank, on 22 September. The presentation focused on the recent,and still prevalent, economic crisis. Refreshingly however, Bruggermans did not speak about how badthings have been, how bad they still are and how toughthey are going to be to fix. Instead, the true reasonsbehind the crisis were revealed, as was the path to reco-very. A common misconception is that the sub-primelending plan and Lehman Brothers’ subsequent bank-ruptcy were the cause of the recession. This was in factmerely a sign of things to come – the recession hadalready begun. “This was the real moment of truth,”noted Bruggermans. “On Monday Lehman went bank-rupt, and on Thursday the treasury was asked for $700billion.” This led to panic, and as Bruggermans joked,“When we panic, we do it in style.” Everyone expectedthe entire collapse of the word economy and prepared for the worst, but thanks to Ben Bernanke,governor of the Federal Reserve Bank, the worst did not happen. Actions were taken to restore thelost faith in the world economy. Bank guarantees restored trust, arranged takeovers restored sys-tem stability, new capital injection improved solvability and collapsing the interest rates led toimproved credit. While we are still reeling from the blow of the crisis, it is, essentially, over. Itwon’t be plain sailing from here, but we are past the worst. “It is actually very difficult to destroythe international financial system,” stated Bruggermans. Many people try to come up with newmethods of making money, and while some will work, some will not. This means that during aneconomic crisis, particularly one as severe as the world has just experienced, these newer methodswill fall away. “The stress-tested, residual innovations from the past thousand years are what youare left with,” he illustrated. So here we are, on the other side, left with a damaged, but still func-tioning economy. There’s some damaged pride too, but expect more on this next month, becauseas we all know, Life Goes On.

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9 79

CLARE VALE –RSF ROADSAFETY AMBASSADORThe Road Safety Foundation has excitedly and proudlyannounced that Clare Vale, South Africa’s only femaledriving in the Wesbank V8 Supercar Series, has acceptedthe invitation to become a Road Safety Ambassador. Inher role as Road Safety Ambassador Clare will be creatingawareness about the road safety challenges in South Africaand offer education and advice, which is vital to changethe road safety situation in South Africa. One of the mainfocus areas will be road safety awareness among femaleroad users under the banner of Women in Road Safety, aforum of the RSF. "We need to get the right messages toroad users and through our Road Safety Ambassadors wewill be able to extend our reach. We look forward toworking with Clare and sharing her expertise with SA road users.” said RSF Director, Petro Kruger. “Roadsafety is an issue of critical importance in South Africa,”said Clare. “I’m totally committed to supporting the RSFand I am looking forward to making a contribution in anyway I can.” Contact: Petro Kruger – 083 386 6963 Dirk Vale - 0792174072

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

H o g g ’ s W a s h - by Gilbert Hogg

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 980

We are the champions,we are the champions,we are the world

Justice my other foot!

I don’t know whether anyone else has picked up on this, but the second that AlastairCook took the catch on the 23rd August 2009, for England to regain the Ashes, anoth-er milestone, of far bigger import, was being recorded in the annals of world sport. Atthat second, South Africa went to the top of the ICC cricket test championship log, togo with their top spot in the ICC limited over internationals rankings. Add to this thefact that the Springboks are on top of the pecking order in the IRB world rankings fortest rugby and they are also the current IRB Sevens World Series champs, and some-thing unique is definitely on the go. I doubt whether this has ever happened before, andmaybe it will never happen again that one nation holds all four titles simultaneously.Wow, quite a feat, particularly if you consider the poor bunch of administrators ourplayers have to endure, and the international bias we also have to contend with. Iattach a Zapiro cartoon that one of my readers sent to me via the internet, and a storyon the Supersport website, which was written by Dan Retief and appeared on 26 August2009. Both of these get the message across far better than anything I could cook up.

“To say that I am pissed off about theIRB’s decision to find theSpringboks and SA Rugby guilty ofbringing the game into disrepute is

only because I can’t come up with astronger expression. The IRB’s so-calledIndependent Committee, chaired by SirJohn Hansen of New Zealand with JudgeGuillermo Tragant of Argentina and for-mer Wallaby captain John Eales, hasplayed it by the book and in the process letdown one of rugby’s great figures, JohnSmit, and the game itself. In the course ofa “judgment” running to some 35 pagesthe trio have left SA Rugby with littleroom to manoeuvre with dire threats ofhow the penalties could have been greaterand how South Africa’s world championswere at risk of being banned (although asubsequent passage revealed that such asanction would have been suspended)from the next World Cup tournament.The committee “expressly found that onthe merits of the case the actions of SARU,its players and team management broughtthe game into disrepute, criticised the judi-cial process and was (therefore) miscon-duct. “The committee separately notedsuch misconduct to be serious in natureand commented that ‘there has been noformal apology, acknowledgement, contri-tion or clarification from either the playersor the SARU themselves.’ “The independ-

ent committee made it very clear in its rul-ing that the playing arena is no place forprotest and that the wearing of the arm-bands showed a serious lack of respect andconsideration for their opponents. It wasclear that if players choose to wear on theiruniforms armbands or other emblemswhich bring the game into disrepute, thenthey have breached that Regulation [11].“The committee criticised SARU becausethey allowed the game and the IRB to bebrought into disrepute by not only failingto attempt to prevent this protest, but byapproving of it and effectively consentingto conduct which was prejudicial to thebest interests of the IRB and of the game.”The Hansen committee has thus chosen tolook at the armband incident in isolationand not delve into the reasons for it occur-ring. It is a classic case of treating thesymptom and not the cause becauseMessrs Hansen, Tragant and Eales elected,copping out in my opinion, to ignore thereason for the Springboks resorting to theirprotest. In so doing they failed to heed aheartfelt message from the world’s most-capped captain and one of the most-capped and most-decorated squads ofplayers in history. The Springboks are notsome two-bit little outfit from the back-woods. They are the current world cham-pions and are No 1 on the IRB’s rankinglist. For them (and the union they repre-

sent) to decide to show dissent in a waythey probably knew would lead to tumultin the oval world’s corridors of power inDublin surely deserved greater considera-tion. The amount of capital letters the IRBaffords itself and its functionaries in all itscommuniqués is revealing of the kind ofstuck-up organisation it is and it is guiltyof shooting the messenger, in this case SARugby and the Springboks, rather thanpaying heed to a Problem that is Seriouslybringing The Game into Disrepute. TheIRB’s disciplinary process is a mess thatdelivers inconsistent and flawed outcomesalmost on a weekly basis. Not only is thejudicial system out of step with the ethosof the game it purports to protect and rep-resent but it does not enjoy the supportand confidence of the players and the pub-lic at large. The Springboks deciding tomake a stand on Bakkies Botha being sus-pended for an action that takes placenumerous times in almost any senior gameplayed around the world was not someknee-jerk by the squad but the result offrustration at inequities visited on themover many seasons. To even link JohnSmit’s name to the phrase “bringing thegame into disrepute” is an insult that can-not be allowed to stand. The Springbokcaptain has suffered severely and unfairlyat the hands of officialdom – Paul Honisstelling him to have a chat to his players at

H o g g ’ s W a s h

81

Lansdowne Road and allowing Ronan O’Gara to scorea try while the Boks’ backs were turned; being unjustlyseverely punished with a six-week ban when, while inpossession of the ball, his hand-off made contact withFrench captain Jerome Thion’s throat at the Stade deFrance; Brad Thorn up-ending him in a spear tackle inwhich he was injured at Eden Park and then receiving asuspension of only one week and the punishmentmeted out to Bakkies Botha for a rugby action whileAndrew Sheridan escaped any censure whatsoever foraiming punches at Andries Bekker’s testicles. There havebeen many other incidents in the course of Smit’s longcareer in which the scales of justice have been weightedagainst his team or one or another of his teammates.Given wiser council the Springboks might have decidednot to wear the armbands but the steps taken and thelanguage used by the IRB is a raging disgrace. How dis-appointing that the much respected John Eales, who inmy estimation was the kind of captain John Smit is, haslent his name to such calumny. The great pity is thatLouis Luyt is not still the president of SARU becauseboy would they have had a fight on their hands!

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

”What’s the Buzz?

AnswersFrom p 21

OGILVY CAPE TOWN’S TV COMMERCIALWITH RONALDO AND CASTROL ISNOTHING SHORT OF A VICTORY

In what may be Ogilvy Cape Town’s most prestigious internationalcelebrity TV shoot, the local agency has used Cristiano Ronaldo to cre-ate a Castrol EDGE commercial to be flighted across the world fromSeptember this year. The commercial, created for BP Lubricants UKLtd, emphasises both Ronaldo and the oil’s ability to perform underextreme conditions. This ad follows in the footsteps of Ogilvy CapeTown’s recent Sun International ad with Charlize Theron. In the com-mercial Ronaldo demonstrates his ability to play football in extremehot and cold weather conditions and then matches this to the oil’scapacity to do the same. “While the glamour of shooting overseas withCristiano Ronaldo is undeniably seductive, more exciting is the factthat we’re developing global work for a global brand from Ogilvy CapeTown,” says Gavin Levinsohn, Ogilvy Cape Town Managing Director.FIFA’s 2008 World Footballer of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, is abrand ambassador for Castrol and a natural fit for a youthful oil brandsuch as Castrol EDGE. Like the oil, Ronaldo is able to perform underharsh and varied conditions.

INACCURATE TYRE GAUGES COST MONEY

Inaccurate tyre gauges could be costing you money and risking your safety. This is the message fromRomano Daniels, Bridgestone South Africa’s General Manager of Group Communications andMarketing. “Inflating your tyres to the correct pressures ensures you get the best lifespan and safety outof your tyres,” said Daniels. “If your tyres are over-inflated, they wear faster in the middle, shorteningtyre life and also reducing traction. Underinflated tyres wear excessively on the shoulders, and also buildup excess heat which could cause a blowout,” he added. He said that many tyre gauges at filling stationswere old or not properly calibrated, leading motorists to set their tyre pressures incorrectly. He recom-mended that motorists buy their own tyre gauges to ensure their safety and maximise tyre life. “A goodportable tyre pressure gauge can be purchased for under R200, a small investment compared to the costof a set of tyres,” explained Daniels. “A really top-class gauge such as those used by motor-racing teams

will cost more, possibly over R500, but will last for many years. There is no doubt that the increased tyre life and safety you will enjoy will more thanrepay the purchase price,” he said. He recommended that motorists keep the tyre gauge in the car and check their tyre pressures weekly. He said thattyre pressures should always be checked when cold. “The best way is to slightly over-inflate your tyres at your closest garage on the way home in theevening,” he said. “Then check the pressures the next morning when the tyres are cold, and deflate them to the correct pressures using an accurate tyregauge.” Daniels said that this would give spot-on tyre pressures, especially important with the upcoming rainy season. “The tread on tyres disperseswater in wet weather. Correct tyre pressures play a major part in ensuring the tread pattern makes correct contact with the road surface as the tyremanufacturer intended, improving your safety,” he concluded.

F a s t W h e e l s

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 982

Despite the efforts of part-time stewards at the Grands Prix tryingto mess up the races, the Formula 1 season with four or five racesto go, depending on when you are reading this, looks like it is head-ing for another grand stand finish as we had in 2008 in Brazil.

We have had late charges from Mark

Webber, despite a drive through penalty,

winning his first Grand Prix in

Germany, Lewis Hamilton, the reigning

champion taking Hungary, veteran

Rubens Barricello getting his first Grand

Prix win in five years on that awful Valencia Circuit in Spain.

Then Kimi Raikkonen got Ferrari’s first win this year at Spa in

Belgium despite great pressure. Never mind those four, what about

Fisichella racing his Force India car using Mercedes Benz power

being fastest in Belgium in the Ardennes Forest and finishing on

the tail of Kimi.

You just can’t predict who is going to win these days. Bookies must

be losing a fortune. Massa getting hit by a spring off fellow

Brazilian Barricello’s Brawn brought in Luca Badoer, a faithful

Ferrari employee and test driver, who hasn’t driven a Grand Prix

car for eleven months, thanks to the FIA testing rules. He is a great

tester but a rusty GP driver.

They could also have had a choice of proven drivers like Nelson

Piquet Jnr fired by Renault whilst playing a junior role as team-

mate to Alonso, Sebastian Bordais (four-time American champi-

on) and a few others who could all shape in a team like Ferrari.

Some people even say that the Michael Schumacher come-back

was engineered by F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, to up flagging

ticket sales on the featureless Spanish harbour circuit.

Could it be fans thought that Fisichella going to drive in place of

Badoer in the Ferrari at Monza was another such plot? He was in

fact staying put after giving Force India a great win and the best

result they have had in their short history in GP racing. In the end,

true to rumour, he went to Ferrari and is staying until the final race

in Brazil. Maybe Force India still owes for the Ferrari V8’s they

used in 2008. Who knows. Liuzzi jumped into the Force India

seat. There was even talk of Alonso getting into the red fire-engine

as he was rumoured to be into the Ferrari line up for next year.

Anyway, despite this merry go round, the Formula 1 season has

had more highs than lows. Brawn GP led the way with six out of

seven wins to start the year. Vettel and Webber also surprised and

the Red Bull Team became a real threat using Renault engines.

Then there was a late come-back of McLaren and Ferrari.

Hopefully Brawn GP is working on getting heat into their tyres on

wet and dry roads so as to continue where Button and Barrichello

left off so they can pull off both titles – Drivers and Manufacturers.

Only the Manufacturers really care about the second one.

I love the bit about the FIM investigating Alonso winning the

Singapore GP after he gained a good few positions when he pitted

for fuel first and came out at the back of the field. His team-mate,

Nelson Piquet Jnr then crashed into the wall which brought out

the safety car. All the others dived for the pits as Alonso went to

the front of the pack and took his first Grand Prix in a few years.

Who actually cares about the 2008 Championship? It is done and

dusted. Once again all this officialdom seems to rear its head to try

and reduce the entertainment and excitement value that Formula

1 GP Racing should have.

Also Renault could get the hell-in as all Manufacturers constantly

threaten in motor sport and withdraw. Next year engines must last

longer. There is no stopping for fuel. I just hope this is not going

to be another economy run as we saw in the Prost days with driv-

ers slowing and dropping places in an effort to finish or actually

running out of fuel altogether. Carrying 200 litres of gas in a light-

weight motor car is no joke for the drivers.

With two more teams joining the pack the one hour final practice

on Saturday will change. The slowest eight drivers will each drop

out of the first and second session leaving ten drivers to fight out

the final ten minute session for pole. That really should make our

Saturday afternoons watching practice the most exciting viewing of

the weekend.

The minimum weight of the cars is going up by 15 kilos to 620

kgs to incorporate the fitting of the KERS system which gives

another 80 hp for a few seconds. Funnily enough the teams said

they are not going to fit this systems anyway. The points awarded

for 1st to 8th stay the same.

Let’s hope this all works out to provide us with as good racing as

we actually see here in South Africa in our local motor racing.

Racing-wise ours is better. Promotion-wise, Formula 1 has got it

wrapped up around the world.

Rumour has it that Toyota, a team that has been run by their Board

Room from the start, will join Honda and BMW and depart the

scene. Not a bad idea maybe if you look at their results. Forecast

is that Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Renault and maybe Toyota will sup-

ply the 2.4 litre V8 engines in future.

by Roger McCleery

FORMULA 1 HEADINGFOR A CRACKING FINISH

83O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

T h e L a s t W r i t e s by Baron Claude Borlz

Spring has Sprung

An Epiphany

A selection of light hearted humour sourced frommy readers and other publications that also try tolighten up our days …

A husband walks into Victoria's Secret to purchase some see-throughlingerie for his wife. He is shown several possibilities that range fromR250 to R1500 in price, the more see-through, the higher the price.He opts for the sheerest item, pays the R1500 and takes the lingeriehome. He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put iton and model it for him. Upstairs, the wife thinks, "I have an idea.It's so see-through that it might as well be nothing. I'll not put it on,do the modelling naked and return it tomorrow and get a R1500refund for myself. So she appears naked at the top of the stairs andstrikes a pose. The husband says, "Good Grief! You'd think forR1500, they'd at least iron it!" His funeral is this Thursday.

A man met a beautiful blonde lady and decided he wanted to marryher right away. She said, "But we don't know anything about eachother." He said, "That's all right, we'll learn about each other as wego along." So she consented, they were married, and off they went ona honeymoon at a very nice resort. One morning they were lying bythe pool when he got up off of his towel, climbed up to the 10 metreboard and did two and a half tuck, followed by three rotations in thepike position, at which point he straightened out and cut the waterlike a knife. After a few more demonstrations, he came back and laydown on the towel... She said, "That was incredible!" He said, "I usedto be an Olympic diving champion. You see, I told you we'd learnmore about each other as we went along." So she got up, jumped inthe pool, and started doing laps. After seventy-five laps she climbedout of the pool, lay down on her towel, and was hardly out of breath.He said, "That was incredible! Were you an Olympic enduranceswimmer?" "No," she said, "I was a prostitute in Vereeniging, but I worked both sides of the Vaal Dam."

This one was in the Did You Hear page of the FinancialMail of 4 September 2009, and is worth repeating:

Klein Piet comes down to breakfast, and since they live onthe farm, his mother asks if he has done his chores, becausehe will only get his breakfast after they are done. A littleticked off; he goes to feed the chickens, cows and pigs, givingthem all a kick in frustration. He gets back to find that break-fast consists of a bowl of dry cereal. “How come I don’t getany eggs and bacon? And why no milk in my cereal?” he asks.His mother explains that she saw him kicking a chicken, acow and a pig. “As punishment, no eggs for a week, no milkfor a week, and no bacon for a week” she explains. Just then,his father comes down for breakfast and kicks the pussycat ashe walks into the kitchen. Piet looks at his mother with asmirk, and says, “Are you going to tell him, or should I?”

SPRINGBOK Citings update:Following Jaque Fourie's four-week ban for knocking overlittle Ma'a Nonu on Saturday, the Sanzar citing committeehas confirmed several further citings: Fourie du Preez hasbeen banned for six weeks for 'looking at Dan Carter in anaggressive manner thatmight have hurt Carter's feelings',while Schalk Burger has received eight weeks for 'deliber-ately entering successive rucks with an untucked shirt, anda general sartorial approach detrimental to the spirit of thegame'. Meanwhile, video evidence showing Richie McCawpulling a knife on Heinrich Brussow to secure the ball in anearly maul has been dismissed by Sanzar, with McCawapplauded for 'creative approach to the contest'.......Sanzarbiased against the Boks? Never.