20 It’s All Smoke & Mirrors

36 Slaughtering Scapegoats

40 Good is the Enemy of Great

45 Cash Rhino

71 Taking Parts to Newcastle

91 Zaugg adds the Midas

touch

Official Mouthpiece of

One recent example is portrayed on our front cover this

month. The AGM battery is a first in the southern

hemisphere, so take that Brazil, take that Australia,

and take that wherever you are south of the equator,

the Springboks have done it again, and led the pack as usual. First

National Battery, who were not coincidentally South Africa’s first

battery manufacturer, has taken the lead again in being the first

company in the southern hemisphere to manufacture AGM bat-

teries. AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat, which is undoubted-

ly the battery technology of the future, now that hybrid vehicles

are becoming old hat and stop-start technology is being intro-

duced into modern vehicles. OEMs are knocking on the battery

manufacturers’ doors and the aftermarket will soon be making its

siren call. Read more on page 12.

All good and well. But an unfortunate corollary, or by-product, of

South African’s propensity in pushing the envelope, is the darker

side of fascination with “alternative” product , or to put it more

bluntly, cheap rubbish masquerading as automotive parts. As our

new democratic nation struggles to find its feet, this is a growing

problem. This problem can be partly blamed on economic neces-

sity, but the more likely culprit is our tendency to approve bloody-

mindedness, developed as we embraced pioneering habits, struggle

credentials, and liberation over education. The short term conse-

quences, similar to the anarchy after the French Revolution, can be

dire, as illustrated in our AAMA Alert article on page 20 – read

this to become a little bit wiser.

One would think that ABR’s articles are all about boom and

gloom. Not in the least. We offer various fare, which can be

savoured from page 1 to page 92, all spiced with words in action.

We are the must read of the month for the automotive aftermar-

ket, and our webpage is rapidly becoming the fix of the day for the

busy and inquisitive executive. ABR is the magazine for all seasons,

so turn the page and get your fix!

T h e P h o e n i x

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 02

South Africans are an innovative lot and have pioneering blood coursing through their veins. The prob-lem is that we tend to take our abilities and achievements for granted, as if it is our divine right to dothings first and do things better, and that it is no big deal for us to lead the way. Our history is litteredwith deeds of derring-do, as our forebears cocked a snoot at obstacles that would have broken lessernations, as they always found a way to do it, or made a plan, from our trekking days through to scalingthe heights in mining, exploration, medical science, conservation, business, sport, you name it. We tendto take charge of our future with little fanfare and a minimum of fuss.

Taking Charge of the Future

Whilst this issue of ABR is jam packed with information, our monthly contributioncannot do justice to the wealth of information available on a daily basis, so don’t

forget to get your daily fix on our website. Make sure that you make regular visits to www.abrbuzz.co.za

C o n t e n t s

Publishing EditorGraham ErasmusCell: 083 709 8184

Editors at LargeAlwyn ViljoenPaul Collings

Intelli-Driving EditorEugene Herbert

CorrespondentsBeeton, FrankBorlz, Baron ClaudeBurford, AdrianFoster, GavinGamble, Austin

Horne, GerhardHogg, GilbertKeeg, HowardMcCleery, RogerPhitidis, PavloTwine, TonyWilde, Fingal

Published byTrilogy Publishing

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4

Official Mouthpiece of

2 The Phoenix

8 What’s the Buzz

12 Cover Feature

16 Personal Profile

18 Show TIme

20 AAMA Alert

22 Product update

26 Auto Topical

28 Frankly Speaking

30 Entrepreneurship

32 The Chery Story

36 Tony’s Take

38 Weighty Issues

40 Life Goes On

42 AIDC Quiz

43 Tyre Talk

45 Wilde Things

48 Intelli-Driving

50 Tyre Safety

52 Customer C.A.R.E.

54 Workshop Update

56 Vehicle Launch

58 Top Class Topics

62 Capricorn Insights

64 Burford on Brands

65 e-CAR

66 The Golden Triangle

68 Launch Update

70 Industry Update

71 Partinform

80 Vehicle Evaluation

81 Consumer Protection Act

82 Workshop & Diagnostics

86 Two Wheels

88 The Fink

90 Fast Wheels

91 Midas Sport

92 The Last Writes

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

Photo Credits: Quickpics • Motorpics

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 08

Renault South Africa and The Knysna Hillclimb haveconfirmed that Renault will be the title sponsor ofthe 2010 event, to be held at the Simola Estate from22 to 24 October.

In a first for a local car manufacturer, Renault will also use theHillclimb as the launch platform for several exciting newmodels, due for their local debut in October. This will allowthe brand to actively participate in the event throughout theweekend. “Renault has a rich heritage of participation in abroad spectrum of motorsport, as well as producing excitingperformance models under the Renault Sport banner,” saysXavier Gobille, Managing Director of Renault South Africa.“In that regard, the Knysna Hillclimb is a perfect match forthe Renault and Renault Sport brands, which will be amongthose showcased during the event. We are looking forward toa close and mutually beneficial relationship with theHillclimb and its organisers. Involving public with the prod-uct we have to offer is key to our business.” Knysna Hillclimborganiser Ian Shrosbree says the confirmation of Renault asthe title sponsor of the Knysna Hillclimb is a great boost forthe event. “Renault has shown a great deal of faith in theevent by taking up the title sponsorship – it highlights theforesight and sporty genetics of the company. “This ethos is agood fit for the Hillclimb which, although only into its sec-ond year, is already one of the most talked about and popularevents on the motorsport calendar.”

RENAULTSPONSORSKNYSNAHILLCLIMB

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

10 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

BIG INTERNATIONAL INTEREST INAUTOMECHANIKA SOUTH AFRICA

There was a great deal of interest by international exhibitors inthe Automechanika South Africa promotional booth at therecent Automechanika Middle East automotive aftermarkettrade fair in Dubai. The next local event will take place at ExpoCentre from March 9-12, 2011. The director of the SA event,Philip Otto, manned the display personally and says he hadstrong interest in his event both from countries and companiesthat participated in the inaugural Automechanika SA inJohannesburg, last year and those that were not there, “The feed-back from those who exhibited in Johannesburg last year wasvery positive and it was great that a major automotive countrysuch as France, which did not participate last year will have anational pavilion in 2011, while Malaysia that had only twocompanies display their wares in 2009 will have a national pavil-ion next year”. He added that the nine South African companiesthat exhibited in the SA pavilion in Dubai were positive abouttheir participation and did substantial business deals.

NAAMSA COMMENT ON THE CO2 VEHICLE EMISSIONS TAX REGIMEEFFECTIVE 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2010

Reacting to an announcement by National Treasury that theCO2 new vehicle tax regime, originally intended to apply to newpassenger cars, would with effect from 1st September, 2010 beextended to include light commercial vehicles – Mr DavidPowels, President of the National Association of AutomobileManufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) said that the deci-sion was alarming and would result in negative and potentiallyserious consequences for the South African vehicle manufactur-ing, importing and distribution sectors as well as associatedindustries. A further matter of great concern was the impact ofthe additional taxes on buyers of new cars and new light com-mercial vehicles. The additional cost to consumers would, onaverage, be of the order of about 2,5%. Based on current salesvolumes, the incremental tax burden amounted to about R1,6billion per annum in respect of new cars and would probably adda further R800 million additional taxes in respect of light com-mercial vehicles. There was no doubt that an increase in the taxburden of around R2,5 billion would depress sales volumes andproduction and will have negative implications for employmentlevels in the vehicle and component manufacturing industries.In line with international developments, NAAMSA accepts theprinciple of environmental taxes to improve air quality and safe-guard the environment in South Africa. Unfortunately, theplanned CO2 tax regime as currently structured will fail toachieve the intended objective. The application of the CO2 taxregime is also inequitable in that it discriminates against buyersof new motor vehicles. If Government was really serious aboutpenalising emissions (a proxy for fuel consumption) the author-ities should introduce an environmental levy on all fuels, petroland diesel.

POWERFUL BUSINESS FOCUSFOR AUTOMECHANIKA SA 2011CONFERENCE PROGRAMME The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) has announced that a major twoday RMI Conference will be staged during the Automechanika South Africa. Inannouncing the RMI’s Conference agenda for Automechanika SA, Jeff Osborne,CEO of the RMI, stated that there were a number of pressing issues and greatopportunities in the industry which need to be focused on and that the RMIConference will address a number of priority issues; these include the need fortraining of skilled manpower to serve the growing shortage of especially technical-ly qualified manpower and business challenges that the modern day entrepreneurhas to contend with. Coupled therewith is the need for the industry to becomemore proactive in promoting the motor industry as a career of choice for schoolleavers, college and university graduates. ”The RMI firmly believes that the motorindustry as a lucrative and stimulating career destination does not receive therecognition it deserves, mainly due to a combination of lack of knowledge aboutopportunities in the industry and archaic perceptions of the nature of the indus-try”, said Osborne. A technical skills competition for motor mechanics, motorbody repairers and spray painters underpinned by MERSETA is also in the offing,with the winners representing South Africa in the 2011 World Skills Contest tobe held in London later in the year. It is expected that the new ConsumerProtection Act and its implementation will also receive detailed attention duringthe Conference. Giving further impetus to the RMI Conference will be comple-mentary sector-specific seminar sessions catering specifically for members ofRMI Constituent Associations .

KenKen 8 x 8How to Play:

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

playing KenKen are fairly simple:

For a 3 x 3 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-8.

• 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 mathematical

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 37

C o v e r f e a t u r e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 012

Leading the Way through CaringDevelopment in the automotive sector is relatively slow when compared to other fields of industry. The med-ical field, for example, is constantly improving on the technology used to ensure the health of the averagehuman being. It has reached the point where robots, instead of human beings, are used to perform elaboratesurgical techniques previously thought of as impossible.

With this in mind we take a look at today’s

motor vehicle. It consists of basically the

same mechanics as the first example built

over a hundred years ago. The various

components have stayed more or less the

same as well. Sure, as far as components

go there have been big developments over the years, but nothing

to make you stand back and take notice. Until now, that

is. A recent development in the field of batteries

is something we should all take notice of.

The custodians involved in bringing

this new technology to our shores?

We have First National Battery

(FNB) to thank for that. FNB

has had a long and proud his-

tory in South Africa. In our

country, for the first 30 years

of the twentieth century, we

relied mainly on imports to

supply our automotive

industry. All that changed

when Mr. J.F. Jackson

founded the First National

Battery Company in East

London, soon to become the

leading manufacturer and dis-

tributor of lead-acid batteries in

South Africa. Quite a big portion of

new vehicles, and vehicles exported to

other countries, are sold with a battery

that came from their factories. They constantly

reach sales figures over the 2 million mark. FNB mar-

kets its batteries under various brand names, but for the purposes

of this article we will only focus on the Exide brand.

The new technology used by FNB is simply referred to as AGM,

or Absorbed Glass Mat battery. The product is called Enduro and

it’s not merely a first for South Africa, but for the entire southern

hemisphere. FNB spent a lot of money bringing this technology

to South Africa. “Designing, manufacturing and testing a new

battery type to the most stringent Engineering specification ever

issued by the German automobile manufacturers was accepted as

a big challenge by the FNB team and it has certainly led us to a

pinnacle of achievement in current lead-acid battery technology.

The base of this development was the in-house knowledge gained

in producing more than four million VRLA miner cap lamps since

1982 based on AGM technology. This, combined with extensive

development work and experience gained from producing in

excess of 10 million lead calcium batteries to demanding technical

specifications for nearly all OEM’s in South Africa, made this

development possible,” says Dr Louis Denner, Managing Director,

First National Battery Division of Metindustrial

Before we explore FNB’s latest project, let’s first take a look at the

humble beginnings of the battery so we can better understand

how important this new technology is. Benjamin Franklin first

coined the term for an electrical storage unit. He had just finished

charging an array of glass plates and needed a name for

said experiment. “Charged glass plates” seemed a

little long, so he settled for the name battery.

During the first hundred years of devel-

opment the battery changed quite a

bit. Experiments were done and

significant changes to the initial

design were made. Gaston

Planté is credited with build-

ing the first lead-acid battery

as we know it today. In 1859

he created the first practical

storage lead-acid battery. It’s

ironic that the battery we

discuss in this article brings

us full circle back to

Benjamin Franklin and his

charged glass plates.

An AGM is a lead-acid electric

storage battery that is sealed using

pressure valves. Electrolyte is absorbed

in separators consisting of a sponge-like

mass of glass fibres and in the plates. It also

uses a recombination reaction to prevent the escape

of hydrogen and oxygen gases that would normally be lost in a

flooded lead-acid battery. This is particularly good news for

cycling applications. Because it is sealed it can also be operated in

virtually any position. Need more convincing? In addition to all of

the above, an AGM battery is completely maintenance free too. “A

product like this is manufactured with much tighter tolerances

and process control than conventional flooded lead-acid batteries

and FNB is employing state of the art technology in the produc-

tion of the VRLA batteries based on a mix of imported equipment

and equipment designed and made in-house by FNB,” says

Dr Denner. What we have here is a big step up from traditional

wet batteries. The Enduro works on a recombinant principle. The

oxygen produced by the positive plate, which is normally lost in a

traditional battery, is absorbed by the negative plate. This means

that Enduro never needs to be watered, which in turn means it

never has to be opened. Traditional batteries don’t have these pres-

surised sealing vents as they work on a completely different prin-

ciple. Having no seal means the liquid electrolyte can spill from a

traditional battery which leads to corrosion and eventual

replacement. Transporting these batteries has become a

bit of a headache since they always have to be specially

packed and always installed in an upright position.

Enduro has put an end to these problems.

“It is a product made to the highest manufacturing and

environmental standards that will give the user a product

with exceptional performance characteristics and features

not offered before by a local supplier. In short, this bat-

tery when compared size for size, with traditional flood-

ed batteries will give you a longer life three times the

cyclic endurance, at least 30% better high current per-

formance, much better vibration resistance, a spill proof

battery that never needs to be opened to top up, and a

very long shelf life when stored in a charged state. It is

also a product that is ideally suited for Stop/Start systems

that are being introduced by car companies to limit emis-

sions of exhaust gases making it a good purchase for these

applications that will result in a greener environment,”

says Dr Denner.

A major advantage of the Enduro is its spill proof and

leak proof structure. In addition to a maintenance free

lifecycle, it also won’t corrode the terminals and can be

installed in virtually any position. Other advantages

include: fully air transportable without having to resort

to special packaging, completely compatible with sensi-

tive electronic equipment like Stop/Start technology

(more on that later) and most of the modern features fit-

ted to a car, and very low to absolutely no gas discharge.

This gives it green credentials that traditional batteries

can only dream about. Moreover, it’s excellent for start-

ing and stationary applications, superior for shorter dura-

tion/ higher rate discharge and superior under cold con-

ditions when fully charged. The unit is extremely rugged

and resistant against harsh vibrations. Its superiority is

also unmatched when it comes to shelf life and recharge

ability and can even be operated in a wet environment.

Have a look at the list of applications that are suited to

the Enduro:

• All of the modern vehicles with electrically operated

features and safety systems. The Exide Enduro has no

problem keeping the voltage up on a high-end

German saloon.

• Farmers can use it on tractors, or any other kind of

harvesting equipment. The sealed unit is also perfect

for forestry, like the plantations we have in

Mpumalanga.

• Being longer lasting makes it perfect for our public

transport sector. Owners of taxis, buses, etc will find

it particularly useful.

• Owners of customised 4x4’s will enjoy the many

installation options of the Enduro. Because it is com-

pletely sealed it can be installed in any position you

wish. The normal batteries on 4x4’s and diesel engine

vehicles are prone to failure because of the harsh

vibrations they face. This leads to early replacement

and irritation on the consumer side. Enduro will take

care of this problem once and for all.

C o v e r f e a t u r e

13S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Inside the Enduro AGM Battery

C o v e r f e a t u r e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 014

It seems then that the Enduro is the

answer to every conceivable battery prob-

lem. The traditional battery has a few

major flaws, each one addressed by this

new technology. Flooded electrolyte bat-

teries can spring leaks, only operate in an

upright position, have a shorter shelf life,

cannot be installed near sensitive electron-

ic equipment and have fewer shipping

options. None of this is a problem for

Enduro. Exide Enduro is not hindered by

the ni-cad plague known as “memory.”

After shallow discharge cycles the unused

portions of the electrodes remember the

previous cycles and are unable to sustain

the required discharge voltage beyond the

depth of the previous cycles. This is quite

a nuisance since the only viable solution

to this problem is a complete discharge of

the battery, after which it needs to be

completely and slowly recharged. AGM

technology does not share this trait with

ni-cad batteries. Absorbed glass mat bat-

teries also have the green credentials to

make it in the modern world. The Enduro

is particularly well suited to cars that are

fitted with Stop/Start technology. This

system, when fitted to a vehicle, will turn

off the engine when it stops and restarts it

again when the driver’s foot leaves the

brake pedal. It is estimated that around

2.8 million vehicles fitted with this system

will be produced worldwide in 2010

alone. Stop/Start is a seemingly simple

idea, but one with great rewards. It is cal-

culated that the fitment of such a system

to any car will see fuel consumption low-

ering by 3% to 5%. With fuel prices going

through the roof, one can see how impor-

tant this Stop/Start technology is set to

become. On the flipside, carbon emissions

are also reduced by up to 20%, depending

on the vehicle.

A big chunk of the importers and manu-

facturers in South Africa have already

noted their interest in Stop/Start systems.

The list currently consists of Ford, Mini,

BMW, Nissan, Audi, Volkswagen,

Mercedes Benz and Peugeot. As previous-

ly mentioned, FNB is the first manufac-

turer to offer this technology in the

Southern hemisphere, so things are look-

ing good for them. The reason the Enduro

is so well suited to this task is twofold. A

Stop/Start system needs a deep-cycle

resistant battery that must be well charged

even when the engine is idling or running

at lower engine speeds. The pressure on

the battery, when continuously called

upon to start the engine, is immense, but

Enduro just shrugs this off. It’s also robust

enough to keep on powering such necessi-

ties as headlights, electronics and air-con-

ditioning when the engine is switched off.

AGM batteries are, however, not limited

to Stop/Start technology. It seems as if

manufacturers are constantly developing

systems to save fuel and cut down on

emissions. The one factor that does how-

ever stay the same is the use of AGM bat-

teries. “Stop/Start and regenerative appli-

cations require a battery with very good

partial state of charge ability requiring

many charge and discharge cycles rather

than the conventional deep cycle ability,”

says Louis Denner.

These new systems are also referred to as

micro-hybrid functions. BMW recently

developed a new system to work in con-

junction with their Auto Start Stop func-

tion. Naturally they used AGM batteries.

It seems as if AGM technology is at the

forefront of all reduced emissions develop-

ments where batteries are needed. You

can’t talk about batteries in vehicles with-

out referring to hybrids and full-on elec-

tric transportation. The Advanced Lead-

Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) is a

research consortium originally formed in

1992 to advance the capabilities of valve-

regulated lead-acid batteries. “FNB is a

member of this international organisation

whose aim is to pioneer development

work with lead-acid chemistry in hybrid

electrical vehicles,” says Denner. “Part of

their current work is focused on using

AGM VRLA batteries with enhanced car-

bon additives to the negative plate of the

battery for such applications.” According

to ALABC the “task for the battery in a

hybrid electric vehicle is particularly

demanding as it is required to operate

from a partial state of charge so that regen-

erative braking energy can be accepted

efficiently.” As we already know, this is just

one of the many positive attributes of an

AGM battery. The high current of an

AGM battery will also ensure that hybrid’s

perform in accordance with their

petrol/diesel stable mates.

Most of the hybrids on sale today make

use of AGM technology and it’s gotten to

a point where you can’t tell the difference,

in performance, between a conventionally

powered vehicle and a hybrid.

These futuristic applications are quite

interesting, but you might be wondering

what Enduro can do for you today.

Owners of 4x4’s, boats, diesel engine vehi-

cles, caravans or solar powered equipment

will find it useful. Enduro can cope with

the heavy demands that they make and

will keep on doing it for a longer time

than a conventional battery. As previously

mentioned, AGM batteries have high

starting currents (up to 30% more current

than conventional battery) and are suit-

able for deep-cycle applications. Perfect

for a diesel engine car that demands a high

starting current or for prolonged use in a

caravan. The most important application

is relevant to anybody with a modern car.

A modern vehicle tends to be more luxu-

riously equipped than most houses.

Standard on most cars we find things like

electric windows, air-conditioning, sound

system and airbags. Remember, this kind

of kit tends to be standard on entry-level

models. This already puts immense pres-

sure on a normal battery to keep up with

everything the average consumer

demands. Higher up the scale we find

things like electric seats, massaging func-

tion, high-end surround sound systems,

media interfaces and even internet. These

things cause excessive drain on conven-

tional batteries. The Exide Enduro’s abili-

ty to deliver a higher current makes it a

necessity for these applications. Even if

you’re only upgrading the sound system

on your car with amps and subwoofers,

you need something like this to keep you

off the side of the road.

Hybrids and Electric vehicles are

undoubtedly tomorrow’s technology. The

evolution of battery technology in the last

decade alone is astounding. Now, that

technology is available to any consumer in

South Africa. We have FNB and their

brand Exide to thank for that. Their slo-

gan, “Through Caring We Lead,” has

never been truer. They cared enough to

spend a massive amount of money to

make AGM available to us and because of

that, they are the undisputed champions

of their field.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 016

JOHN JESSUP

So what investors make up the board,John?

50% is Hallmark (The listed CargoCarriers is a sister company ) with around20 Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Jeep,Nissan and Hyundai dealerships as well asa large interest in the SA GWM importer/distributor. 50% is the Hassim family withRayhaan Hassim, a director of 54 compa-nies including 6 motor franchises, theMagic group of hardware stores, a biginterest in Aucor and many others.

The way forward for Geely?

Having been in the motor industry all myworking life, there is only one way to besuccessful, that is to do the basics right.Have the right range of vehicles to suit thetimes and back this up with parts andafter-sales service to both customers andyour dealers. By motor industry standards,we are basically starting from scratch, withno baggage. For the 2000 units of the pre-vious Geely CK Models in operationaround the country, we have R4m worth ofparts. I have given instructions that if justone vehicle is off the road and we cannotsupply the parts locally, they will be air-freighted in from China at our expense.

How big is your dealer organisation?

We have 12 dealers currently, with another12-15 to be added in the major cities andbigger towns. Also we want to appointservice dealers in the smaller areas. All willhave access to parts, warranty and trainedmechanics to work on our cars, which arepretty straight-forward.

What does the new range of vehicleslook?

We have just launched the new Geely MK1,5 and 1,6 Sedan and MK2 Hatch 1.5.These cars are packed with features. Youcan name just about anything. Our newGeely has got it. Plus all the most impor-tant safety features, including ABS on topmodels. The most surprising thing aboutthe MK/MK2 Range is the price. These areB/C segment sized vehicles in recommend-ed retail price range between R100,000and R120,000 including VAT. Good news– the first parts order is already here in thecountry as well.

What other models are due?

Well, in the under R80,000 to R90,000range we have the Geely 1.3 LK comingearly next year. It has great styling. You cansee immediately why it has Panda badgingin China. It too is packed with all the fea-tures and safety items in the MK, includ-ing ABS and airbags in all the right places.Later next year, a D-segment Geely hits theSouth African market. This high qualitysedan will also be exceptionally wellspecced and well priced. All our vehiclescarry a 3-year 100 000km warranty.

Bakkies/SUV’s?

A luxury double cab is under development.A medium sized SUV could also becomeavailable to us.

On a personal level, how did you getinto the motor industry in SouthAfrica?

After graduating from UPE with a con-sumer psychology degree, I spent two yearswith VW and a further two years withGM. Then it was on to Leyland, and infact I joined Leyland on the same day asBasil Landau, the new CEO. We had agreat team but were let down by thedemise of the parent company in the UK.

You then moved to the Reef?

Yes, to BMW for 18 years, the last six onthe Board with a portfolio of MarketingSales, After-Sales, Dealer Development,Motor-cycles and BMW Finanz. Then Ijoined Nissan where I spent some ot myhappiest times. 8 years in Marketing, andeight years in Dealer Development. Thiscontinued until I took a voluntary packagelast year and then did some fascinatingcontract work for them in South Africa,Egypt and Nigeria.

Where did you go to school?

In PE at Walmer Primary and VictoriaPark High School.

What did you want to do after school?

My Dad was an engineer and I thought Iwanted to follow in his footsteps andmaybe design cars, although there was notmuch opportunity in South Africa. The vocational people said I should do

some kind of social/business science. That,thankfully, is what I ended up doing.Although I must add that I was fortunateenough to be very involved in the stylingand design of certain vehicles.

Into sports?

I did a lot of sports at school. Cricket wasmy passion when younger. I later did ath-letics, tennis and squash, but surfing wasmy life at school and university. Nowadaysit’s golf. But I’m also a fitness enthusiastwith regular gym with a personal trainer.

Did you have a mentor?

Yes. Ronnie Meatchem at Leyland andBMW, who taught me about products,dealers, people and the real world of themotor industry. As somebody I reallyadmire, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan andRenault worldwide, for his very clear com-munications, modern processes and bril-liant leadership skills.

Married?

I have a daughter, Anna, who is an adver-tising graduate and does work for the largeagencies.

When are you going to retire?

I haven’t thought about it. Geely has comealong and given me a great opportunity toset up a car company and to make it real-ly work, and then we’ll take it from there.

P e r s o n a l p r o f i l e

by Roger McCleery

Q & A

In the 60’s people said “The Japanese are coming” referring to their bakkies, cars and motorcycles. Now they are No 1 in the world. Thenit was the Koreans, who would never shape, they said. They are now 4th biggest in the world. Now you hear “The Chinese are comingwith their cars, bakkies, MPV’s, SUV’s and heavy trucks”. With the biggest vehicle market in the world and benefitting from the vehi-cle technology all around them, it will take a fraction of the time the Japanese and Koreans took to get established and to take on theWestern Hemisphere companies. Initially our Government opened the doors to Chinese vehicles that lacked spares and service. Quickbucks were made by some non-motoring importers, but generally they were gone in a short time. Now the Chinese and their South Africanfranchisees realise that they are up against the established motor companies in South Africa and need experienced South African motormen to handle their businesses to head up their franchises. Such a company is Geely with a well constituted all-South African Board anda died-in-the-wool and fired-up experienced motor man, John Jessup (63) heading up the company as CEO.

S h o w T i m e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 018

WATS receives WARM Welcome ona Chilly August Morning!

The WATS (Workshop Aftermarket & Technology Show) Media & Exhibitor/Visitor Breakfast Launch, hosted at the

proposed 1st time Venue, Ilanga Estate Bloemfontein, received a very WARM welcome from everyone present.

Those in attendance were for the first time exposed to the evolution, vision & mission of the WATS Expo’s and where it slots

in so well with other show offerings in South Africa. Much enthusiasm & excitement for the forthcoming first time event

reverberated throughout the breakfast. Technology & Training is always at the forefront of everything WATS exhibits; how-

ever, parts, component suppliers, Garage Equipment, tools & IT suppliers are always there, fulfilling their never ending important

roll. With the continued & much valued support of the RMI, in the form of Louis van Huyssteen & his team, Merseta, Capricorn

and other loyal WATS exhibitors, this inaugural expo will prove to be of great value to Motor Industry Members throughout the

Free State.

Entrance is FREE! – visit www.wats.co.za to register as an exhibitor or visitor or contact Miranda on 082 9680 214,admin@wats.co.za or Johann on 082 5515 061or Email: info@wats.co.za

Ready to roll: Members of the team at the breakfast, from left to right Louis van Huyssteen,Gerhard Slabbert,Miranda de Bruyne, Johann de Bruyne and Giel Steyn.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 020

AAMA CREATES AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES OF THE DAY

A L E R T

In the April 2010 issue of ABR, our AAMA Alert covered the curse of counterfeiting in the automotive indus-try, and our call for an industry conscience. We ended off with the noble statement that conscience shouldalways trump profit, and the interesting conclusion that businesses run on ethical lines ironically last longerthan those run on purely self-seeking lines, i.e. conscience equals long term sustainability.

The enigma to all this is that sometimes

businesses sell counterfeit product with-

out being aware that the product is not

kosher. The product may walk like a duck,

and quack like a duck, but it may not be

the genuine article, in both latent physical

properties and performance. Thus, retail-

ers and maybe even wholesalers could be

selling a product that they are not aware is

counterfeit. If one looks up the definition

of counterfeit in Wikipedia, you get “a

counterfeit is an imitation, usually one

that is made with the intent of fraudulent-

ly passing it off as genuine. Counterfeit

products are often produced with the

intent to take advantage of the established

worth of the imitated product”. This is

true, but does not hit the nail on the head.

Better definitions are “representing by

imitation or likeness; having a resem-

blance to something else”; or “to carry on

a deception; to dissemble; to feign; to pre-

tend”. A very good example of this are

Toyota Quantum wheel bearings, current-

ly been sold by various wholesalers, that

look perfectly okay from the outside, but

inside are in actual fact seriously deficient.

ABR spoke to Richard Pinard of Top Class

Automotive, a well-known bearing boffin

in the industry, and a spokesman for good

quality. Richard explains that when bear-

ings have to carry a heavy load, then the

linear contact of the bearing to the hous-

ing is critical. Thus, in the mining indus-

try, spherical rollers are used, and in com-

mercial vehicles, tapered roller bearings

are used. As the Quantum is a heavy vehi-

cle when carrying its full load of passen-

gers, the load carrying capacity of the

wheel bearing is very important, so the

OE and correct replacement bearing

needs to have tapered roller bearings and

not ball bearings. The rule of thumb is

that for lighter loads and higher speeds,

ball bearings are used (e.g. thrust bearings

or bearings in alternators), whereas for

heavier loads and relatively lower speeds,

tapered roller bearings are used. The con-

sequences of using ball bearings in the

Quantum wheel bearings are shorter lifes-

pan and even worse if the bearings seize.

The problem is that the customer cannot

see the inside geometry, so he/she is at the

mercy of the wholesaler/retailer. Richard

says that the best advice he can give spares

shops and workshops is to only buy from

reputable wholesalers/retailers such as

AutoZone and Midas. Richard also advis-

es technicians to ensure that when fitting

wheel bearings they always adhere to the

manufacturers’ torque settings. The im-

pending Consumer Protection Act will

provide protection, but only after the fact,

and only if the wheel bearing is taken

apart for inspection, which is difficult and

expensive, as once the bearing has been

disassembled, it is no longer functional.

Counterfeiting – it’s allSmoke and Mirrors

New wheel bearings: ball bearing type ontop, tapered roller bearing type at the

bottom

Disassembled wheel bearing – taperedroller bearing type

Disassembled wheel bearing – ball bearingtype

P r o d u c t u p d a t e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 022

World Leading Teroson Products NowAvailable in South Africa

As someone in the auto body repair or auto glass replacement business you may have already come across the Teroson name and wondered how you can get these top quality products in South Africa.

You need wonder no more. The product is now available

through Henkel South Africa (Pty) Ltd, the globally

respected adhesive and sealant manufacturer. Which

means these products will be as easy to get as any other

Henkel product.

Teroson products are designed to meet the OE specs of the mak-

ers of cars, trucks, buses, railway carriages and marine craft.

Teroson automotive body repair products allow vehicle body

repairs, conservation and additional protection that add factory-

quality finish to just about any job.

The Teroson range includes solutions for a wide range of applica-

tions including sealants and adhesives for metals, glass and plas-

tics, under-body coatings and sealants, and products for metal

reinforcement and acoustic improvement.

Anyone in the windscreen replacement business will quickly come

to appreciate the almost-instant bonding times that are a major

feature of these products. Faster bonding means productivity

gains, reduced costs and increased profitability.

With research activities conducted through a worldwide scientif-

ic network covering the fields of biology, chemistry and engineer-

ing, Henkel is in a unique position to develop innovative tech-

nologies. The number of employees working in research and

development at the Company’s sites around the world in 2009

was around 2,800, the majority being deployed in Germany and

the USA. The results of this investment are seen in constantly

improving products in the existing portfolio, as well as regularly

launching exciting new products into the marketplace.

Henkel currently holds more than 8,000 patents, with 5,000

patent applications pending. Additionally, the Company has

around 2,300 registered designs safeguarding its intellectual prop-

erty.

Teroson was founded by entrepreneur Theodore Ross in 1896, in

Mannheim, Germany, to manufacture and distribute industrial

and household cleaners. Later, with an eye on the infant automo-

tive industry, Ross saw the future for his company and, in 1924,

launched his first products for this market with his son as the sole

field salesman. Henkel acquired the company in 1991 and imme-

diately embarked on a modernization and regional expansion pro-

gramme. Today, Teroson is fully integrated into the Henkel group.

For more information contact Henkel South Africa on011 617-2400

t h e B u z z ?

BUDGET RENTAL’S NEW KING SHAKA AIRPORT FACILITIESPART OF R80-MILLION INVESTMENTBudget Car and Van Rental’s R20-million investment in new, state-of-the-art facilities at the impressive new King Shaka Airport, near Durban, is partof a two-year, R80-million investment in new facilities and premise upgrades by the rental company, which is part of the McCarthy Group, a divisionof the Bidvest Group Limited. Speaking at the official opening of the new facility, the chief executive of McCarthy, Brand Pretorius, said that this is aclear indication that the McCarthy and Bidvest Groups have full confidence in the potential of the car rental industry in South Africa. “We are enjoy-ing significant benefits to our business, even now that the FIFA Football World Cup is something of the past. Bidvest is a demanding investor and ithas given its full support to this project, which is a flagship for the Budget Car and Van Rental brand,” added Pretorius. “We are looking forward togrowth in all sectors of the car rental industry and believe the exposure South Africa received from staging the World Cup will play an important rolein growing international tourism”.

P r o d u c t N e w s

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 024

Innovative Development NeedsNo RetorquingFor economic reasons, engine builders devel-oped head gaskets in the 80s that do not requireretorquing. The assembly of cylinder heads with-out having to retorque the head bolts represent-ed a technical innovation for series production.Similarly, when replacing a head gasket,torquing in several steps was no longer necessary.

This objective was only achievable through optimum matching of all Stretch bolts aredesigned so that they can be elongated beyondtheir elastic limit into the plastic region withoutproblems. When a specific tightening torque hasbeen reached, the bolts are turned furtherthrough a defined angle, which pre-loads theminto the plastic region. Consequently, noretorquing is necessary. the componentsinvolved. A tight, compound joint of engineblock,cylinder-head gasket, cylinderhead, and head bolts.

Stretch BoltsStretch Bolts Bolts that are tightened beyondtheir elastic limit (yield point) into the plasticregion ensure high and uniform bolt clampingforces. An important prerequisite for reliablesealed joints without retorquing. In this respect,stretch bolts offer decisive advantages overrolled shank bolts. By reducing its shaft diameter,the bolt is able to respond elastically to dynamicsealing gap movements, i.e. adaptationis greatly improved.

Torque-angle MethodIn the first step, the bolt is snugged down to thecylinder head by means of a pretorque. With thesecond step, the so-called torque or tighteningangle, the bolt is tightened into the plasticregion,i.e. beyond its elastic range. Using the torque-angle method, the variations in bolt clampingforce lie in a range of ±10%. Using the simpletorquing method with several steps, the varia-tions will be within ±30% of the calculated bolt clamping force. The reasons for this lie in the dispersion range of torque values and the overall

coefficient of friction, i.e. the fric-tion occurring under the bolthead and in the threads.

Special Bolts forHigher Bolt Forces

Agent in South Africa – INTRADE

Tel: 011-432-2667 • Fax: 011-432-3005 • E-Mail: intrade@iafrica.com

Bridgestone tyre surveys reveal a high number of dangerously under-inflated and smooth tyres on the road

The latest in Bridgestone South Africa’s nationwide sur-veys of tyres shows that there is still an unacceptablyhigh level of motorists driving on tyres that are consid-ered dangerous and needing to be replaced. The mostrecent survey, conducted in Rustenburg reveals that

20% of motorists in this North West Province town are driving ontyres that are below the acceptable tyre pressure level of 1.8 Bar.Even more concerning was the fact that 8% of the tyres examinedwere found to be at pressures of less than 1.5 Bar, which is consid-ered to be extremely dangerous. Of the 309 vehicles 5% had tyresthat were considered unsafe in terms of tread depth or damage and2% had one or more tyres without valve caps. In 11 surveys con-ducted around the country since 2007, during which more than 16000 tyres on over 4 000 vehicles have been inspected in eight majormetropolitan areas, just over 78% of all the vehicles inspected wereat or above the acceptable tyre pressure level of 1.8 Bar. “Althoughthere appears to have been a general improvement since we startedthe surveys, the statistics remain alarming,” said Bridgestone’s pub-lic relations manager Mandy Lovell. “Too many motorists are notchecking their tyre pressures regularly or replacing worn or dam-aged tyres. “The percentage of Rustenburg motorists whose tyrepressures fell within the ‘extremely dangerous’ categorisation, thatis less than 1,5 Bar or above 2,9 Bar, is cause for concern as it is thehighest we have encountered so far in all of our surveys. “What welearn from these tyre surveys is that there is still a need for educat-ing motorists about the critical role tyres play in vehicle handlingand driver control. Underinflated and damaged tyres are a majorcontributory factor to the high number of crashes on our roads,”added Lovell.

t h e B u z z ?

As this article goes to print, the next round of the recurringly stalled talks on a climatechange agreement to be put in place once the imminent sunset of the Kyoto protocol takesplace will have reached a conclusion in Cancun, Mexico. South Africa had been one of thefew minor heroes of the previous round of talks in Copenhagen, and we suspect that it isbuilding up a head of steam for the last chance to replace the Kyoto protocol before thatagreement terminates.

One might speculate forever

about the timing of the emis-

sions tax on new cars being

introduced as the sun fades

on the Cancun conference. Additional

interest is certainly pricked by the recent

quiet revelation that the tax on emissions

of R75 for each gram per kilometre above

120g/km will be subject to VAT, raising it

to an effective emissions tax level of 10.5

or R85.50 per g/km over 120g. Well, we

might be entitled to think, the fiscus needs

all the tax that it can raise, so this is not

particularly surprising.

Then add to the picture some rumours

which emerged methane like from the

wastelands of Pretoria during the middle-

months of the year, that it would not just

be new passenger cars that might be sub-

ject to an emissions tax, but also car

derived and one tonne pick-ups. Are we

being cynical in noticing that mini-busses

were absent from the rumoured list? O

well, that still fits the picture of a revenue

hungry fiscus, with the gently mooing cash

cow of the motor industry presenting itself

as a noble target, especially as only rich

people buy new vehicles.

Now add to this picture the fact that one

of the country’s largest petroleum players is

researching all sorts of automotive and

industrial emission generating activities,

and one gets the distinct feeling that they

may be lining up the defensive chatter

necessary to stay in business when

National Treasury puts its proposals on

other emission taxes on the table, possibly

to be implemented in either the 2011 or

2012 budgets. Carbon dioxide, where

Eskom and Sasol are both major contribu-

tors within the South African scenario, is

likely to be joined by carbon monoxide

and the family of nitrous oxide products

and other emissions which are generated

by industrial processes as different to each

other as manufacturing paper to filling

landfill sites. There are many potential

cash cows, all with a trail of methane pro-

duction behind them.

Is the available income from taxing new

vehicle sales, whatever may be included or

excluded from the list of types and applica-

tions, really that urgent in terms of the

budgeted tax receipts that it will generate?

To be honest, this hardly seems likely to be

the case. An emissions tax of 1 cent per

litre on petrol and diesel sales would raise

about half the budgeted 2010/11 revenue

from the seven months during which it

will be effective this fiscal year. This may

be less politically acceptable because of the

reach that such a tax would have across

income bands, instead of being concen-

trated in its impact on upper income earn-

ers. But a 2c/litre tax would look more

insipid in the international clean air debate

than being able to claim that South Africa

has the lowest threshold for new vehicle

emissions tax, set at 120g/km.

Following Copenhagen, all the interna-

tional image that South Africa can muster

will be grist to its diplomatic mill for both

Cancun and anything that is to follow.

And what is to follow is probably the big

prize. The last climate change conference

scheduled before the Kyoto protocol runs

out of currency is set for, you guessed it,

Durban, South Africa late in 2011. For the

South African government in general, and

the foreign diplomatic service in particular,

having the Kyoto protocol succeeded by an

agreement creating the Durban protocol

must look like a prize that makes FIFA

World Cup 2010 look like an under 10

schools soccer tournament. A bit of tax,

especially if it lands squarely on the shoul-

ders of the rich, rather than the poor, is a

small price to pay for such potential fame

and glory.

In the opinion of the writer, we should all

expect to see any commercial, industrial or

household activity, including the Sunday

afternoon braai, that is capable of emitting

anything into the atmosphere, to come

under National Treasury’s magnifying glass

between the dates of the Cancun and

Durban conferences, which are expected

to be a little over a year apart. At the time

of the Durban conference, don’t be too

surprised to see Department of Health

inspectors clamping down on the strength

of the bunny chow sold to visitors.

A u t o T o p i c a l

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 026

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

The Air is Free, Butyou Pay to Breathe it!

Just recently, I read about the substantial product enhancements that are being made to BMW’s Mini family as part of its global relaunch

scheduled for September 18, 2010. These include all-new diesel engines, new wheels, LED rear lights, revised controls, a retractable lug-

gage cover, new audio/navigation systems, and three new trim/paint/wheel combinations to be packaged as Rally, Classic and Scene.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 028

This started me thinking about the undoubted

success of this range since its introduction in 2001

(more than one million units have been sold to-

date), which speaks volumes about BMW’s reinven-

tion of the Mini brand. Whereas the original

product, introduced first with Morris and Austin badges, but

eventually moving to its own Mini identity, was a brilliant design

which extracted unprecedented levels of performance and econo-

my from a distinctly geriatric Austin engine, the Mini One fami-

ly which grew out of BMW’s previous ownership of Rover, has

never pretended to be anything other than a highly fashionable

state-of-the-art product dressed in an ageless body shape that

looks familiar in many respects, but is considerably larger than its

progenitor.

When Alec Issigonis penned the original Mini design in the

1950’s, he decided to combine its engine, gearbox and final drive

in one vertically-disposed unit, using engine oil for all lubrication

purposes, and placed it transversely across the front of the car.

This provided a considerable bonus in interior spaciousness, and

set a trend for engine location that still prevails to-day. Inevitably,

however, the unconventional mechanical layout resulted in some

early reliability issues, and added a degree of complexity that was

possibly inappropriate for an entry-level car. While adopting

the transverse engine positioning, other manufacturers soon

moved the gearbox up alongside the engine, and gave it its own

lubrication system. Later, the Mini’s initially simple rubber block

suspension was also replaced by the Hydrolastic interconnected

self-leveling fluid system originally developed for the “big broth-

er” Morris 1100, which added further complication to the design.

The result was that the British Motor Corporation and its succes-

sors British Motor Holdings, British Leyland and Austin Rover

did not derive the desired level of profitability from what was a

successful design in volume sales terms, with almost 5½ million

units having being sold in its 1959-2000 production lifespan.

The important point about BMW’s interpretation of the Mini

theme is that, unlike some other “retro” designs, it has been

commercially successful, and there is not the slightest suggestion

that it is nearing the end of the road, or that BMW intend to

move its production away from the current United Kingdom

location. Of the others, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser has also enjoyed

success, selling similar volumes to the Mini over roughly the same

decade-long timeframe. However, with Chrysler now under Fiat

control, it has been decided to discontinue the model, and final

run-out is imminent. Volkswagen’s “New Beetle”, which kicked

off the retro movement in 1998, has very little in common with

its inspirational forebear, apart from the basic shape, even the

trademark rear-mounted air-cooled engine is nowhere to be

found. Production is now well past one million units, but there is

talk of a replacement model in 2011. Fiat’s more recent Nuova

500 has followed a similar pattern, with a front-mounted engine

instead of the original rear-positioned unit, but, despite being

considerably larger than its predecessor, the new 500 has

somehow captured its “feel”, and early signs indicate marketplace

success.

The marque that was possibly most committed to a retro styling

strategy was Jaguar, under its period of Ford stewardship

(1989-2008). By clothing modern platforms and drivetrains in

traditional sheet metal shapes, Jaguar sought to exploit, and build

on its heritage of fine cars in the 1950’s and 60’s. However, the

X-Type, S-Type and XJ Models of the Ford era under-performed,

and proved unable to compete effectively with their natural rivals

from BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz. Eventually, Jaguar came to

the conclusion that its products were perceived as “old men’s cars”,

and initiated a total change in styling direction starting with the

XF, just before the company was sold into the control of Tata

Motors of India in 2008.

In the Chicago Auto Show in February, 2008, retro styling even

entered the world of trucking! Following Chevrolet’s 2005

introduction of the HHR (Heritage High Roof ) van, inspired by

the mid-1940’s Suburban van and station wagon, Navistar

International Corporation revealed the LoneStar premium Class 8

truck-tractor, which owed its “Advanced Classic” styling inspira-

tion to the International Harvester D-Line truck range of the

immediate pre-World War II period. LoneStar featured “conven-

tional” (bonneted) styling in the traditional manner beloved of

American truckers, and it was abundantly clear from the launch

literature that it was aimed squarely at the owner-driver market. It

seems, however, that the main thrust of the retro movement has

now passed. Successful retro models that have cemented niches in

the market, in their own right, are likely to continue for some

time into the future, but the momentum that was built up at the

start of the 1990’s has dissipated. There has not been any talk of

new retro models for some time, and it will be interesting to see

if even successful marques like the Mini are positioned a little fur-

ther away from their visual roots at each successive model facelift

or upgrade.

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

by Frank Beeton

Sounding off on theGlobal Motor Industry

E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 030

Bootstrapping lifts entrepreneursto their feet, but is not enoughfor great businesses to flourishThe principle of bootstrapping is starting up a business from scratch with mimimum help and funding fromexternal sources.

There are many legendary busi-

nesses that started out as a

dream in an entrepreneur's eye

and that were built on little

more than the owner's savings or a small

line of credit from a bank. This is the

principle of bootstrapping: starting up a

business from scratch with minimum help

and funding from external sources that

were not really meant to gear up a busi-

ness. But, in reality, most businesses that

are founded this way will fail within a

matter of 18 months to two years as they

start to hit barriers such as an inability to

secure the funding they need to tackle

larger projects or to hire more people.

Often, there problems will be compound-

ed by a lack of capacity for strategic and

financial planning.

Although a credit card or a small loan from

a friend might tide a company over for a

few months, few businesses can plan for

the longer term without strategic support.

Those that don't fail outright will often

become trapped in survival mode, existing

month-to-month and order-to-order with-

out growing their revenues or the amount

of people that they hire.

Typically, early-stage businesses are too

young to qualify for venture capital and

cannot afford consulting-based commer-

cial support. This "skill and equity gap"

has proven to be the death knell of many

an entrepreneurial dream.

Many smaller businesses that stumble over

these obstacles might have succeeded with

more assistance in their early stages. In a

South African economy that has shed

nearly one million jobs as a result of the

global recession the unnecessary failure of

a start-up business should be seen as a

tragedy. We need to look ways of enabling

small businesses with great ideas and a lack

of resources to turn into great companies.

That is the role that business accelerator

support firms have to play in the market.

Business accelerators are companies that

offer support and assistance in growing

early-stage business. They not only work

with the entrepreneur to build a bankable

business and then support the fund raising

effort, but also provide ongoing strategic,

management and operational support that

helps them to grow into the future.

AcceleratedgrowthThe challenges that small businesses face

are not related only to money. They're

often established by someone who is a

superb technician or engineer, but who

lacks expertise in operations, finance, sales

and marketing. In addition, a great busi-

ness needs good back-office infrastructure

to support its growth.

Good financial managers, sales representa-

tives and marketing professionals can be

expensive to hire. A business accelerator

will provide hands-on and strategic help

around these areas, giving the business a

better shot at success.

Some even have back-office hubs that can

take on the management of non-core

processes for the entrepreneurial business

on an outsourced basis. That means the

entrepreneur can focus on what he or she

is good at, without worrying that the oper-

ational or financial aspects of the business

are being neglected.

Without accurate and reliable financial

information, businesses can make costly

mistakes. Back-office administration is an

often neglected and distracting non-core

activity. Accelerators can take care of this

activity for companies, thus improving

their chances of survival and growth.

Holding out foran angelFunding is an issue, of course. Venture

capitalists may offer funding help to select

businesses, but they don't have enough

cash to go around. There is a strong role

for angel investors to play in this regard.

We see angel investors and business accel-

erators as having complementary roles.

Angel investors benefit from working with

business accelerators, as the commercial

support that the acceleration service offers

will improve the chances of commercial

success and reduce risks.

Ultimately, we believe that supporting

start-up and early-stage entrepreneurial

companies is critical to the country's

future. Small businesses are the engines of

growth in any economy - they could help

to create new jobs that make up for those

lost in sunset industries such as mining

and clothing and textiles manufacture.

To succeed, however, they need help. It's

the rare business that can lift itself up by its

bootstraps. Most entrepreneurs need sup-

port and funding if they are to achieve

their true potential.

Carien Engelbrecht, Co-owner Director ofStrategy and Business Acceleration for

Aurik Business Incubator

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 032

During the first half of this year, China’s car output hit

8.4722 million units, up 49% year-on-year, with

growth rates going up by 34 percentage points. Car

sales hit 9.0162 million units, up by 48% compared

to the same period last year, with growth rate increasing 30 per-

centage points. From the market data we can see that market shares

of independent passenger car brands ranked first place from

January to June, and that sales volume rocketed to 3.1823 million

units, sharing 47.35% of the total sales volume in the Chinese pas-

senger car market.

In addition, Chery was shown as the leader among China’s inde-

pendent car brands, achieving a sales volume of 308,900 units,

which shows an increase of 46.25% from the sales volume

(211,200 units) of last year, and achieving higher levels as com-

pared to previous corresponding periods.

Q1 - Sales Record Hits NewProfileAt the beginning of 2010, the car market in China resumed a rea-

sonable growth period after experiencing a huge increase in 2009.

Chery, as the leader among China’s independent brands, achieved

sales volumes of 163,500 units in Q1, up 74.6% on a year-on-year

basis and hitting a new high as compared to previous correspon-

ding periods.

The sales volumes of medium-end vehicles like Tiggo and A3 went

up as a whole, and Tiggo’s sales volume hit 5,812 units in January.

That being said, Chery QQ3, considered as the “King of China’s

Mini Cars”, achieved sales volumes of 19,983 units, showing a

robust growth rate. All in all, the fast-rate growth of sales volumes

in Q1 are laying a solid foundation for Chery with regards to its

annual sales goal.

Q2: Robust MarketPerformanceChery’s Q2 sales volumes reached 145,349 units, representing a

year-on-year increase of 23.8%. Meanwhile, Chery focused on the

fast-growing SUV market, where the Tiggo performed strongly. In

Q2, Tiggo’s sales volumes amounted to 12,652 units, showing sig-

nificant growth as compared to the same period last year. In addi-

tion, Cowin achieved sales volumes of 15,764 units in May, with

average monthly sales volumes surpassing 10,000 units.

Also in Q2, QQ3’s average monthly sales volumes reached 11,000

units, which directly contributed to Chery’s sales volumes of

308,900 units in H1. In April, the growth rate of China’s car mar-

ket, which had grown speedily for more than a year, started to slow

down. In May particularly, mainstream carmakers’ sales volumes

declined. Against this backdrop, Chery products still experienced

stable growth. This increased levels of independent brand carmak-

ers’ confidence and accentuated Chery’s indispensable role in the

Chinese market.

Spotlight: All-roundResurgence in InternationalMarketIn H1, China’s car exports indicated an increasing trend, what with

the rejuvenation of the global economy in 2010. This is also

indicative of Chery’s car sales: in June, Chery’s export volume hit

8053 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 106%. In H1,

Chery’s cumulative export volume amounted to 38,107 units, up

154.3% on a year-on-year basis and higher than the growth rate of

the domestic market. Chery also came in at number one amongst

its counterparts in export volume.

During the resurgence phase of international markets, Chery’s

prominent performances as compared to its domestic counterparts

not only mirrored Chery’s achievements, but also manifested

Chery’s huge development potential on the international market.

This resulted from its fulfillment to the “Fine Development in

2010” strategy made at the beginning of this year, targeted at

“Brand, Technology, Responsibility, Internationalisation”. By the

end of Q2, Chery’s total sales volumes in 2010 had surpassed

300,000 units. In the second half of 2010, Chery’s anticipated

market performance against a backdrop of declining sales volumes

but increasing monthly inventories in the first half, is worth wait-

ing for. Chery’s high-end mainstream products, G3 and G6, will

be successively marketed in the second half. During this time, their

product line portfolio will be enhanced, having gained further

market exposure. This will have a strong impact on domestic medi-

um and high-end markets.

Needless to say, with the increase in overseas factory’ production

capacity and the development of a sales service network in overseas

markets, Chery’s sales growth on the international market will be

further accelerated in the second half. Chery’s market pattern will

be more reasonable, with the internationalisation of markets, and

the brand showing a more favourable development trend.

In the first half of 2010, sales volume in China’s car market surpassed 9 million units, startling the world yet again.

A series of articles on the rise of the Chery automobile

by Howard Keeg

Review of Chery's MarketPerformance

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 034

If this was a script for a Sunday morning religious radio programme, it would begin with the explana-

tion that the ancient Jewish community would sacrifice a goat as a symbol of getting rid of all the sins of

the community, hence the expression scapegoat, which was short for escape-goat. An array of

serious minded South African industrialists appear to have selected the exchange rate of the Rand as their

particular scapegoat, but the question burns as to whether the currency or the industrialists are the

guilty parties.

T o n y ’ s T a k e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Consider the sequence of graphics provided with

this article. Chart 1 shows the enormity of the

task if any meaningful intervention is to be

made by any party, including government, in the

foreign exchange value of the Rand. With trade

in the Rand during the first quarter of 2010

averaging more than US$ 10 Billion per day, one would have to

have a very large war chest to try to move the exchange rate in a

direction that the market would not want it to move in.

Chart 2 depicts the inverse correlation which has probably quelled

the imaginations of those in favour of a weaker Rand. Between

2005 and the first quarter of 2010, there is a clear inverse correla-

tion between the real trade weighted exchange rate of the Rand

and the absolute level of South African exports. The solution to

escalating export values must, therefore, be childishly simple –

weaken the exchange rate of the Rand to drive exports upward.

Unfortunately, childish might be the operative word. Correlations

measure the arithmetic values of sympathetic or antipathetic

movements of variable values. They do not measure causality, or

what drives what.

If correlation was a measure of causality, the 3rd chart might be

taken to indicate that the performance of the real external value of

the Rand drives the performance of the accumulated gross domes-

tic product of the G7 countries. What a powerful position the lit-

tle old South African monetary sector would be in. But it may

well be more sensible to suspect that the performance of the G7

economies, as represented by their cumulative GDP, might influ-

ence the external value of the Rand, rather than the causality being

the other way around.

Which takes us to chart 4, which reflects the high level of positive

correlation between G7 GDP performance and South Africa’s

exports. Will weakening the Rand exchange rate push G7 GDP

growth upwards? Probably not, but improved G7 GDP growth

will probably push the external value of the Rand downwards.

Intervening in the external value of the Rand would simply be

making believe that the G7 economies were doing well, which

they are not. The problem with intervening in the price of the

currency is that, if it is weakened to hide the fact that industries in

an economy are weak, the attempt to camouflage the weakness of

producers comes back to bite the entire economy in the leg, as the

prices of all imports rise.

by Tony Twine

The Pseudo-Science ofSlaughtering Scapegoats

36

Could it be that the industrialists on the bandwagon of

the anthem for a weaker Rand are perhaps trying to run

their business operations in a manner better fitting the

period 1979 to 2001, during which the rand only ever

weakened on an annual average basis? This provided

a “natural” barrier to imports, but really did very little

to stimulate exports, or we should have become one

of the most powerful industrial export economies in

the world.

How about this as an alternative that will not impinge

broadly on all consumers and foreign investors as

heavily as weakening the Rand? Tax the imports of all

goods that can realistically be manufactured in South

Africa, and subsidise the export of those goods via the

tax revenue. O, oops! Sorry, we tried that – it was

called the MIDP. It got bombed by a Canberra.

T o n y ’ s T a k e

37S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Answer from page 10

In all the years that I have been involved with analysing and forecasting the South African Truck Market forcommercial vehicles over 3,5 tons Gross Vehicle Mass, the Year 2010 has presented one of the most challengingscenarios to understand, and predict.

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Much of the blame can, of

course, be laid at the door

of the Soccer World Cup

tournament, which totally

dominated our national life for four

weeks in June and July. However, in the

run-up, there were so many unanswered

questions about the country’s ability to

deliver a successful event, and if it could,

how many foreign visitors would arrive to

watch it. This created a great deal of

uncertainty in the local business commu-

nity, which was duly reflected in a num-

ber of published confidence indices as we

waited to see what would happen.

To make things worse, the market, whichhad shown some early signs of growth,flattened out after peaking in March, andrefused to exhibit any clear evidence of“panic buying” as local business confront-ed its SWC commitments. A substantialfactor supporting the first half-year’s mar-ket stability was to be found in the Bussegment, where nearly 1 000 units weredelivered to support SWC activities andthe new Bus Rapid Transit projects beingrolled out in several cities. At the conven-ient milestone which presented itself at theend of June, a year-on-year comparisonwith the equivalent first six-month periodof 2009 revealed an increase of 9,3% inoverall volume, but, as usual, the devil wasin the segmentation detail. While theentry-level Medium Commercial segmentsuffered a decline of 1,9%. and cruiser-weight Heavy Commer-cial sales fell by amore substantial 3,2%, volumes in thepremium Extra Heavy segment rose by

19,5%, and Bus sales improved by just lessthan 79%.

This profile was somewhat surprising.There was an expectation that MCV andHCV sales would be “helped” by last-minute SWC preparations, as these distri-bution class vehicles would be most com-monly utilised for delivering supplies tothe SWC stadia. With construction of thelatter completed well in time for the open-ing ceremony on June 11th, XHCV vol-umes, which include construction-specifictippers and truck mixers, could have beenexpected to moderate. The increase in Bussales was, however, predictable, given theconsiderable numbers of vehicles that weredelivered to PRASA, Autopax and theGautrain operation in recent months, eventhough the 32 specially imported HyundaiWorld Cup team coaches were not record-ed in the NAAMSA market reports.

With those results behind us, it was timeto look ahead to the second half of 2010.Initially, there had been some fears of a“mirror image” pattern, with the intensi-fied selling rate anticipated just before Junebeing followed by a slump. In the event,however, with the notable exception of Bussales, this did not happen, so we had tothink again. One of the pleasing aspects ofthe 2010 market has been the stabilityshown in June and July, two months inwhich considerable distraction from theselling task was to be rationally expected.As it turned out, volumes of 1 880 and 1771 units respectively were not far off thepeak of 2 150 units recorded in March.This has given us hope that the “mirrorimage” will not happen, and that normali-

ty from August onwards will allow forsome margin of growth.

Significantly, the substantially improvedXHCV performance reflects a more sup-portive financing environment for theseR1 million-plus vehicles. One of the fea-tures of the 2009 market, which fell backto levels last seen in 2004/5, was the cred-it restrictions that severely impacted thesales of premium payload units. Duringthe early months of 2010, we saw anaggressive move by Wesbank into commer-cial vehicle financing. Prior to this, the“Wheels Bank” had been notably conser-vative in its engagement with the heavierside of the business, and the change ofheart was welcomed in the industry.Several vehicle manufacturers had resortedearlier to offering their own in-housefinancing facilities to intending pur-chasers, but the Wesbank move held outpromise for those vehicle distributors whodid not enjoy this option.

While we are resigned to a substantialdecrease in bus sales activity in the secondhalf of 2010, our expectations for growthin the total market have become slightlymore comfortable. Back in May,Econometrix’ macro economic model wassuggesting a total market in excess of 22000 units, but this will have to be moder-ated somewhat to accommodate our sec-ond-quarter overrun of around 1 000units. In any event, we believe that mostplayers in the industry will be very pleasedif the market were to reach a level of 21000 units in 2010, which would result inyear-on-year growth of more than 10%over 2009.

by Frank Beeton

38

The Many Puzzles ofthe 2010 Truck Market

by Austin Gamble

L i f e G o e s o n

40

Good is the Enemyof GreatEach month, NAAMSA issues its New Vehicle Sales Report, which provides the unit salesby manufacturer. I find this document a fascinating read, but recently the most fascinatingpart is the last line, denoted as AMH & AAD.

July 2010 NAAMSA sales were 35 555

units, but when the AMH and AAD

numbers are added, the industry total

climbs to 41 367. The extra 5 812 units

make up a significant 14% of the total.

NAAMSA adds a memo breaking this fig-

ure down into small cars (2120), medium

cars (624), large cars (100), 4x4 recreation-

al/SUV (1 115), and LCV (624). What is

left unsaid is that the big elephant in the

room is Hyundai. To get more clarity on

this egg dance, I visited Stanley Anderson,

Hyundai South Africa’s Director of

Marketing.

Stanley Anderson attributes Hyundai’s

success to its range of vehicles, which in

the current buying down trend, puts

Hyundai in the pound seats. A quick look

at the Hyundai website confirms this prog-

nosis. Just look at this range, and the pric-

ing levels:

Atos R91 900

i10 R105 900 – R126 900

Getz R127 900 – R143 900

Accent R146 900 – R169 900

i20 R149 900 – R159 900

Elantra R189 900

i30 R189 900 – R229 900

iX35 R239 900 – R369 900

H1 Wagon R295 900 – R359 900

H100 Bakkie R148 900 – R176 900

H1 Panel Van R236 900

We’re in a goodplaceA little “lig in die broek” on the commer-

cial vehicle side, but all that is missing in

the passenger car line-up is a luxury sedan,

and guess what? – the new Sonata is just

around the corner! As Stanley says, “We’re

in a good place”. Not an understatement,

considering the fact that in the first six

months of 2010, Hyundai increased its

market share by 45%. Having a good

range is one thing, but there are other

strong factors assisting the surge, not least

the sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup.

Hyundai’s association with this event has

increased the brand awareness and image

considerably, with Anderson reporting “a

drastic increase in showroom traffic”. He

continues, “it was an opportunity to con-

nect with the people, and we leveraged off

the Hyundai Goodwill Ball, taking it to all

the major shopping centres around the

country”.

What is not mentioned is the relentless

pressure from the suits in Seoul. In my

column in the June 2010 issue of ABR, I

quoted CEO Alan Ross, “impossible tar-

gets are the way they do business”. This is

reinforced by the motivational messages

hanging on the walls of Stanley Anderson’s

office; the most succinct being “Good is

the Enemy of Great”. It is clear that

Stanley subscribes to this, as he enthusias-

tically tells me about Hyundai’s “modern

premium” product philosophy, which

offers the perfect combination of fresh

ideas, novel solutions and top technology,

all packaged in a hard to resist value for

money lure.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

The Theta-II GDI (Gasoline DirectInjection) engine which goes into the

Sonata available in America. This engineboosts fuel economy by 10%, whilst

reducing emissions by a whopping 30%.The bad news is that this engine will notbe coming to South Africa anytime soon,

purely because of the high sulphur content in South African petrol. This

highlights the contradictory and hypocritical nature of the decision by the authorities to tax emissions, whilst

not punishing the refineries for not beingable to deliver cleaner fuel.

Stanley Anderson, Hyundai SouthAfrica’s Director of Marketing

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

by Roger McCleery

Answers on page 90

1. What was South Africa’s top selling motor car (for the 3rd month in a row) in July?

2. Name the country that has more oil than all the Middle Eastern regions together.

3. Where was the recent Cars in the Park Motor Show held?

4. Who led the World F1 Championship at the start of the mid-season summer break?

5. Where was he born?

6. Who won the first Formula 1 modern Grand Prix 60 years ago?

7. What was he driving?

8. From what town did the famous Mille Miglia start and finish?

9. What make of British/German car is returning to the World Rally Championship in 2011 on a limited basis?

10. What make of car won the South African Car of the Year in 2010?

11. What Italian motorcycle company wants to sign up Valentino Rossi?

12. KTM Motorcycles have just produced a high performance car with a 2 litre Volkswagen engine? What is this model called?

13. What motor company makes aircraft, cars, power products (engine generators and water pumps), quads and motorcycles?

14. How many motorcycles does Honda make per annum?

15. Who makes Subaru motor cars?

16. Name the new MD of Geely cars in South Africa.

17. What company continued to make the Jeep after World War II?

18. Where was the first traffic light established in the world?

19. What famous Alfa Romeo model is soon to be introduced into South Africa?

20. Name two Indian motor manufacturers represented in South Africa.

A I D C Q u i z

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 042

43

Where did all the tyres go?Stockpiles of tyres now look like an investment.

It used to be that all a farmer needed

to do to get a gratis truck load of

scrapped tyres was to make one

phone call to the nearest tyre factory

or local dealer. Tyres that had no life left

thus got recycled to be used in embank-

ments, soak pits, woven bakkie-mats or

turned-out as cattle feed stations.

Nowadays, however, everyone has only a

limited supply of old tyres. This while

small mountains of scrapped tyres have

been noted at cement kilns.

Could it be that the industry is readying

itself for the new dawn of tyre recycling by

stockpiling rubber?

This long-awaited dawn will break as soon

as the Department of Environmental

Affairs announces the start of its approved

plan to manage scrapped tyres on rim sizes

from 8 inches to 25 inches.

The only question which the DEA still has

to answer is how much the vehicle owner

will have to pay extra on each tyre to fund

all this order.

Already dubbed the “Green Fee”, (not to

be confused with the Green Tax on exhaust

emissions), this amount will be levied on

all passenger and commercial vehicle tyres

which were produced by the subscribers to

the DEA’s approved integrated plan.

The Waste Tyre Regulation calls on all tyre

producers, including both manufacturers

and importers, to subscribe to a plan.

With the notable exception of the Tyres

Dealers and Fitment Association, more

than 85% of South Africa’s tyre producers

and importers have already subscribed to

the non-profit company’s Integrated Waste

Tyre Management Plan. The subscribers

include Goodyear and Rubber Resources,

who crumbs Goodyear reject truck tyres in

Port Elizabeth and is currently the only

tyre crumbing facility in South Africa.

Producers that join the SATRP Plan will

only start paying a green fee on tyres

imported or manufactured, when that cat-

egory of tyres is phased into the collection

process.

Meanwhile, tyre dealers continue to sell

tyres with sufficient tread to guys who may

or may not have re-grooving tools.

Hermann Erdmann, spokesman for the

Tyre Dealers and Fitment Association, said

this currently “unofficial recycling” formed

part of the official plan they had submitted

to DEA as it creates hundred of jobs in the

informal sector. The DEA did not

approve.

Albi Modise, chief director of communica-

tions at the Department of Environmental

Affairs (DEA), told ABR that only one of

the four plans which the department

received had met all the criteria set out in

the regulations governing waste tyres,

namely the plan developed by Dr Ettienne

Human for the section 21 company, SA

Tyre Recycling Programme (SATRP).

The SATRP is currently issuing tenders to

establish registered waste-tyre collection

agents and accredited waste-tyre users in

each province.

A leaflet distributed by the SATRP

includes crumbing as one of the many

ways to clean up South Africa’s old tyres.

“Dealers will be able to get rid of waste

tyres, without cost to them, waste tyre

transporters and processors will create

jobs, waste tyre processors will receive a

virtually free supply of rubber, roads will

be safer and, last but not least, South

Africa will boast a cleaner, healthier envi-

ronment,” reads the pamphlet. The

Earthlife Africa Toxics Group begs to dif-

fer: The group understands “waste tyre

processors” to mean cement kilns and sees

crumbing as only the first step to supply

the kilns with suitably grated rubber. It has

issued its own pamphlet which states:

“Burning tyres in cement kilns is not ‘recy-

cling’ or a sound disposal solution. Toxic

by-products are created and dispersed to

enter the food chain and our bodies.

Cement factories in other countries that

are permitted to burn tyres and other

wastes have been unable to consistently

stay within emission limits,” and adds

that:“South Africa must, as a signatory to

the Stockholm Convention, REDUCE the

production of Dioxins and Furans, which

tyre burning increases.”

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

by Alwyn Viljoen

T y r e T a l k

Soon, everyone will be

fighting to recycle this tyre.

alwynjsviljoen@gmail.com is an award-winning transport and travel writer

Thousands of functional batteries are wasted each year due to incorrect advice given to battery owners. Many batteries that are thought to be faultyand that require jump-starting often are not performing efficiently due to a faulty charging system. The battery itself is in perfect working order. Also,simple maintenance procedures can lengthen the life of a battery. Battery Centre’s Marketing Director, Andrew Webb, has the following tips to ensuremotorists’ batteries last as long as possible.

Keep it clean and dry - Check the condition of the battery’s terminals. If they are corroded, they need to be cleaned with a wire brush or bat-tery cleaner spray. “Corrosion prevents the free flow of current through the battery, reducing the amount of power available to start the car”, explainsWebb. The entire battery should be kept clean and dry to ensure it can deliver maximum power.

Know how to jump-start - Jump-starting incorrectly is dangerous and can cause damage to the vehicle's electrical system. If the vehicle needsto be jump-started, first check the manufacturer’s guidelines to prevent injury and vehicle damage.

Monitor terminals - Check if your battery terminals are tight. Loose connections result in loss of power. It’s best to check these connections often.Also ensure that the battery fits snugly in the battery tray. If there is movement the connections may become loose.

Get it tested - Batteries should be tested at least once a quarter. Battery Centre offers this service for FREE. Batteries should also be tested beforea long trip to avoid battery failure and becoming stranded out of town.

Make sure before you toss it - Batteries that need jump-starting in colder months aren’t necessarily destined for recycling. Battery failure canbe a result of a faulty charging system. Again, visit your nearest Battery Centre and have this checked for FREE.

“If a motorist doesn’t have time for battery maintenance, or if they have a high powered vehicle, such as a 4x4 or classic car, we recommend a morepowerful battery. The Raylite Ultimate batter, with AGM technology produces 30% more current and requires no maintenance. And it lasts up to30% longer. Visit Battery Centre for some expert advice from our battery fitment technicians, call toll free on 0800 112 600 or visitbatterycentre.co.za”, concludes Webb.

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 044

WATCH OUT FOR ROAD DAMAGEAND ITS EFFECT ON YOUR TYRES

Bad weather can cause potholes of all sizes on many roads including motorways,so truck drivers need to take extra care when driving to avoid damage to theirtrucks. Tyres are especially at risk, because sharp edges and deep potholes candamage the tread or the sidewalls. "The holes in the road surface mean that tyresand rims in particular suffer," warns Björn Bolze, head of Customer Service forTyres at Continental Tyre. "Moreover, if the tyres have insufficient pressure, thereis a risk that the tyre sidewall will be squashed and damaged. In extreme cases thiscan lead to tyre failure. Low speed reduces the risk." Bolze says the rims may alsobe damaged in the process of driving over a pothole - and with expensive alloys,consequential costs may be high. This is a good reason for checking tyre pressuremore often than usual in order to protect the tyre and spot creeping pressure loss.According to Bolze, "Taking potholes too widely may endanger cyclists oroncoming traffic. Tailgating the vehicle in front is now even riskier than usual, asloose chippings and/or larger chunks of tarmac may be thrown up from the road- causing damage to paintwork or even cracks in the glass in extreme cases. BrianClarke, General Sales Manager : CVT at Continental Tyre agrees, “Damage totruck tyres can be caused by potholes, rocks and stones in the road, loose metalobjects in the road, the edges of tar on the sides of the road, curbs and loadingbay walls and rails and loose nails and other rubbish in delivery and collectionyards. “All these hazards can damage and in some cases destroy a tyre. If one ofthese hazards are run over or hit, check the tyres at the next stop. If it was a majorimpact, you should stop as soon as possible and check for damage,” advisesClarke. Clarke notes that hitting potholes can result in impact fractures. “Lookfor up and down splits on the sidewall and cracking across the tread," he suggests.Hitting rocks and stones can cut treads or sidewalls. Sharp rocks can also pene-trate the tread and cause deflation or even burst the tyre. “Look at the tread ofthe tyre for tears or cuts and similar damage as well as cuts and injuries on thesidewalls. Stone cause the same impact problems as potholes so look for the sametype of damage. “It is important to always check dual wheels for rocks or simi-lar objects that might have been lodged between them, as this can cause severedamage to both tyres,” notes Clarke. Running over metal objects usually resultsin tread cut damage and they can also flick up and cut the sidewall. Driving tyresover curbs or brushing against the sides of curbs is one of the most commonforms of tyre damage. Driving over curbs can destroy the outer ribs of the treads,while brushing against a curb can result in sidewall cuts and puncturing.“Important for truck drivers to note is that driving in the yellow lines is not onlya dangerous driving practice but it can also severely damage tyres. If a tyre is driv-en off the tar, the outside portion of the tread may get damaged as well as possi-ble damage to the sidewalls. “Practiced drivers should never drive in the yellowlines. They should also ensure they are driving smoothly without harsh braking,rapid acceleration or rapid cornering. This will also greatly enhance tyre life aswell as fuel consumption and ensure drivers get their safely,” adds Clarke.

Don’t let incorrect battery advice cost you money

NeilPryde to set sails on two wheels:BMW Group subsidiary

DesignworksUSA develops two high-per-formance road bikes in collaboration

with the windsurfing champion.

Whenever equipment for high-performance water sports is theissue, the name NeilPryde immediately comes to mind. Theexpertise acquired by the company during the past 40 years in thefield of sports performance, wind management, aerodynamicsand lightweight construction, will soon be available to the cycliston the road. The leading water and adventure sports manufactur-er has ventured into new terrain. NeilPryde has launched twohigh-performance road bikes, which have been developed in col-laboration with the Singapore-based studio of DesignworksUSA,a BMW Group subsidiary. The bikes were presented to the pub-lic at the Vatenfall Cyclassics, which took place in Hamburg inAugust 2010. As is the case with all NeilPryde water sports prod-ucts, design also plays a significant role in the manufacture ofbikes. Whether automobile, surfboard or bike, design is the cru-cial factor for making a purchase decision. The team atDesignworksUSA regarded the project as a particularly excitingchallenge. It was not simply a matter of product design, but allabout visually interpreting the successful enterprise’s brand iden-tity within a new industry and significantly and sustainably shap-ing the future face of NeilPryde on the asphalt. The first twomodels from the NeilPryde road bike series can be pre-orderedworldwide on the Internet at www.neilprydebikes.com (deliveryscheduled to commence mid September 2010).

W I l d e T h i n g s

45

Cash Rhino –Treasury’s New Termfor the Motor Industry

International travel is becoming

increasingly unpleasant, what with

the security checks and delays which

have become par for the course, and

the added ignominy of dreadful organic

compounds euphemistically delivered as

airline meals. But another torture awaits

South African travellers, in the form of the

Visa application. Last year I travelled to

the UK, and I had to suffer the humilia-

tion of being treated as some sort of crim-

inal, merely because I wanted to visit that

blighted isle to see my first grandchild.

And they charge you money to insult you!

But wait, this was pure nirvana compared

to my recent experience with the German

Embassy. Simply because I needed to trav-

el to this strange land of leather seated

men to attend the Automechanika show

(and to assist their economy!), I had to

once again part with my hard earned

money to acquire a Schengen Visa. What

an experience. It starts with a shakedown

at the security gate, where the security

guard offers parking inside in exchange for

a small informal fee. Then, heaven help

you if you do not arrive exactly ten min-

utes before time. If you’re early, you’re told

to pay penance downstairs until it’s your

time. I’d hate to know what happens if

you’re late, and I’m not prepared to find

out. Once your number is called out, you

have to stand for the interrogation, and

take some flak from a Rosa Klebb clone

with absolutely no sense of humour and

the inability to understand the concept of

flexibility. Despite the fact that I have

been staying at the same bed and breakfast

in Frankfurt for some 20 years, the mere

fact that I could not provide a postal code

(which could have easily been looked up

on the internet, which I did as soon as I

was back in the office – you cannot use

your cell phone at the embassy!) – made

me think that I had mistakenly entered

bin Laden as my surname. I had to make

the trek to Pretoria once again for this

serious offence.

I was very angry at the time, but upon

reflection I realised that the problem does

not lie with the Schengen states, nor the

UK, nor the US, nor the Aussies – the

problem lies with us. Or more specifically

the problem lies with our dysfunctional,

corrupt, inefficient, and disgraceful

Department of Home Affairs, which

issues false passports like sweets. I even

wonder how legitimate my passport really

is. Sies.

Tony analysed all the taxes that

our profligate government

levies on a vehicle during its

lifetime, from factory floor to

scrapyard, and he came to the shocking

conclusion that the major cost compo-

nent, by far, for the industry and the

motorist is, you guessed it, taxes. A very

sad state of affairs, paying for the affairs of

state, and the state president, but our fis-

cus is apparently far from satisfied. It

appears that they are all for getting blood

out of a stone, because despite the inordi-

nate amount already extorted, yes, you

heard me, EXTORTED, from this con-

venient cash cow, Pravin and his cohorts

believe that the well is not yet dry. In

September the emissions tax, Vat and all,

will come into effect, under the disgrace-

ful subterfuge of environmental concern.

Then, after a short period to allow for belt

notches to be adjusted, the Gauteng

motorist will be stung very severely for

having the temerity to drive on the roads

already adequately funded from other tax

sources. And for those non-Gautengers

who are looking on with a smile, enjoy it

while it lasts, because this is a sting that

will soon be coming to a road near to you.

Other nasty surprises are also around the

corner – once the tyre waste disposal

system is implemented, we’re going to

cough up more for those nice gentlemen

to get rid of our smelly polluting tyres,

with Vat added, of course. The mind has

gone beyond boggling, but I am sure that

in some smoke filled room in the bowels

of the Department of Motor Industry

Screwing, new and more devious tax plots

are being hatched. Someone needs to

stand up and say no more, otherwise

before we know it, we shall all be cycling

our way to work, and having to scatter

when the blue light brigade comes past –

yes, the fat cats in government will still be

on the road, as they will survive. But we

won’t, because the motor industry is no

longer a cash cow, it has been added to the

endangered species, and can now be called

a cash rhino. Maybe I shouldn’t have men-

tioned cycling – this will give the guys

ideas.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

by Fingal Wilde

Pravin Gordham is a big game hunter, and is going after the cash rhino.

ABR’s esteemed contributor on all things economic Tony Twine, did a very interesting article in the April 2010

issue of South Africa’s premier automotive aftermarket publication, titled Déjà vu and the Fiscal Cash Cow,

whereby he gleefully dissected the facts about taxation on the automotive industry and the long suffering motorist.

Schengen Schadenfreude

by Eugene Herbert

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 048

Low Risk Driving produceswhat most businesses want -a better, Triple Bottom Line

Consider the following; Driver

'X' is on the road a lot of the

time, and operates under steady

pressure to meet targets. As a

result, 'X' feels the need to rush frequently.

Rushing uses more fuel, promotes wear &

tear, and increases the likelihood of crash-

ing. This person's operating style has a

direct impact on the businesses Triple

Bottom Line. If we look in a little more

detail, we can see that something as simple

as rushing impacts on the TBL in the fol-

lowing ways; rushing uses more fuel, pro-

duces more toxic gases, particulates and

noise. The increased wear & tear on the

vehicle will require more frequent replace-

ment of consumable items such as tyres,

brakes, clutches and lubricants.

In all of the instances noted above, a clear

link can be seen between both the financial

& environmental factors. However, what

about the social or human impact of

rushing?

Drivers who feel the need to rush are usu-

ally more stressed than drivers who don't

feel that way. Stressed drivers tend to be

more aggressive, competitive and even

combative on the roads. Stress causes high-

er blood pressure which in turn is linked to

heart disease and stroke.

Drivers who operate under pressure often

think more about their own needs when

driving, than the needs of others.

They will be less likely to "let someone in"

a socially desirable trait, and more likely to

"keep someone out", or, "rush yellow

lights" both dangerous habits to develop.

Ask yourself this question; if driver 'X' was

in a vehicle with your company name on

the side, how would you feel about 50 or

100 of these drivers representing you or

your shareholders? Your employees' observ-

able behaviour may well be in considerable

conflict with your organization’s values.

It goes without saying that crashing costs

money. Lost time, medical expenses, vehi-

cle repairs & depreciation are all obvious

costs associated with crashing. But what

about the hidden costs? Work cover premi-

ums and vehicle insurance are tied to past

performance.

Crashing this year will have a direct effect

on pushing up costs in the future.

Traffic accidents are one of the leading

causes of death & serious injury in South

Africa. The latest figures indicate that the

cost to the Government is anywhere

between R 43 million and R 70 million a

year Low Risk Drivers on the other hand

tend towards 'Y'. That is, they tend not to

rush, their overall travelling speeds are

lower and their behaviour is demonstrably

more socially desirable.

Low Risk Drivers are supportive and adap-

tive. They acknowledge the diversity of

road users and consider the needs and

weaknesses of others. They look for oppor-

tunities to "let people in", and adopt a col-

laborative rather than combative disposi-

tion. They drive more carefully, crash less,

and are usually much less stressed.

Sometimes, they choose not to drive at all

if there is a better alternative.

Low Risk Drivers understand how their

choices impact on the Triple Bottom Line -

Financial, Environmental & Social. Not

only do they understand the impact of

their choices, they are motivated to make a

difference

So what do you think - a new year’s resolu-

tion worth implementing?

Till next time - safe driving.

TOYOTA TEACH PRIMARY SCHOOL PROJECTGATHERS MOMENTUM

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) will increase its focus on the better education of primary school children in rural KwaZulu-Natal, says JennyMaré, General Manager: Corporate Affairs at TSAM. Speaking during an exploratory visit to a number of schools supported by TSAM, or so-calledToyota Teach Schools, Maré highlighted the company’s focus on education as a cornerstone of economic and political stability. The exploratory visitwas dubbed the Hilux Gives Back-initiative, which seeks to acknowledge the important role of employees in rural KwaZulu-Natal in the success ofToyota in South Africa. The Hilux, who recently celebrated 40 years of success in South Africa, remains South Africa’s most popular vehicle and ismanufactured at Toyota’s Prospecton Plant in KwaZulu-Natal. “It was the late Dr. Albert Wessels, the founder and CEO of Toyota South Africa thatfirst identified education as a key focal point of our social development agenda. This has remained over the years and although we have various proj-ects that focus on the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors, we believe that our Toyota Teach Primary School Project or TTPSP remainsthe flagship of our corporate social responsibility programmes.”

The term Triple Bottom Line refers to optimising efficiencies in three separate, but related areasof management – Financial, Environmental, Social.

t h e B u z z ?

It is also perhaps the right time to men-tion the overlooked importance of tyrestaff throughout the country. In all

fleets big or small, heavy trucking or parcelservice the tyre staff usually take a backseat. They are commonly on minimumwage, have minimum training, get theworst place on the premises to work in andhave lousy working hours, often workingweekends too. Most tyre stores are poorlyequipped with the minimum basics need-ed to fit and remove tyres, being dirty,hard manual labour. It should however bemore important to the fleet owner, and itshould be a job of high skill if done cor-rectly. Skill of course needs to be taughtand only well trained staff become highlyskilled staff.

We’ve often said that tyres are all that keepvehicles on the road. Vehicles in fleets areworth a fortune. In most cases, tyres in afleet are the third highest running cost. Itdoes not make sense to take the most safe-ty critical product on your vehicle, whichis your third highest cost, and give it to thepeople considered the least trained. Theyare normally expected to do the best jobthey can, at all hours including the week-ends.

Tyre staff should carry more status andthey should be well trained to becomehighly skilled in working with life savingcomponents. They need to understandwhat they are working with. They need tounderstand the importance of theirresponsibilities. The way things are cur-rently, it is unrealistic and unfair to expectprofessional work from any tyre fitter in

the country. It is time for fleet owners tobecome proactive as they carry the realresponsibility.

Road safety as well as tyre safety beginswith the basics; like the maintaining ofclean rims which allows the tyre to seatcleanly and surely in the rim flange. Basicslike keeping the tyres themselves clean andpreserving their longevity. Basics like usinga torque wrench instead of long pole onthe end of a wheel spanner. The basic useof air tools to mainly loosen wheel nuts,and never to tighten them with.

Many small basic factors which enhancethe safety of your fleet, and will make surethat you save money in the long term. Butgetting the basics right requires staff train-ing. It is up to fleet management to get thetraining right.

What one wants is tyre staff that under-stands and knows what to do, how to do itand very importantly why it should bedone. This should include everything fromthe tyres themselves, through to the ancil-lary components, to a basic understandingof the wheel and suspension componentswhich have any effect on the tyres. Againthis requires training.

The correct approach to tyre management,which is barely practiced anywhere, shouldnot be underestimated. Tyres are whatkeep the wheels rolling and the businessgoing. Your tyre staff is directly and indi-

rectly responsible for the safety of yourvehicle and your transport personnel’s safe-ty. They could also be responsible for thedeath of some innocent road user. Don’tunderestimate the worth or importance ofyour tyre staff.

We as South Africans in the transportindustry, in all its various shapes andforms, need to take on a new approach.We are too often complacent and shouldrather start making changes to the way wedo business. With our history of road acci-dents and breakdowns in the transport sec-tor in general, it would seem wise to lookto ourselves and try and improve matters.Instead we carry on as before, doing thingsas they have always been done, and gener-ally hiding from the consequences. It’stime to change.

The consequence of poor tyre mainte-nance is road accidents. The consequenceof poor tyre staff is poor tyre maintenance.

Take the lead and train your tyre staff.Give them the recognition they deserve.Accept that they are working with safetycritical items and they are carrying hugeresponsibility. Give them that responsibili-ty and let them own it. You will reap thebenefits of safer, more reliable and moreeconomical running of your fleets.

And you’ll be a leader in your field andhopefully start a trend. A trend of safety,particularly Tyre Safety.

www.bridgestone.co.za

50

and Their Contribution to Safety in Motoring Tyres

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Marcus Haw

This month we continue with the responsibilities of tyre staff in a fleet.

t h e B u z z ?

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

It’s finally arrived…a world-class tyre sealant technology thatwill save your company large amounts of money and time!Air-Seal tyre sealant is an Aramid based product (as used inbullet proof vests) that does not separate or solidify.Punctures are instantly repaired, without the use of gum,latex, glues, or cork, ensuring that idle labour and machinedowntime is avoided.

Our tyre sealant offers –

• State-of-the-art fibres

• Strength - A final seal provided by strong fibres, provid-

ing an airtight plug.

• Suspension stability - A high performance sealant that

will last for the life of the tyre

• The only product used by the British, American Army

and other large companies.

• Inertness – sealant will not react chemically with any part

of the tyre/wheel assembly

• Corrosion protection – effectively inhibits rust and cor-

rosion

• Prevention of flats from large punctures

• Extended tyre life

• Eco friendly

If your business has tyres working for you we will be able to

help make a difference.

For more information please contact us oninfo@airseal.co.za or visit our Website onwww.airseal.co.za or contact Willie Breytenbach at 083 324 2983

American TyreTechnologynow in South Africa!

CONTROL INSTRUMENTSLAUNCHES WARRANTY CALL

CENTRE FOR WHOLESALERSControl Instruments Automotive, the subsidiary of JSE-listedControl Instruments and the manufacturer and supplier of Gabrielshock absorbers, has launched a retail warranty call centre and care-line for all Gabriel aftermarket products. “While the call centre isaimed at Gabriel’s retail partners to provide a swift warranty claimprocess, it will be beneficial to consumers and channel partners aswell,” says Sean Staley, brand manager for Gabriel. “The call centrewill provide a streamlined process for all retail outlets to log informa-tion for warranty claims during and after hours and receive an imme-diate response and authorisation and will include a stock shortagecare line service.” Staley says the company is ISO 14001, ISO9000and TS standards approved. “This puts us in good standing with therequirements of the pending Consumer Protection Act (CPA) whichis aimed at protecting the consumer. Much of the CPA legislation isalready adhered to in terms of the Gabriel’s internal safety, qualitycontrol and warranty standards. Safety has always been a key issue inthe manufacture of Gabriel products and the CPA will protect theconsumer from unscrupulous suppliers and private products”.

Depending on the size and complexity of the firm,

each hut could also have smaller huts within the

main huts. This must be the decision of the leader

of that specific main hut. This is not a subsistence

kraal, which only makes Ecstasy seat covers for its

own use. This is a highly competitive kraal, selling premium qual-

ity seat covers at a competitive price, professionally marketed to

people outside of the community. To do this, the entire kraal is

collectively responsible for adding value to the product that it

imports/manufactures, markets and sells.

Therefore, even though our first priority is to look after our indi-

vidual huts, and to sweep in front of the hut, we must always take

cognisance of the fact that whatever we do impacts on the other

huts, in some way. So we need to speak to the other huts (COM-

MUNICATION), and we need to allow them to sometimes help

us sweep in front of our hut, and vice versa; they will sometimes

need us to help them to sweep in front of their hut (CO-OPER-

ATION). With this bit of common sense, it does not take a rock-

et scientist to realise how important the two C’s apply in this sce-

nario: COMMUNICATION and CO-OPERATION become

critical. This is known as the C2 cardinal rule. Our brooms can

no longer be traditional – they will all need to have more than one

handle!

To facilitate this process, we need to identify every important task

in each hut, and to designate responsibility, e.g. who is going to

collect the wood for the fire, who is going to build the fire, who

is going to light the fire, who is going to look after the fire, who

is going to collect the water, who is going to boil the water, who

is going to carry the hot water, who is going to use the water, who

is going to clean the ashes, etc., etc., etc. This is a painstaking, but

important task, which is actually quite simple once you’ve put

your mind to it. But still time consuming. The people doing these

tasks may not all come from the same hut, so the person who is

in charge of the hut that the chief activity falls under, has to co-

ordinate these activities, with the requisite co-operation from the

other huts that need to be involved. Now we need 3 C’s: COM-

MUNICATION, CO-OPERATION and CO-ORDINATION,

better known as the C3 cardinal rule.

With C3 being of vital importance, we need to have regular meet-

ings; in the kraal vernacular, Umhlanganos; to dovetail all of

these activities, in our search for excellence (apologies to Peters).

We have no option, as we have to strive for perfection, because

there are other kraals who are also adding value to their seat cov-

ers, and we are competing for the same market.

The 21st century hut system would look something like this -

– sponsored by Federal-Mogul

Customer C.A.R.E. Programme

1. Rate the communication, co-operationand co-ordination that you are currentlyexperiencing in your company. Discuss.

2. Take a relatively simple process in yourcompany, that requires input from vari-ous departments, and break it down intoits respective tasks. How would you do itdifferently utilising the HUT system.Discuss.

3. Is perfection attainable? Discuss.4. Do you like competition? Discuss.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 052

MODULE Fifteen: THE FORMALISATION STAGE – CONTINUED

DISCUSSION POINTS

The Hut System

W o r k s h o p U p d a t e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 054

Making South Africa

a Better PlaceWednesday 4th August 2010 was an auspicious day for South Africa, with the launch of a new initiative calling for South Africans to respect the country’s laws and to lead by example. The Lead SA call to action wascreated to remind every South African to challenge negative perceptions, to follow the rule of law and helpchange the country, and to put into effect former president Nelson Mandela’s call to the citizens of the country to be proactive about improving their lives.

“It is in your hands to create a better world for

all who live in it, and to make a difference,” the

clarion call from Madiba, is the point of depar-

ture for this campaign, and making a difference

to the citizens of Springs is Mohammed Abed.

This was in evidence at the first official opening

of an AutoCrew workshop in Africa, situated at

100 Second Street in Springs. Mohammed was

motivated to open an AutoCrew workshop from

his experiences as a used car dealer. He found it

difficult to find a professional workshop in

Springs which could meet his exacting require-

ments, so he started to look around for an alter-

native, and this he found in the AutoCrew con-

cept. His research convinced him that this was

the best workshop concept available, and the

backing of the Bosch organisation is what

clinched the deal. AutoCrew Springs is now

open for business, offering repairs to all vehicles

under the expert eye of Service Manager Kobus

du Preez, someone who has had extensive expe-

rience on Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford vehicles.

Kobus and his team, comprising David, Sipho

and Emmanuel, promise good service at afford-

able prices, with a warranty of 3 months/

10 000km on all work done.

Mohammed Abed receives his cer-tificate of appointment as the firstAutoCrew in Africa from DaveStalker, representing Robert BoschSouth Africa, AutomotiveDivision. Dave told the attendeesthat the AutoCrew workshop con-cept is important to Bosch, andthat they looked forward to a longterm close partnership withMohammed and his team. Hepointed out that the AutoCrewconcept is not new, having beenestablished in Germany over 30years ago, and which has now awide footprint across Europe. Hesees this concept as perfect forSouth Africa, with its emphasis ontechnical competence, high stan-dards, and the backing of a well-known brand and an iconic inter-national organisation. With theBosch philosophy that the customeris the most important person in thebusiness, Dave reiterated thatAutoCrew Springs would be anasset to the community, as it wouldoffer consistently high technicalservice, with standards and equip-ment continuously being moni-tored through quality audits. Dave Stalker, Mohammed Abed, Kobus du Preez

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

t h e B u z z ?

RMI CHALLENGESGOVERNMENT’S CO2

TAX PLANSouth Africa’s Retail Motor Industry organisation (RMI) has lent its fullsupport to the urgent call by the National Association of AutomobileManufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) for Government to reconsid-er aspects of vehicle emissions tax, scheduled for implementation onSeptember 1. Jeff Osborne, CEO of the RMI, says it is imperative thatissues regarding the introduction of the tax are resolved, includingGovernment’s abrupt decision to extend its reach to incorporate lightcommercial vehicles (LCVs). Further, he says motor industry sourceshave indicated that VAT could be payable on the tax – which will beincorporated into the selling price of the vehicle – effectively upping thecost from R75 g/km over 120g/km to R85,50 g/km. With regard to theLCV issue, Osborne says: “Currently, there is no internationally appliedtest-method for determining CO2 emission levels on LCVs. Accuracyin this respect is essential. On what criteria will Government base its taxsystem? Engine capacity alone cannot be used as a guideline, contraryto what National Treasury officials have indicated. Further, to contem-plate charging VAT on emissions tax is iniquitous – yet some manufac-turers in the industry have been informed that this will be the case”.

Training and development plan toenhance the overall skills and the

knowledge base of BBBEE suppliersFord Motor Company SA and the AIDC have jointly conceived atraining and development plan to enhance the overall skills and theknowledge base of BBBEE suppliers. The Gauteng government hascommitted R105-million to this supplier incubator and skills enhance-ment project. "There is a need to focus on localising as many of thecomponents as possible, enabling sustainable development of localcomponent manufacturing and not just the assembly of importedcomponents. Following a drive to include local content in vehicles,there has to be a larger supplier base of required competences, whichis currently lacking," says AIDC CEO Barlow Manilal. The establish-ment of an incubation centre to nurture black-owned component sup-pliers at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa heralds a new wayof stimulating the establishment of black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in industry. This Gauteng provincial government ini-tiative, supported by Blue IQ and the AIDC will enable industry toreduce business costs, experience growth in local volumes and poten-tially reduce the overall cost to produce vehicles in South Africa. Theincubation centre will help to: develop existing BBBEE suppliers; assistcompanies to achieve the aims to increasing the sourcing of compo-nents from local suppliers; support the pairing of BBBEE companieswith its Tier 1 suppliers.

CHEVROLET TO INCREASE VOLT PRODUC-TION CAPACITY BY 50 PERCENT

On 30 July 2010, General Motors said that thanks to strong publicinterest in the Chevrolet Volt, the 540km extended range electricvehicle, it will increase U.S. production capacity of the ground break-ing new car by 50 percent, from 30,000 units to 45,000 units, in2012. The announcement came as U.S. President Barack Obamatoured the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Volt is being pro-duced for sale later this year. “The Chevrolet Volt provides driverswith the latest technology, outstanding innovation, and something noother electric vehicle can provide – peace of mind,” said Edward E.Whitacre, Jr., GM Chairman and CEO. The Volt offers a total driv-ing range of about 540km and is powered by electricity at all times.For up to the first 60km, the vehicle drives fuel- and tailpipe-emis-sions-free using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery.When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered, engine/generatorseamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 480km on afull tank.

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 056

It stands head and shoulders above its peers, and yet does not come even close to the sales of the market leader. Thevariance is a mind boggling anomaly. With a lower price, more power, more torque, superior acceleration, biggerboot, equal if not superior quality, and a 30 000 km service interval vs. the new standard 20 000 km, and otherextras, for some reason the Bravo does not influence the normally canny consumer. A stunning enigma.

Based on this, it is a good question to ask whether the

consumer is rational or irrational. Consumer behav-

iour theory used to accept the theory of the "rational

man" model of decision making. The whole point of

economics is that people make decisions by weighing

costs and benefits in a rational manner. The consumer's objective

is simply to select a set of product quantities that maximise satis-

faction (or utility), subject to available income. But this ignores

dynamics such as personal paradigms and perceptual distortion,

risk tolerance, and power relations. This behavioural component

should exercise the minds of the marketers, so that they can influ-

ence the purchasing decision process.

Making a differenceThe Fiat Bravo is a classic case in point. Prior to its revamp, the

Bravo was already close to perfection and comparatively superior

to the market leader, so the stunning new Fiat Bravo Sport will

most probably not make a difference, which equates to a long

haul for the marketing team to change the dynamics. Cosmetic

changes aside, the most notable difference is a softer ride and a

reduction in noise. The 110kW 1.4 T-Jet engine continues to

inspire, and the big and stunning 17” alloys can even be upgrad-

ed to even bigger 18” stunners. Otherwise, there is simply no rea-

son for Fiat South Africa to change anything, except the mind-set;

i.e. perceptual distortion, risk tolerance, and power relations; of

the South African motoring consumer.

by Howard Keeg

Tweaking the Bravo – a Stunning Enigma

17” stunners

1S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 058

The modern automotive technician is now seen as an automotive doctor, and when heor she interacts with customers, dirty hands are a no-no. That is why Permatex® hasintroduced waterless hand cleaners for working hands.

TopClass MD, Richard Pinard

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

No Need for Dirty Hands

Since 1909, quality Permatex® products have been used in workshops, garages, and at racetracks

around the world. Behind these products is the understanding that the automotive technician’s

needs is Permatex’s primary concern. Innovation through research and development is a Permatex

hallmark, and hand cleaners, whilst being considered a “soft” product, is one of the areas within

which Permatex excels.

Permatex’s fast selling Fast Orange® line features a broad selection of formulas and sizes for removing the most

difficult dirt, and they’ve been doing it for over 50 years, and have become in America the hand cleaner of

choice for the hard working technician. Wherever hands are getting seriously dirty, there’s a place for Fast

Orange, because the hard working technician needs clean hands to do other daily chores, and he needs a

waterless hand cleaner that really cleans – without turning his hands into sandpaper. He needs the strength

to remove grease, grime, paint, adhesives and all other dirt his working hands get into, plus conditioners to

prevent cracking and drying out. In South Africa, Top Class Automotive focuses on the Permatex Fast

Orange Smooth Cream Hand Cleaner, available in a 14 oz. plastic tub, and a 4.5 lb. container (product codes

33013 and 33406); and the Permatex Fast Orange Pumice Lotion Hand Cleaner, available in a 15 fl. oz.

bottle, a 15 fl. oz Brush-Up® bottle with nail brush, a half gallon bottle with pump bottle, and a one gal-

lon bottle with pump (refs. 25116, 25113, 25217 and 25218).

Note: one fluid ounce = 29,57 millilitres, one gallon = 3,785 litres, one oz. = 28,35 grams, and one lb. = 0,454 kg.

The technician whopresents a professionalimage has the world in

his hands...

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 060

A Pulsating ExperienceTwo months ago I had the pleasure of test driving the Citroën DS3 for a week, and I gave it a glowing report,

because it is a very good car. This obviously pleased the powers that be, because for this issue I can describe my

feelings towards bigger brother, the DS3 Sport, the muscular but sexy beast that pleasured me for another week.

The publicity blurb says that the DS3 forges a new

path… by placing desire at the heart of the motoring

experience. I agree, particularly with the DS3 Sport –

its 1.6 THP 16v 115kW and 240Nm mill is an expe-

rience whether you are tootling along city roads, or powering

down the freeway, and best of all, when you take flight on the

national roads. What really impressed me was the phenomenal

torque this six speed vehicle has. You can cruise at 2 500 rpm at

120 kph, and if need be put your foot down at these revs, and this

beast responds! This equates to incredibly good fuel consumption

for the power on hand, and whilst it is heavier than its smaller sib-

ling and thus not as thrifty, the trade-off is really pretty decent.

And R255 000 is a pretty decent price as well.

But it is the muscular sensuousness of this car that really stirs the

desire. Just take a look at the accompanying pics, and I use the

words of the press release to get the juices going. Even the name

of the site where the DS3 is built is enough for me. Imagine hav-

ing a car that was assembled in Poissy. This alone evokes sensa-

tions and the desire to ram the car into low gear and to thrust up

the highway to heaven. For this we will need to buy the optional

leather gear knob at R438.50, but before we get carried away, we

need to pull up the leather handbrake, and to keep the double

chrome exhaust pipe throbbing in anticipation. Before we get

onto the glistening road, we need to use the connecting box to get

your blue teeth connected with the USB socket, and to get into

the swing of things by running your fingers over the dashboard to

get the “soft touch” effect. Use all your senses for maximum

effect, and I quote, “with its sculptural styling and striking lines,

the DS3 exudes enormous appeal. It is a truly distinctive vehicle

with a strong personality built on original creations including a

‘floating’ roof, a ‘shark fin’ that lends vigour to the waistline, and

recesses on the nose housing LED lights”. You want more? How

about this, “the sophisticated instrumentation – with three coni-

cal dials on the cluster – driver-focused commands, low-set driv-

ing position and body-hugging seats lend a cockpit feel”. I don’t

know about you, but I’m exhausted, so I leave the climatic last

words to Citroën, “this is an expressive object that stirs the desire

to travel. Taming the road so that only driving pleasure remains”.

When you want to stop, the brakes will do the job, “the

CITROËN DS3 is fitted with a particularly safe braking system,

including a host of standard-fit features such as ESP, ABS, elec-

tronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist

(EBA). This equipment helps drivers in the most difficult situa-

tions, including loss of grip”.

by Howard KeegLip smacking double chrome exhaust pipes

Just look at those headlights and chromeside rubbing strips

Tony Ribeiro values his inde-

pendence, but is acutely aware

of the need for assistance from a

larger organisation when it

comes to the purchase of capital equipment

and the procurement of replacement parts,

with as little hassle as possible. It was this

desire for a helping hand, with few strings

attached, that attracted Tony to the

Capricorn Society co-operative concept. In

2001, he was one of the first members to

sign up for the South African chapter of

the society, and he soon grew to appreciate

the benefit of one account for all his pur-

chases, seamlessly sourced via the Purple

Pages. He now affectionately refers to

Capricorn as “my Big Brother, but not my

Boss”. This neatly encapsulates what

Capricorn Society is all about – a helping

hand, but not a heavy helping hand!

Perfect for the workshop that wants to

retain its independence.

Of course, Tony also loves the incentives

and the Year End Function, where he can

network to his heart’s content. Networking

has become a critical element in today’s fre-

netic world with its fast technological

changes, as in this informal forum new

trends can be picked up early. For example,

Tony’s son Angelo, who has joined the

business, is part of the new generation of

technicians, who stay abreast of

the latest technical info and fit-

ment techniques via the internet,

and valuable web sites and related

subjects are exchanged at such

functions. Tony has also noted

that technicians are gravitating to

two distinct areas of expertise; the

technician who analyses and diag-

noses, and the guys with more

hands on and mechanical aptitude

who do the dismantling and

assembly/fitment, similar to a

doctor nurse relationship. It is this

enquiring mind and observation skills that

has kept Tony at the head of the pack, and

a big reason why he joined Capricorn

Society. When asked if he would recom-

mend Capricorn to other workshops, his

reply is a no nonsense “Yes - definitely!”

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 062

I n s i g h t s

Ribeiro Motors cc, situated at 82 Voortrekker Street Alberton, is an institution in this residential town, south eastof Johannesburg. Having plied his trade in both Alrode and Alberton for the past 25 years, owner Tony Ribeiro iswell known to the motorists of southern Johannesburg and its surrounds, having built up a reputation for quali-ty workmanship and good old honest service. Ribeiro Motors is also the place to go for precision skimming of brakediscs, both on and off the car, plus brake drums and flywheels. Thus it is not hyperbolic to make the statement thatRibeiro Motors is a cut above the rest.

A Cut above the Rest

To join Capricorn Society Limited call André Changuionon 083 287 3498 or e-mail him at

andre.changuion@capricorn.coop or visit their website onwww.capricorn.com.au

Tony Ribeiro specialisesin German vehicles, soit was no surprise to seetwo BMW’s side by side

Ribeiro Motors is both spacious andspotless

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 064

I have to confess to having a soft spot for Mazda and it is therefore strange

that after featuring nearly 30 brands in this column over the last three years,

we are only now getting around to Mazda.

Mazda Maniaby Adrian Burford

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

Isuppose we all have a favourite, usu-

ally a direct result of what we learnt

to drive in and what was our first car

– they’re often one and the same.

I learnt to drive in a Ford Cortina bakkie,

but my first car was my dream car: a

Mazda RX2. For those who weren’t around

in the 70s and 80s, the RX2 was Mazda’s

rotary-engined compact performer and

ultimately the gene donor for the RX7

and, more recently, the RX8. I grew up on

a diet of Kyalami race meetings so seeing

the cacophonic little car in action in Lodge

Group One and Star Modified racing was

already deeply engrained in my synapses

by the time I reached driving age. While

my wealthier mates were getting Golf GTis

and the poorer ones were getting hand-

me-down Datsuns 120Ys, all I wanted was

an RX2.

I can remember it coming into sight for

the very first time on a Wintery day in

1985. Actually, I heard its wailing first,

which was almost inevitable with a rotary-

powered Mazda. Then it burst into view.

Sideways. R2 000 later it was mine. But as

a result of my first experience of this thirsty

(it drank like a dipsomaniac on overdrive)

little beige machine with the extrovert

exhaust, I thought that was the way one

drove all the time and believe me, I did. As

it turned out, my first race car was a

Capella Rotary of a slightly newer vintage

and yes, I drove that sideways too. It was a

good tactic and the following cars invari-

able thought I was about to crash out and

backed off in anticipation of the impend-

ing drama. It was a measure of the forgiv-

ing nature of the car that spins were infre-

quent and it is with some sadness that I

note there is now just a single rear-wheel-

drive car in the Mazda stable – the MX-5.

But that’s one more than most rivals and

the automotive world is front-drive for all

but the premium brands. Mazda was one

of the first Japanese brands to go front-

wheel-drive for their C-segment car,

launching the FWD 323 in September

1981, a full three years before the Corolla

followed. In 1982, about 30 000 of these

small Mazdas were sold – nearly double

that of the Golf I! If you wanted some-

thing larger from the Mazda stable then

you went for the popular 626, and both

these badges ultimately live on in the shape

of the Mazda3 and Mazda6. We also have

the excellent Mazda2, a former winner of

the Wesbank SAGMJ Car of the Year

crown. Mazda’s past in South Africa is a

fairly long and tortuous one: imports start-

ed in the 1960s by Illings, a subsidiary of

the McCarthy Group. At R1 646 the 1200

which arrived in 1970 was really a car for

bottom feeders, but they were extremely

rugged and you still occasionally spot

them wheezing around.

Illings ultimately disappeared in the Sigma

conglomerate, which became Amcar, and

with the formation of the South African

Motor Corporation (Samcor) out of Ford

and Amcar in the mid-1980s, we entered

an era of badge engineering. Samcor offi-

cially became FMCSA in 2000, the culmi-

nation of the 1994 announcement that

Ford had acquired a 45 percent equity in

Samcor, buying shares from Anglo

American Corporation and the employees

trust set up when Ford disinvested from

SA in 1988. Mazda provided most of the

platforms – simply because they were the

better cars. Today, while Ford and Mazda

have passenger car ranges which are largely

unique (though the Mazda2 and Fiesta

bear more than a passing resemblance

under the skin) the light commercials are

essentially one and the same.

Mazda has, despite the ups and downs,

remained a solid player in the market,

though today it should arguably be having

an even bigger impact on the sales charts

especially with the Mazda2. Maybe the

range needs a latter-day replacement for

the RX2…

Another word that Hamish relates to is

Profit. Not in the greedy sense, but in

terms of sustainability. To survive, busi-

nesses need to make a profit, and Hamish

readily admits that “If I hadn’t made the

change to e-CAR, I would not have sur-

vived!” He adds that becoming a member of the fastest

growing workshop concept in South Africa was the best

thing that he ever did, as he turned a small investment

into big returns. And the motorists in Sasolburg readily

agree, and are voting with their feet. Or more accurately,

they are voting with their cars. Car & Truck Auto has

seen an increase of 200% in turnover since Hamish

joined e-CAR some three years ago. The wise folk of

Sasolburg are aware that a motor car is a big investment and that when they

take their vehicles for a service or repair they look for a workshop brand that

represents quality, assurance, peace of mind, value for money, and all those

good things associated with a top class brand. Those good things include

technical training, a 24 hour technical help line,

first rate diagnostic equipment (Hamish says that

Bosch is the best you can buy!), branded quality

parts, a national network and a national warranty,

and an empathy with the customer. Empathy is

the currency Hamish deals in, and he treats every

customer as special. He says that “people do not

want to take their car to a ‘spanner’; they want to

feel special and have peace of mind”. Thus he

wants to be better than other workshops, and

not just treat customers as a number. In compari-

son, he says, “We do a better job, and a more

caring job, which ensures that our customers keep

coming back”.

65S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

All the adjectives that describe Hamish Kiddle start with a P. Passionate, Precise, Patient, Polite, all equate to Hamish beinga Perfectionist and a People Person. These attributes have all contributed to the success of Car & Truck Auto, based inGeduld Street, Sasolburg.

Small Investment, Big Returns

To join the fastest growing workshop network in South Africa and to add a new dimension to your

business, contact Wilfried Langenbach at 086 000 3227 (086 000 ECAR)

Hamish has installed a TV screen in the receptionarea for his customers

Customers are the lifeblood of every business, and thus they require special care and special

communication

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

R o b e r t B o s c h

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 066

Engine Electronics, an Exponential HistoryThe basic concept of the internal combustion engine has been the same since it was first discovered all thoseyears ago. The fuel is delivered into the internals of the engine where it’s ignited. This creates the power nec-essary to create movement. It’s actually a lot more complicated than that, but for the purpose of this article wewill only be looking at the way fuel is delivered into the combustion chamber.

Carlo du Plessis, from

Cencar Centurion, took

some time to explain the

evolution of fuel supply

systems to ABR. First up

we have the carburettor.

This system was used on engines we now

refer to as homogenous motors. The car-

burettor sucks up fuel and air and this

mixture is then compressed before it

ignites. The system worked with points

and condensers, which we now know is the

weak link in the system. As these parts

wore out, the spark changed and grew

increasingly weaker.

After this realisation, the conventional car-

burettor system was removed and replaced

with a “motronic” system. This was basi-

cally the same carburettor system with the

inclusion of one single injector. It was once

again referred to as a homogenous motor

since the one injector was relied upon to

deliver fuel and air to all four (engine

dependant) cylinders. Carlo remembers

this as the time when engines started using

an electronic ignition system. “We called

them shutters and windows inside the dis-

tributer. These shutters and windows

would trigger the igniters which triggered

the coil.” The previous generation technol-

ogy relied on weakened points and con-

densers to do this job, but the new system

proved that a fuel delivery system could be

reliable. “This reliability stems from the

fact that none of the parts touch each

other, which means we don’t have the same

wear and tear,” says Carlo.

This was, however, still not good enough

for the various engine engineers around

the planet. The next generation technolo-

gy called for an injector per cylinder. On a

four cylinder car you would have four

injectors and so forth...

“The good thing about the injector-per-

cylinder system is the fact that it sprays

sequentially,” says Carlo. “So when a pis-

ton needs fuel to suck in, it sprays from

that specific injector.” This gave way to

two very important steps up from previous

technology. First of all, it used a lot less

fuel that the single injector/carburettor

system. Secondly, it was also a massive step

forward in engine cooling technology. The

fuel stays in the exact same place, but the

air moves around the engine to where it’s

needed. This was particularly good for the

cooling of the intake valve.

The injector-per-cylinder system, for the

very first time, made a fuel delivery system

“manageable.” “Now you have a computer

box, which means for the first time the

engine can think for itself,” says Carlo.

“The carburettor couldn’t think for itself.

It just delivered the same amount of fuel

and air to the same cylinders. With this

new system, it’s not happening.”

This made it easier to pinpoint a fault in

the delivery system. You have an ECU

(Engine Computer Unit) that can measure

the amounts of fuel given to the engine.

According to Carlo, “you can retrieve this

information from the ECU and it will tell

you, for example, that piston number four

is not receiving enough fuel from the

injector.”

The boffins then took it one step further.

They started adding a coil per cylinder to

manage the spark. On a four-cylinder

engine you would now have four coils

instead of the normal single unit. “So now

the ECU can see that at coil one the

engine is either sparking, or not sparking,”

says Carlo. Basically this means the ECU

can pick up if any unused fuel is left over

after the injector did its job.”

That’s why they did it. They moved it in a

direction to save fuel and to save the envi-

ronment. The only way you can do this is

to monitor the movement of the fuel

through the ECU box.”

To make the engines even more efficient,

they brought out the new FSI engines.

This stands for “Fully Stratified Injection.”

This motor has a homogenous mode, as

well as a stratified mode. The stratified

mode only pulls in air to the engine, which

means the compression is much higher.

“Only when the cylinder pushes up, the

fuel gets delivered,” says Carlo. “On those

cars it’s running even lighter on fuel, but it

also goes a lot quicker.”

These developments have made a huge

contribution to emission reduction. It has

proven that we don’t necessarily have to

resort to electricity, or other means of

propulsion, to reduce our carbon foot-

print.

Carlo du Plessis of Cencar Centurion, reliesheavily on the Golden Triangle of the KTS,

ESI[tronic], and FSA Bosch equipment

L a u n c h U p d a t e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 068

Launch Displays at the

Nelspruit Motor Show Even the lowest cost modern car technology will shame many more expensive cars of yesteryear. Thesecret in maintaining these cars to perhaps last as long as some of the older generation cars; requiresappropriate diagnostic equipment and tools.

Launch Tech Co. Ltd was founded in 1992 and has since

become a global player in the automotive industry pro-

viding equipment and service solutions for mechanical

workshops and service centres. These include diagnostic

tools, wheel aligners and balancing equipment and auto transmis-

sion fluid changers. They currently have more than 400 distribu-

tors in 60 countries and are ISO 9000:2000 and QS9000 compli-

ant. Launch Technology S.A. (Pty) Ltd, a branch of Launch Tech

Co. Ltd, was established in South Africa in 2000.

The parent company employs over 250 research and development

engineers who develop and or adapt manufacturers’ software for

application in their products. Says Marketing Manager Hans

Coetzee, "From a development point of view, we are never behind

the manufacturers by more than 18 months. We teach technicians

how to apply and utilise our equipment to optimise productivity

and affect quality repairs and servicing of their customers’ cars”.

Launch Technologies recently participated in the Nelspruit Motor

Show, now in its fifth year, to introduce, amongst other equip-

ment, their new X431 Master. "We have been at the show since

the beginning and we have been seeing the results of our presence

since year three. Of the service providers who use Launch prod-

ucts in South Africa, 70 per cent of their equipment requirements

are met by the company”, adds Coetzee.

The X431 is a mobile, light and very portable unit which,

when plugged into the electronic system of your car, can be

used to run a general diagnostic check on the vehicle's systems

or it can be used to verify the operation of specific components

as per your instruction. It is even possible to shut a specific

cylinder down by using electronic input via the X431. If, and

it should not be if, you have a non-negotiable approach towards

doing it right the first time, then you cannot do without a vehi-

cle diagnostic tool - having one is an imperative! The X431

offers amongst others: analysis of sensors and actuators and much

more, all in the palm of your hand. The X431 comes with a 16-

pin connector that incorporates a BMW 16, Can-Bus II, OBD II

and Smart OBD II plugs amongst others. The X431 also offers a

print-out facility.

At a price of R38 000 excluding VAT, you will receive a powerful

diagnostic tool to be used on a wider range of motor vehicles than

what any other diagnostic tool offers and best of all, if you own a

previous generation X431, you will attract a substantial discount

if you were to upgrade to the Master. If business is about making

money, then using the right product for the right application is

the methodology to support it, and Launch should be your pre-

ferred supplier.

by Matthys Ferreira

Hans Coetzee (Launch Marketing Manager), Hunter Zhang (GeneralManager), Jacky Li (Managing Director) and Shane van Zyl (Technical

Sales Consultant).

Shane van Zyl with Hans Coetzee at the Launch exhibition at theNelspruit Motor Show.

I n d u s t r y U p d a t e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 070

Compulsory Vehicle Insurance will LowerPremiums for SA’s Motorists

According to Leigh Friend,

Johannesburg Regional Manager

for MUA Insurance; the execu-

tive home and motor insurer;

the fact that more vehicles will be insured

means that there will be a bigger premium

pot for insurers. “Ultimately what this

means is that lower premiums will be

passed on to consumers, as the losses of the

few will be compensated by the contribu-

tions of the many.”

This could not have come any

sooner. With the standard of

driving down and a rapidly

deteriorating infrastructure,

accidents are increasing.

Friend says that this is

compounded by an

influx of new drivers

with poor experience

of the dynamics of

driving, plus the

alarming increase

in unlicensed driv-

ers and the increas-

ing tendency of

lapsed professional driv-

ing certificates.

Friend says the idea of establish-

ing a compulsory insurance

body is crucial in a country

such as South Africa, where

very few motorists currently

insure their vehicles. “Research suggests

that South Africa has around 9.5 million

motor vehicles, of which only around 35%

are actually insured and this figure is

expected to drop even further.

Compulsory insurance is also critical for

the motor industry as it will ensure an ele-

ment of stability, allowing more repairs to

be carried out, with the result that more of

the vehicles on the road will be in an

acceptable and roadworthy condition.”

Friend, who is a member of the SAIA com-

pulsory third party insurance workgroup,

warns that while the scheme is still under

consideration, people should be aware that

there are likely to be limits imposed on

costs. “It is highly likely that the maximum

amount paid out for repairs may be

capped, still leaving those innocent parties

with additional repair costs for their own

account”.

Trade-offs are unavoidable and under-

standable, but the real challenge will be in

the collection of premiums, and the sus-

tainability thereof. Thus, the insurance will

most probably attach to the vehicle, rather

than the individual. With the fuel levy

already overburdened, other avenues will

need to be explored, such as an affordable

annual premium paid when the licence

disc is renewed. To make this feasible, an

excess may be required, in addition to the

capping of claims.

Good news at last for the South African motorist. The government’s plans to make third party vehicle insur-ance compulsory for all South African drivers is likely to lead to a reduction in motor insurance premiumsfor those motorists who are already paying to insure their vehicles.

71

Taking Parts to NewcastleIt was not a dark and stormy night in Newcastle on Tuesday 10th August 2010, but the wintry north westcorner of KwaZulu Natal was indeed dark and cold when the Partinform Automotive Trade Show took placeat the Farmers Show Hall. The Partinform members, primarily local manufacturers of quality branded parts,were, by laying out their stalls, bringing the modern equivalent of high quality coal to Newcastle.

Newcastle has bred many luminaries

across the political, judicial, educa-

tional, sport, business and music fir-

mament – ANC stalwart Mac

Maharaj, tenderpreneur Siphiwe

Nyanda, musician Lucky Dube, soccer

star Sizwe Motaung, judicial export

Margaret Marshall, to name a few.

Bakkies Botha also hails from Newcastle, which truly puts his

town on the sporting map, no ifs or head butts about it! Despite

its colonial heritage, today Arcelormittal and hundreds of Eastern

owned textile factories dominate the town, so maybe the inverse

coal to Newcastle allegory in not so outlandish, as the message of

Partinform is “local is lekker”. Colin Murphy, Chairman of

Partinform, puts it succinctly, “Imported automotive product can

now be found on every shelf of every parts reseller in South Africa.

This is a fact of life. The challenge that the automotive aftermar-

ket repairer faces is that there is a massive variance in product

quality on offer. Whatever the origin of doubtful parts, it is a

conundrum for the reputable manufacturers. AAMA, and

Partinform, is about educating the motor trade on the profession-

al benefits of using guaranteed, branded quality parts, and about

the need to warn the trade about the obvious dangers of unsuit-

able parts with regard to vehicle roadworthiness, vehicle longevi-

ty, and road safety. There are also the potential consequences of

imported product of low quality driving out high quality brand-

ed product, in both access to such product, and the destruction of

local manufacturing resources, and the concomitant social

impact”. With the impending introduction of the CPA

(Consumer Protection Act) in October 2010, Colin’s words take

on even more significance.

The Partinform concept is essentially about reputable manufac-

turers pooling their resources to hold regular trade shows across

the breadth and depth of southern Africa, from Cape Town to

Musina, and Durban to Windhoek, and taking these important

messages to the automotive aftermarket, across the whole spec-

trum, from distributor right down to the workshop and small

repairer. The Partinform road show remains the vehicle of choice

for these endeavours, as it is an effective way of talking to resellers

and repairers, using an informal atmosphere to convey this mes-

sage. This is proving to be highly effective, but as Colin Murphy

says, “Our work is never done. New entrants to the aftermarket

need to be caught early before bad habits set in, and we have to

continue with the message, day in, day out, city by city, town by

town, to ensure that both the current generation, and future parts

professionals, understand the importance of quality, branded

product, and get inculcated into this way of life”.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

P A R T I N F O R M

72

73S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Partinform welcomes a newmemberThe Partinform tribe is growing, and some

new faces were seen at Newcastle. CI Auto

have added their powerful voice to the message

of quality branded product, and ABR spoke to

the newcomers at the first showing. Nash

Misra, Sales Representative; Eugen Jaganna,

Sales Manager, KZN; and Mags Nagiaa, Sales

Executive, KZN, were happy to spread the

word to the automotive parts retailers of

Newcastle and surrounds. They see Partinform

as the ideal platform for the message of quali-

ty, quality, and more quality, which CI Auto is

only happy to provide.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 074

Retailer of the ShowThere was strong competition for the “Retailer of the Show”, voted on by the individual mem-

bers of Partinform, with Mohammed’s Midas taking the vote by a neck from AutoZone Top

Parts. ABR had a quick chat with the representatives at the show, and we are happy to report

that both of these outlets have a strong commitment to quality parts.

Clint Ince, Marketing Manager, andAlly Dinath, a member of the sales

team, were full of praise for the event.They found that Partinform served auseful purpose as it re-inforced whatthey practiced, in a great networking

show. They told ABR thatMohammed’s Midas only sold the bestquality parts, and that customer satis-

faction was their primary concern.Good news for the motorists of

Newcastle!

Winners GaloreEveryone is a winner atPartinform, becauseeveryone goes awaywith life changing infor-mation. But there manywho go away with evenmore – in the form ofprizes donated by themembers of Partinform.And the big winner getsto drive a Ferrari racingcar at the PartinformForza Racing DrivingExperience at theZwartkops Raceway on25 November 2010.

Some of the other prize winners on the night

Partners Pradeep Singh and Pravesh Sewlal from AutoZone Top Parts were impressed with the Partinform concept andcommended the organisation of the show, and the right message that it send out. They stated their commitment to eschew-

ing poor quality parts, and their philosophy of quality over quantity. Quality branded product was the way to go, theysaid in unison. The motorists of Newcastle are in good hands!

C a t e g o r y

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

ABR readers need not despair, because they willalso have a chance to win a Forza RacingExperience. Three winners shall be announced inour October 2010 issue. All you need to do is toanswer these three simple questions, and fax to 086 6579 289 or email bigheart@iafrica.com:

Competi t ion Corner

1. In which month does the Consumer ProtectionAct take effect?

2. Does the Consumer Protection Act protect con-sumers from inferior quality parts?

3. What brand features on the back cover of thismonth’s ABR?

Name and Surname:

Company:

Position:

Postal Address:

Contact Tel.no’s:

e-mail address:

Neerajh Ranjithparsadh of Neerajh’s AutoClinic in Newcastle reacts to the news that hewill be going to Pretoria on 25th November.

I n d u s t r y U p d a t e

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 076

SUPERIOR, TRUSTWORTHY, ECONOMICAL

Over the last year, AutoZone has reviewed their House Brands offering to the market place. Out of this

stringent review has come a bundle of ten House Brands, all geared to serve every need that the market

place could have. The AutoZone House Brands offering now includes: AmPro, AutoKraft, Eddies, Elpar,

Ecotech, Femo, Spirex, LinX, AutoZone Chemicals and V-DUB. The focus this month is on their top-

performing engine parts range, Femo.

So why choose Femo? Femo products are of the best quality. Many of the top Femo products are manufactured by the O.E

Manufacturers, ensuring excellent quality. The manufacturers are ISO certified, and stringent quality control is conducted in every fac-

tory. Added to this, Femo products are good value for money, offering the customer the top quality they require for their business, at a

price that they can afford.

So next time you’re looking for top quality, affordable engine parts, turn to Femo. With Femo products,backed by AutoZone, you can’t go wrong!

• Bearings

• Pistons

• Piston Rings

• Sleeves

• Valves

• Water Pumps

• Fuel Pumps

• Timing Belt Tensioners

• Timing Kits

• Timing Chain Kits

• Clutch Kits

• Sleeve Assemblies

• Oil Pumps

• Gaskets

• Chain Tensioners

• Universal Joints

• Timing Chains

• Release Bearings

• Clutch Plates

The Femo range is growing daily, and consists of the following products:

Femo is the fastest growing member of the AutoZone House Brands Family. Launched in 2008 and expanded greatly in 2010,

this top quality range of internal and external engine components is already a popular brand in the marketplace. Femo parts

are designed for a wide range of vehicle makes and models. You can identify the Femo products by their bright and attrac-

tive new packaging. The red, white and blue boxes are visually powerful when merchandised together, and will always leave

the right impression with the customer.

t h e B u z z ?

77S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

SKF signs a long term contract with Valeo for

supply to the new i-StARSSKF has signed a three-year contract worth around SEK34 million (R33.4 million)

with Valeo to supply SKF Rotor Positioning Bearings for the new i-StARS, Valeo's

stop-start system. i-StARS automatically cuts off the vehicle’s engine when slowing

down under 8 km/h, e.g. when stopping for a red light. The system enables further

reduction in CO2 emissions and even less fuel consumption compared to the first gen-

eration StARS. i-StARS will initially be used with both manual and automated manu-

al transmissions to equip the new diesel engine family, e-HDi, for the Citroen and

Peugeot brands. The SKF solution provides a powerful, accurate, repeatable and

durable magnetic field making it possible for the control unit to receive data on the

positioning of the shaft which enables the system to stop and re-start the engine at the

correct time in a smooth way. “Working in close cooperation with Valeo, and using our

engineering knowledge we have developed solutions, to support their innovative and

patented stop-start systems. The industry is demanding new technologies and we con-

stantly develop new offers to meet these demands”, says Tryggve Sthen, President SKF

Automotive Division. This is the second business awarded to SKF by Valeo for this

kind of application. SKF already supplies this solution to the first generation of StARS.

Deliveries will start during the third quarter this year.

SKF SOUTH AFRICAAPPOINTS NEW

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SKF South Africa recently appointed

Barry Dailly as the new Managing

Director for the local subsidiary of the

Swedish multinational Group. Dailly,

who has been with SKF since 2007 in

the capacity of Financial Manager,

took over the reins from previous

Managing Director, Gavin Garland,

who left South African shores at the

end of April 2010 to fill a position at

SKF in China. On his appointment,

Dailly said “We have the people, the

knowledge, the products, the solutions

and the will to reach new heights. The

future looks good for SKF and our

country. I am proud to be the helm

look forward to playing my part”.

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 078

South Africa Goes forGold in the TNT 2010Drive Me ChallengeThe fourth annual international TNT Drive Me Challenge takes place on 6 October 2010 on a military airfield in Valkenburg, Netherlands. For the first time, South Africa will be competing against other TNToperations across the globe, including Australia, China, France, Germany, UK and USA. Representing TNTExpress South Africa will be Elliot Tau, winner of the inaugural South Africa competition held on 31 July2010 at the company’s head offices in Elandsfontein, Gauteng.

The Drive Me Challenge is different from other driving championships, as the goal is to recognise and reward the skills that

are most conducive to effective driving within the industry, primarily fuel efficient driving, safe driving behaviour, and the

reduction of road traffic accidents. Thus, the challenge demands expert driver skill to deliver exceptional customer service

both safely and fuel efficiently – all in a race against time.

Elliot Tau, together with runner-up Lefa Mathibela (warming up the substitute’s bench), apart from winning some great prizes, will be

prepped by MasterDrive for the competition, and in addition will become intelli-driving ambassadors for TNT and the industry.

ABR, as South Africa’s premium automotive aftermarket publication, was at the South African leg of the competition, and will be

reporting in greater detail in future issues on the international event, and on the important issues and philosophies behind this

noteworthy competition.

Personal pride combined within-cab technology equates toexceptional customer service

Elliot Tau receives congratulations from TimSteel, CEO of TNT Express Worldwide SA.

Kobus Fourie, Operations Director, andMary Mashiane, Corporate

Responsibility & Quality Manager,worked hard behind the scenes to getSouth Africa into the international

competition

Justine Clackworthy and Eugene Herbert fromMasterDrive were part of the judging team

The 10 drivers, all winners by simply competing, ready to roll.

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

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 080

Xylo – Phone Your Dealer If you are looking for a rugged, no nonsense cargo carrier, and want it brand spanking new,but don’t want to stretch the budget, I have a simple piece of advice – phone your Mahindradealer now!by Howard Keeg

At R164 900, the Xylo Panel Van offers a lot. It has a spacious cargo carrying area, a proven and willing engine, good fuel con-

sumption, and the little things that make the daily grind a little bit easier, such as power steering, electric windows, aircon and

loads of nooks and crannies for those loose bits and pieces. It is the working brother of the Xylo MPV, which was introduced

to this country in March 2009 to fill the Toyota Condor gap, according to Mahindra insiders at the time.

Based on the Xylo E2 platform, the Xylo Panel Van’s grunt is delivered by the 2.5-litre m-Eagle CRDe engine and delivers 84kW at

3800rpm and 240Nm between 1800 and 3000 rpm. Being a working vehicle, there are very few frills, but the protective wire mesh that

is behind the driver’s cabin could have been placed a wee bit back, as even with my average height I could not get the driver’s seat back

enough for absolute comfort, but the tiltable steering wheel did ameliorate this a tad. The centre console is bold and cheerful, and I

found that as I drove around town that the vehicle is easily manoeuvrable and easy for the driver and passenger to enter and exit. And

the two side doors and back door make loading a cinch.

But I am not the man to give the definitive verdict on Mahindra vehicles, as this was the first that I had for a road test, and whilst a

week was sufficient for a reasonable evaluation, it was not long enough to suss out the foibles and fables. Thus, I will leave the long term

judgement on Mahindra vehicles to a gentleman I met when I was visiting a client during my Xylo roster. I was parked outside the

premises, and he drove up in a Bolero. He enthusiastically walked up to the Xylo and inspected the interior, exterior and engine com-

partment with relish. Upon enquiry, he revealed that he had driven his Bolero for a good number of years and that it had given excel-

lent service over this period, working hard for 80 000km, and that he was a great fan of this Indian marque. Not too amazing, but his

next revelation was – he owned two other vehicles, one a BMW and one a Pajero, and his favourite vehicle was the Bolero! This is only

anecdotal and not very scientific, but interesting nonetheless. He may be a quirky sort of guy, but I took him at face value.

C o n s u m e r P r o t e c t i o n A c t

81

New! Shaka’s safety spearAlwyn Viljoen explains why selling a assegai in place of an airbagwon’t get you sued under the new Consumer Protection Act.

Africa’s “Napoleon”, a.k.a.

King Shaka, is famous for

designing what historians call

the short stabbing spear.

Shaka called it umkhonto we

sizwe, which name the ANC also saw fit to

use for its army, ignoring oral history

which still whispers how that short despot

wielded this assegai to cut open pregnant

women and the throats of any old soldiers

– except for one man, who was famously

“too beautiful”.

Manje, I’m not also going to call Shaka a

sadistic, gay warlord whose genocides

destroyed the flourishing international

trade routes of the baKoni and baRoka and

left us with a language that has a dozen

words for a klap.

Considering the new Consumer Protec-

tion Act which is being phased in until

October 2010, I shall instead be his

imbongi and sing the (potential) praises of

using his stabbing spear as a uniquely

South African safety device in our cars.

All a dealer needs to do is to fix that foot-

long blade so that it juts out of the steering

wheel and then explain in graphic detail to

the driver what will happen in a collision.

Understand I’m only taking a wild stab at

the predicted results… but I’m pretty con-

fident the spear, affixed thus, will make

our traffic a lot safer.

Instead of this practical safety spear, we sell

a device designed by a bunch of large

Americans who tried to make cars safer by

doing what they do best: exude hot air.

The airbag started out and still is a politi-

cal answer to a problem that did not exist

for people who do not drive but instead

experience "involuntary acceleration inci-

dents". When these people crash into

things, they discover that airbags don't

"deploy" in super slow motion as depicted

on telly. They explode.

I have seen several case studies of airbags

that smashed in the faces of petite women

whose short arms force them to sit too

close to the steering wheel. Before breaking

her nose, the airbag snapped her wrists

while the super-hot gasses dumped a

residue of skin-searing chemicals on her

third degree burns.

Not that any of our ladies have reason for

concern. When the new CPA is fully

phased by November, she can take her bro-

ken nose and scarred arms to court and sue

the pants off everyone involved in selling

her a car that contained a hazardous item.

Yes, indeed. The new act holds all of us

liable for selling her a product that has a

proven track record of causing hurt with-

out explaining the dangers. Correct me

here, but don’t those bold bits below

describe the way in which we sell airbags?

Paragraph 61. (1): “The producer or

importer, distributor or retailer of any

goods is liable for any harm, as described

in subsection (5) caused wholly or partly as

a consequence of supplying any unsafe

goods, a product failure, defect or hazard

in any goods; or inadequate instructions or

warnings provided to the consumer per-

taining to any hazard arising from or asso-

ciated with the use of any goods.

What is more, 61 (3) states “if, in a partic-

ular case, more than one person is liable in

terms of this section, their liability is joint

and several”. This includes the guy who

later replaced the windscreen or fixed the

bumper.

Section 4 of the Act does absolve said

sellers and suppliers of some of the liabili-

ty under certain conditions, but if your

sales patter still include the words “airbag”

and “safety device” in one breath without a

detailed explanation in the client’s vernac-

ular of their inherent hazards, your firm

can be held liable for duping the poor

consumer.

Which is why it may be simpler to just

remove all airbags and fix Shaka’s stabbing

spear in its place. Everyone will understand

its function fluently in all 11 languages.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

ABR brings you a series of articles on the Consumer Protection Act.

Crash test dummiesare the only con-sumers who won'tsue for being sold a

hazard like anairbag. People whoget hurt like this

guy, will.

alwynjsviljoen@gmail.com is an award-winning transport and travel writer

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 082

The Changing Face of AutomotiveRepair in South Africa

Howard Keeg takes a look at service and repair options

My growing band of loyal readers will recognise that I am rather pedantic about the issues of automotive repair in South

Africa, and they will also know that I am a proponent of first class service. Both of these readers will tell you that I am

adamant that the modern car simply cannot be left to the tender mercies of Joe the Mobile Motor Repairer, or the back-

yard mechanic who is friends with your wife’s hairdresser’s husband’s pool partner. Thus, it was with great delight that I

received a press release in mid-August, announcing a maintenance plan for older vehicles out of the manufacturer’s service plan. It is

truly a wonderful innovation, and because of the import, I have my editor’s approval to give you this press release verbatim, which is

impressively comprehensive. It is worth every word!

South Africa is primarily a used carmarket

Analysis of the eNaTIS and new car sales

statistics highlight the fact that of a live

population of 5.5 million cars and 1.9

million LDV’s over 6 million are older

than 3 years. (eNatis June 2010 statistics).

Furthermore analysts seem to agree that

it’s going to be some time before the new

car market recovers, with cash-strapped

motorists increasingly choosing to buy

second hand cars or driving their existing

vehicles for longer.

What are the maintenance optionsfor older vehicles?

While new vehicles are covered by the

manufacturer’s warranty and/or limited

motor plan, the maintenance and repair

support options for owners of vehicles

where the warranty has expired are more

complex. There are numerous extended

warranties and motor plans available in

the market, but consumers are under-

standably wary, with exclusions and fine

print often tripping them up when they

need the policy most. Furthermore many

new vehicle owners do not go back to the

OE manufacturer’s workshop when the

warranty expires and there is a steady

stream of new entrants to the used car

market looking for an affordable but reli-

able local workshop. With a real mixture

of workshop experiences awaiting them

they are rightly concerned about the costs

and reliability of the work that will

inevitably have to be done on their car.

The problem is that while many vehicles

are old enough to be out of manufacturer’s

warranty they still incorporate sophisticat-

ed components and systems such as ABS,

fuel injection and power steering that

require advanced diagnostic testing and

highly-skilled mechanical and auto-elec-

trical technicians to maintain and repair

them – and these skills are not often

found at local workshop level.

Repairs to these systems are seldom cheap-

around R7 500 for a new air-con com-

pressor, R28 000 for 4X4 shocks, etc, and

South Africans are not renowned for

planned budgeting, least of all for unex-

pected vehicle repair costs. This is often

when they turn to the cheaper, less profes-

sional repair options and end up with a

bad experience.

Now there’s an affordable solution,from the service specialists

Not only did Bosch invent many of

advanced systems such as ABS and elec-

tronic fuel injection utilised in today’s

vehicles, but they also developed the diag-

nostic and testing equipment necessary to

maintain these systems in peak condition.

As the largest workshop concept in the

world Bosch Service is the ideal choice for

motorists looking for quality components

and reliable repairs to all makes and mod-

els of motor vehicles. And now Bosch

Service has entered the maintenance poli-

cy market with a simple, flexible and

affordable product that is underpinned by

the professionalism of their Bosch Service

workshops.

The new Bosch Service Maintenance

Policy is a sensible way to meet the unex-

pected repair costs and maintenance issues

that are a part of owning a vehicle out of

warranty, but without the hidden pitfalls.

The Bosch Service MaintenancePolicy – it’s like medical aid for yourcar

Like a good medical aid the Bosch Service

Maintenance Policy establishes the risk of

covering each vehicle individually based

on their model and mileage. But critically,

like good insurance products, they do an

end-to-end check of the vehicle upfront to

establish its prospective repair risk profile.

And getting the cover depends on the

results.

The Bosch Service InspectionCertificate

This is what really makes the Bosch offer

stand out from the rest. An exhaustive

116-point check-up is done as the first

step to accepting the vehicle for cover. The

owner visits one of the many Bosch

Service workshops around the country for

the inspection by Bosch mechanical and

auto-electricians using the latest diagnos-

tic equipment. The inspection tests every

major component and system of the vehi-

cle including all filters, oil, brake, trans-

mission fluids and additives such as anti-

freeze (the boiling and freezing point of

brake fluid and anti-freeze respectively is

also tested). The transmission (including

differential and diff locks) and engine

(including a compression test) are also

examined, as is the air conditioning sys-

Introducing the Bosch ServiceMaintenance Policy

A truly reliable maintenance plan for older vehicles out of motorplan

R O B E R T B O S C H

83

tem. A complete check for oil leaks is also

conducted and the braking, cooling, igni-

tion, clutch, steering ands exhaust systems

are examined. An 18 point check of the

drive line including bearings, CV shafts

and joints, alignment and balancing is

conducted while a complete electronics

diagnostic test is conducted including a

battery and alternator test. It’s been

described as the most comprehensive

inspection in the industry, and there’s a

good reason for it because, with the com-

prehensive cover provided by the Bosch

Service Maintenance Plan, the Bosch

workshop will basically be ‘adopting’ the

vehicle so they need to be confident of its

state of repair. A ‘medical report’ is issued

to the client, which is extremely valuable

in itself, and is also submitted to the quo-

tation centre. Within 24 hours a policy

quote is then offered to the owner outlin-

ing the plan options and costs available to

them.

Four affordable ways to extend thelife of any vehicle

There are 4 plans offered through Bosch

service- a Hospital Plan for petrol driven

vehicles, another for diesel vehicles as well

as an Intensive Care Plan for covering

expensive breakdowns and a

Comprehensive Cover option that covers

up to 100% of all service and mainte-

nance costs. (see blocked insert)

Cover is available for vehicles under 12

years old with under 240 000 km on the

clock and is payable as a once off payment

or by monthly debit order. All Bosch

Service Maintenance Policies can be pur-

chased in units of 25 000km intervals up

to a maximum of 75 000km, with a 15

month time limit allowed for each 25

000km. Additional cover can be pur-

chased after the policy period or mileage

has been completed.

Free 24hr emergency roadside andmedical assistance

When something major does go wrong

with a car it seldom happens at home!

Every Bosch Service Maintenance Policy

includes mandatory emergency roadside

assistance to ensure that the owner isn’t

stranded at the side of the road.

Administered by Emperitus andunderwritten by Guard Risk

With the global Bosch reputation for

quality, service and commitment to excel-

lence, our choice of financial and risk

management partners is critical. Empe-

ritus and underwriters Guard Risk share

our vision of providing a flexible, afford-

able and accountable maintenance solu-

tion that genuinely adds value for

motorists.

A trustworthy solution for motorists,car dealers and workshops

The Bosch Service Inspection Certificate

is the basis for establishing the true value

of a vehicle and means that all parties can

base their decisions on facts and not

hearsay. Motorists can buy and sell with

confidence and returns and call backs, a

nightmare for second-hand dealers, are

eliminated, enabling trust to be built with

the customer. The Bosch Service Main-

tenance Policy is an attractive option to

allow individuals, businesses and fleet

operations to effectively budget for

repairs.

Key features of the 4 plan optionsavailable

• Bosch Service Hospital Plan – amechanical and electrical breakdownplan designed specifically for petrolvehicles. Covers engine, gearbox, driveaxle assembly, turbo assembly, enginemanagement system and petrol fuelinjection system.

• Bosch Service Hospital Plan Plus – amechanical and electrical breakdownplan covers the six major componentsof diesel vehicles. Covers engine, gear-box, drive axle assembly, engine man-agement system and diesel fuel injec-tion system.

• Bosch Service Intensive Care Plan –this extended Hospital Plan is the idealcover for expensive breakdowns andunforeseen wear and tear items. Youbudget for regular service costs and wecover all maintenance related repairsand part replacement required throughnormal wear and tear or mechanical/electrical failure.

• Bosch Service Comprehensive Cover -ultimate cover for all vehicles out ofwarranty. The plan covers 100% ofroutine service costs, and up to 100%of all maintenance related repairs andpart replacement required throughnormal wear and tear or mechanical/electrical failure.

Ewald Faulstich, DirectorAutomotive Aftermarket Division

at Robert Bosch (Pty) Limited (sitting), and Rory Conacher,

Managing Director of Emperitus,sign a momentous deal.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

W h a t ’ s t h e B u z z ?

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 084

BEST ONE TON BAKKIE:General MotorsNissan SAToyota SA

BEST MEDIUM COMMER-CIAL VEHICLE (GVM 3500 – 8 500 KG) Hino SAIsuzu Truck SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaUD Trucks Southern Africa

BEST HEAVY COMMER-CIAL VEHICLE (GVM 8500 – 16 500 KG) Hino SAIsuzu Truck SAMAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaUD Trucks Southern Africa

BEST EXTRA HEAVYCOMMERCIAL VEHICLE(GVM 16 500 KG ANDABOVE) FreightlinerMAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaUD Trucks Southern AfricaVolvo Southern Africa

BEST COMMUTER BUS MAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaScania South Africa

BEST TOURING COACH MAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaScania South AfricaVolvo Southern Africa

BEST SUPPLIER OFFUELS BP Southern AfricaChevron SAEngen Petroleum LimitedShell South Africa

BEST SUPPLIER OFLUBRICANTS BP Southern AfricaCastrolChevron SAEngen Petroleum LimitedShell South Africa

BEST TYRE BridgestoneDunlopFirestoneGoodyearMichelin

BEST SUPPLIER OF TYRESERVICES Max T SolutionsSupa Quick Auto CentresTrentyre

BEST TRANSPORT OPER-ATOR Hestony TransportImperial LogisticsUnitransValue Logistics

BEST BUS OPERATOR BuscorGolden ArrowMega Bus and CoachPutco

BEST COACH OPERATOR GreyhoundMega Bus and CoachSpringbok AtlasTranslux

BEST SUPPLIER OFTRAILERS AfritHenred FruehaufSA Truck Bodies

VEHICLE DISTRIBUTORWITH THE BEST SALESSUPPORT FreightlinerHino SAIsuzu Truck SAMAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaMitsubishi FusoScaniaUD Trucks Southern AfricaVolvo Southern Africa

VEHICLE DISTRIBUTORWITH THE BEST SERV-ICE SUPPORT Hino SAIsuzu Truck SAMAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaScania South AfricaUD Trucks Southern AfricaVolvo Southern Africa

VEHICLE DISTRIBUTORWITH THE BEST PARTS SUPPORTIsuzu Truck SAMAN Truck and Bus SAMercedes-Benz South AfricaUD Trucks Southern Africa

2010 EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCEDThe votes are in, and the countdown has begun. The announcement of the finalists for the fifth annual Focus on Excellence Awards, sponsored byWesBank, took place at the beautiful WesBank building in Fairlands. Scott Byers, the research company in charge of counting the thousands of votes,will now kick into high gear figuring out who will be going home with trophies come November 9 with the winners being names at a red carpet ban-quet to be held at the Barnyard Theatre in Broadacres, Gauteng. “WesBank is delighted to have supported the Focus on Excellence awards for the pastthree years. We have always shown great interest in being part of celebrating performance and service excellence and the fact that so many of our indus-try partners and esteemed customers are here with us today is a tribute to you all,” says general manager of WesBank Corporate Gerald Burton. A largearray of categories is represented – from the humble one-ton bakkie to extra heavy commercial vehicles, buses and coaches. Naturally, the country’s pre-mier truck, bus and coach operators are also saluted. In addition to this, awards are presented to vehicle manufacturers who excel in the fields of sales,service and parts support.

The finalists for 2010 Excellence Awards are:

Gerald Burton(Wesbank) and

Raymond Shultz(Nissan Diesel)

Stephen Temple (Barlow World), Julio Favia (Bridgestone) and Jon Byers

(Scott Byers)

Marja Brunninger (MANTruck and Bus Africa),Ignatius Muthien (Hino SA),and Charleen Clarke (FocusOn Transport)

Barney Curtis (Fesarta), Nadia Vosloo (TotalSA), Marco Gouveia (Cummins), and Paul

Kable (Cummins)Abrie de Swardt (Imperial Logistics) and

Derek Crandon (Wesbank).

T w o W h e e l s

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 086

A New Generation of BikesFuture motorcycle development will focus on safety, comfort and environmental issues rather than speed,says GAVIN FOSTER, who went for a ride on Honda’s new VFR1200F that offers a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Honda has always been a leader rather than a follower

in motorcycle technology. While the Brits were still

trying to figure out how to stop their single and twin

cylinder machinery leaking oil, the Japanese manu-

facturer came up with 50cc twins, 125cc fours and fives, and

250cc six cylinder Grand Prix winners. Back in 1969 the factory

dished up the world’s first true superbike, an oiltight 750cc over-

head camshaft machine with reliable electrics, disc brakes and an

electric starter, that instantly rendered the British industry with its

reliance on a staunch right leg for starting, drum brakes for stop-

ping, and a bag of cement for drying up the oil, hopelessly redun-

dant. Interestingly, Honda also experimented back in the 1950s

with coupled front and rear brakes incorporating an ABS system.

It would be 30 years before any Honda went into production with

linked ABS though. One of Honda’s few technological advances

that failed dismally was the two speed automatic transmission

offered briefly on their 750 four and 400cc twins in the 1970s.

The 750’s engine was detuned from 65 to 47 bhp for the self-

shifting version of the bike, which won it no friends, and the 400,

although not detuned, was pretty gutless to start with. Both bikes

were bad sellers and not much missed when they were discontin-

ued a year or so later. Since then other manufacturers – notably

Moto Guzzi and Aprilia – have developed auto transmissions, but

none have been over popular in the marketplace. The only two-

wheelers with auto transmissions that have ever gained ready

acceptance with the public are motor scooters that use stepless

continuously variable transmissions (CVT) to save inexperienced

riders the schlep of learning how to use a clutch and gearbox

properly.

Honda’s VFR1200, launched in January with a conventional

manual gearbox and six months later with dual clutch transmis-

sion is a marvellous machine at heart. While its kerb weight of

267 kg (277 for the dual clutch version) is about 70 kg higher

than that of a pure sports machine, the big Honda nevertheless

manages to feel a lot nimbler than you’d expect, and straight-line

performance is also very, very brisk. At the Cape Town launch of

the manual version I saw an indicated 267 km/h on the

speedometer with more to come, and at Gauteng altitude in July

262 km/h popped up briefly on the speedo before I backed off.

The big 1237cc V4 engine dishes up a tad over 170 horsepower

(127 kW) at 10 000 rpm and a very useful 129 Nm of torque at

8 750, meaning that the bike, once rolling in third or fourth gear,

could probably get by very well without any further gear changes

until you had to stop and pull off again.

It’s important to remember that the Honda’s new gearbox is not

an auto in the usual sense of the word, but a dual clutch system

as is increasingly found in high performance cars. Because size is

much more important in a motorcycle the Honda set-up uses dual

concentric input shafts, one running inside the other, and two in-

line hydraulic clutches, with a typically motorcycle shift drum

rather than the independent shifters found in car units. One

clutch serves 1st, 3rd and 5th gears, while the other looks after

2nd, 4th and 6th. The clutches work alternately, allowing each

gear to be selected in advance, and the clutches engaged and dis-

engaged simultaneously as the change up or down is effected.

The Honda offers automatic or manual shifting, with the auto-

matic option allowing a choice of “D” and “S” modes. In “D” the

system makes use of the massive torque produced by the engine,

short-shifting and saving on fuel, while the “S” option changes

the nature of the beast entirely. Initial take-off feels slightly lethar-

gic but as the initial inertia is overcome all those frisky horses

come out to play and you’d better hang on to your hat.

If you want to play boy racer you can use a switch on the right

handlebar to select “M” for Manual, point the bike towards where

you want to go and simply open the throttle. To change up or

down you prod the appropriate paddle with your left thumb or

forefinger, and the gear-changes are instantaneously effected on

demand. The system really works well and the computer doesn’t

try to override your decisions unless you really, really try to abuse

the rev-limiter.

When you come to a stop the bike automatically disengages the

drive, so there’s a handbrake operated by a small lever on the han-

dlebar that stops the bike rolling off the sidestand when you park

the bike on a downhill slope.

At R169 999 the Honda VFR1200F Dual Clutch costs R10 000

more than the conventional six-speeder manual version, which,

for those who want what it has to offer, isn’t much because it real-

ly works so well. I’m not sure how many will want it though. My

gut feeling is that perhaps 5 or 10% of VFR1200’s sold will be

self- shifters, because bike people are mostly set in their ways.

Then again, I’m not really keen on automatic cars either…

88

T H e F i n k

When the judging panel got together to decide on this month’s “Letter to the Editor”, we decided to go for something out of left field. With

this brief, there could only be one winner. Not a letter to the editor, per se, but a response that does deserve recognition of some sort. Our

editor, who is a peripatetic sort, frequently flies out of OR Tambo airport, and because he is one of those unusual animals who squeezes every

minute out of his trips, he usually returns late at night. Well, after 20h30, that is. He lives pretty close to the Sandton Gauteng Station, so

he was as pleased as punch when the Gautrain link to the airport eventually got going in early June, a few days before the start of the World

Cup. Unfortunately, he has yet to use this wonderful mode of transport, because some absolute genius decided in his/her wisdom that the

Gautrain will not run after 20h30, effectively taking our editor, and many other businessmen and leisure passengers, out of the Gautrain cus-

tomer pool. Our editor, not accepting this situation, made use of the www.gautrain.co.za website, and utilising their “contact us” facility, sent

a message early August enquiring why this was so, and after a week he received a response thanking him for his interest and “taking his time

to put your experience in writing. We do appreciate hearing from our passengers, as your comments/enquiries are vital for us to continue

improving our service”. The Bombela Operating Company then adds some information about the Gautrain, with attachments on parking,

bus routes, fares, and more. And did you know that children below three years do not pay! All lovely, but not answering the question that

was asked. You see, it appears this is an automated response, and no one, apart from an impersonal computer, is actually bothering to read

these e-mails. So much for continuing to improve their service!!! And the editor is waiting patiently for a response to his follow-up query.

It is on this basis that this month’s R500 Midas Gift Voucher goes to Jack van der Merwe, Mr. Gautrain himself. Thanks for delivering a great

transport solution to Gautrain, Jack. But please don’t foist the “Titanic” on us. The Titanic was also an awesome engineering feat for its time,

but it went down because no one sweated the small stuff, and some dicey Fong Kong rivets got it to pop its poop after an altercation with a

large chunk of frozen water. So, for giving the citizens of Gauteng excellence, incredulity, bewilderment, amazement and amusement in equal

measure, Jack gets the chance to visit his local Midas store and purchase a fifty pound hammer, to pound the head of the dunce at Bombela

Operating Company who thinks that air travellers only fly when the sun shines.

Letters to the Editor

Win a Midas VoucherThe FINK is looking for letters to the Editor. The more the

merrier, and the more thought provoking of these shall find their

way into ABR. The best letter will win a Midas voucher to the

value of R500. So get out those pens and write to:

The FinkP O Box 102Wendywood, 2144Or Fax 0866 579 289Or email:bigheart@iafrica.com

The judges decision, no matter how one-eyed they are,

will be final.

And thanks to all those readerswho commented on the Phoenixcolumn and Howard Keeg’s articleon the Ford Figo, and thosebrowsers who clicked on theAutoCrew button on www.abr-buzz.co.za. These got the mostreaders’ responses to our August2010 issue. For those readers suchas Norman Mudau andNetshamavu Lufuno, who nowwant to buy a Figo, ABR cannothelp you, but please make a visit toyour nearest Ford dealership, andsay that Howard Keeg sent you.He eagerly awaits his spotter’s fee.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Formula 1 Lightsthe FiresTo quote Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula 1 supremo, “If there are no fires in F1, we willlight them”. Or words to that effect.

by Roger McCleery

Answers From page 42

1. VW Polo Vivo

2. USA. It is under Montana

and the two Dakotas.

There is enough oil for 503

billion barrels.

3. Zwartkops

4. Mark Webber

5. Australia

6. Giuseppe Farina

7. Alfa Romeo 158

8. Brescia

9. Mini

10. Golf 6

11. Ducati

12. Crossbow

13. Honda

14. 15 million

15. Fuji Heavy Industries

16. John Jessup

17. Mahindra in India

18. Cleveland Ohio

19. Guilietta

20. Tata and Mahindra

Formula 1 certainly has done that over the last couple of

Grands Prix. I know you have to have rules, but stewards

come up with new obscure ones all the time with the express

purpose it seems to me of closing up the field or wrecking or

altering a race. No team instructions, stay a certain distance from

the safety car, fines for attending technical inspection late, change

of starting grid positions for demeanours like changing engines

and gearboxes and drive-through penalties are just some of the race

wreckers. Maybe “they” felt it needs all this to make the racing at

least controversial, talked about or more exciting. The last three

Formula 1 Championship world events suffered from one or all

of these.

Silverstone was back to its former glory for the British Grand Prix.

It had been drastically revised, had lots of new corners and was fast

as before. A record breaking crowd pitched up on the Friday,

Saturday and Sunday to give the place a great buzz. McLaren was

favourite to win but it wasn’t to be. Red Bulls filled the first row.

Vettel on pole and Webber alongside him. Into the first corner

Stowe, Webber took the lead while Vettel punctured after being hit

by Hamilton. Webber went on to lead throughout with Hamilton

hounding him just 11/2 seconds behind throughout the race.

Ferrari weren’t a happy equipe with Alonso attempting to pass

Kubica in his ailing Renault on the grass inside a corner. The stew-

ards with Nigel Mansell as an adviser hit him with a drive-through

penalty and out of the points., Maybe it was pay-back time for

some reason for Mansell. Vettel was always favoured to win the

German Grand Prix at Hockenhaim in front of his own crowd. It

was not to be. Ferrari, never to be underestimated, came along

with uncatchable cars and that was going to be that.

Wrong. Massa, leading for the first time since his huge crash in

Hungary in 2009, looked good for a win. Alonso on his tail was

fractionally faster but had Vettel closing quickly. The team radio

came on to tell Massa “Alonso is faster. Please acknowledge you

understand this message.” In code it meant – “Move over for

Alonso. He is our best chance of catching up to the leader in the

points championship.” That little instruction cost Ferrari a cool

$100,000. Motorsport is an individual sport, except for speedway

and Moto Cross Des Nations which are team sports for your club

or country. However, if you have a contract with Ferrari paying

huge bucks, you have to do what they tell you in an effort for the

team to clinch the world championship title. Nobody really gives

a toss about the manufacturers title but the manufacturers them-

selves. Ferrari helped Massa when he was on his way to a world

title and lost by only 1 point on the last lap in Brazil to hand the

championship to Hamilton. That could have been a fiddle as well..

Now Alonso has the best chance. Therefore, don’t get huffy with

everyone on the podium and at the after-race interviews. These

instructions do make nonsense of Formula 1 racing but that is how

it is in these big teams, although with hands on the heart they all

say “It doesn’t happen.” Slow pit stops, can’t find the right wheels

and other little niceties have all been used in the past.

The Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest will be remembered for a

few things. Webber taking his sixth career win by a mile thanks to

his skill, speed and a safety car intervention. This saw his teammate

Vettel lose his initial lead and the race when he headed for the pits.

The collision of Kubica and Sutil in the pit road was good. Nico

Rosberg, losing his right rear wheel as he drove away from the pit

box saw it bounce its way through a host of mechanics waiting for

their cars to pit, was dramatic. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Sebastian Vettel, much to his disgust, picked up a drive-through

penalty for being too far behind the safety car at the restart.

It looked like he was holding the field back to give Webber a

chance to clear off. No way could that be the case because these

two are at war. Where do they get these stewards from?

The reputation-ruining Big Daddy was for Michael Schumacher.

He squeezed Barricello against the pit wall as he tried to pass him,

going flat out. Schumacher lost a lot of fans doing that. Ten grid

spots, a penalty for Belgium, was handed out for that.

Webber and Red Bull lead the Drivers and Manufacturers

Championship with seven races to go. Lots of fires can still to be

lit before the final in Brazil.

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 090

F a s t W h e e l s

Round five of the WesBank Super Series at Phakisa

Freeway in Welkom saw Midas Sport enter two cars in

class A of the Bridgestone Production car series. Earlier

in the year, former V8 Supercar race winner Richard

Pinard drove the Midas Sport Lotus Exige, but after the last race

he made the decision to join the Subaru team which meant the

Lotus was driverless for Phakisa. “The car is prepared by Carel

Pienaar’s SP Race Engineering team who also prepare the Subaru

Impreza STIs of Hennie Groenewald and Dawie Olivier, so it just

made sense from a logistics point of view to run a similar Subaru

under the Midas Sport banner,” explained Pinard.

At around about the same time Zaugg was holidaying in Cape

Town and a meeting with Motorsport South Africa Managing

Director Francois Pretorius led to him being offered the Lotus to

race. Like any top class driver he jumped at the opportunity, but

first ensured it did not clash with any other sponsorship agree-

ments. A brief shakedown test at Zwartkops before the team left

for Phakisa was the first opportunity he had to show his class.

Thanks to its low weight and short wheelbase the Lotus is well

suited to Zwartkops, but no one expected him to lap as quickly as

he did. It was also the first chance for the Midas Sport teammates

to meet and get to know each other. “He is humble and certainly

not like I expected an international star to be,” said Pinard after-

wards. “It was also nice to hear him confirm the handling issues I

had with the car.”

At Phakisa, with its long sweeping corners, the Lotus didn’t have

the advantage it had at Zwartkops yet he still managed to qualify

fifth fastest. Due to last minute regulation changes, the Subarus

were unable to qualify which meant Pinard had to start the Midas

Sport Subaru from the back of the grid. Whilst in the midst of a

tight tussle in the opening race, Zaugg was tapped by the Audi of

Tschops Sipuka and spun at turn three which dropped him down

the order. “These things happen in racing,” he pointed out after-

wards. Pinard, whose car turned a wheel for the first time at the

Zwartkops test, was delighted to have an incident free race and fin-

ish sixth just ahead of Zaugg who had fought back impressively.

A feature of Bridgestone Production Cars is that there are three

races on the day with the first two being six lap sprints with no

work allowed on the cars between races as they simply reform up

on the grid. Pinard was forced to start race two from the pit lane

as he pitted to check a vibration after the first race and this brought

out the best in him as he fought back to finish fifth while Olivier

won in the Sasol Timken Subaru. “I didn’t expect that, but the car

was good and everything fell into place,” explained Pinard as he

acknowledged there was a bit of luck involved. Zaugg’s race didn’t

go as planned as he was forced to retire from fifth place on the

penultimate lap. The final was a 12-lap affair and Pinard’s race

came to a spectacular end on lap four when he spun and hit the

barriers exiting turn one. “I went in a bit hot and the car got away

from me,” was his honest reply.

Zaugg’s day of woe continued

and this time he retired with gear

selection problems but he still

smiled. “Sure it would have been

nice to get a good result, but it

was a last minute deal and I

enjoyed myself. There are a lot of

nice people here.”

Former Team South Africa A1GP driver Adrian Zaugg is regarded as a future motorsport star and recent resultsin GP2 have confirmed he is knocking at the door of Formula One. And at Phakisa on 14 August 2010 he seamlessly moved to production cars to prove his credentials.

91

M i d a s S p o r t

A series of articles on Midas motorsport initiatives in 2010

by Steve Wicks

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Zaugg adds the Midas touch

Adrian Zaugg checks his lap timeswith Motorsport South AfricaManaging Director FrancoisPretorius

Zaugg makes the transition from single-seater to saloon car seem assimple as pie

Richard Pinard gets acquainted with his new Subaru

The title of this e-mail from the reader said ONLY A MAN WOULD ATTEMPT THIS –

I won’t argue because I have done something similar, but with only a 65 000 volts Taser, so

the results were not as dramatic, but still something I will never do again!

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 092

T h e L a s t W r i t e s by Baron Claude Borlz

“For our more discerning readers .....”

Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife... A guy

who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Taser for their

anniversary submitted this: Last weekend I saw some-

thing at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my

interest...The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was look-

ing for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came

across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized Taser. The effects of

the Taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term

adverse effect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to

retreat to safety....?? WAY TOO COOL! Long story short,

I bought the device and brought it home. Loaded two AAA bat-

teries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was dis-

appointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and

pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue

arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWE-

SOME!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that

burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself

that it couldn't be all that bad with only two AAA batteries, right?

There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently

(trusting little soul)while I was reading the directions and thinking

that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood mov-

ing target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a

fraction of a second) and then thought better of it... She is such a

sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to pro-

tect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it

would work as advertised. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of

shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately

on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and Taser in

another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock

and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to

cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; and a

three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on

the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three sec-

onds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at

this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in cir-

cumference (loaded with two itsy, bitsy AAA batteries); pretty cute

really, and thinking to myself, 'no possible way!'

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my

best...I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head

cocked to one side so as to say, 'Don't do it stupid,' reasoning that

a one second burst from such a tiny 'lil ole thing couldn't hurt all

that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck

of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button,

and...HOLY MOTHER OF....WEAPONS OF MASS DES-

TRUCTION...WHAT THE....!!! I'm pretty sure Hulk Hogan ran

in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body

slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I

vaguely recall waking up on my side in the foetal position, with

tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles

nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in

the oddest position, and tingling in my legs! The cat was making

meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture

frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to

avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living

room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a Taser, one

note of caution: there is NO such thing as a one second burst

when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is

dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the

floor! A three second burst would be considered conservative! A

minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at

that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and

surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the man-

tel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet

or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both

nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up

with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs.. I had no con-

trol over the drooling. Apparently I had crapped in my shorts, but

was too numb to know for sure, and my sense of smell was gone.

I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head, which I believe came

from my hair. I'm still looking for my testicles and I'm offering a

significant reward for their safe return!

P.S. My wife can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the

gift and now regularly threatens me with it! If you think education

is difficult, try being stupid !!!

Apparently, this picture wastaken at the announcement that

Caster Semenya was the newBrand Ambassador

(ambassadress?) for Mrs. Ball’sChutney. Careful, Caster, you’re

not as safe as you think!