Delta Motor Corporation has been given the task of distributing and marketing GM’s Chevrolet brand in South Africa. Delta managing director Willie van Wyk Van Wyk said on Tuesday that more than R50 million is due to be invested in 22 Chevrolet dealerships countrywide, which would grow to about 30 by June next year. More than 350 jobs will be created in the Chevrolet dealer network and 35 at Delta. The new dealerships will operate independently of the existing Delta outlets that sell Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki products.
But don’t start clearing space in the garage for a fleet of Corvettes and similar exotics yet. The cars sold as Chevrolets in this country will be sourced and imported from South Korea and Australia, and will in fact be Holden and Daewoo products. Is this a wise move? We think not.
Daewoo builds fair enough cars in their own right, but slapping a few Chevrolet badges onto them is unlikely to fool anybody who grew up with the legend of the famous Bow-tie.
The South African market already has too many bland offerings on sale, and we reckon that if Chevrolet wants to come back here they should do so with something that Chevy fans can relate to. Something big, something fast, and something with a V8 under the hood.
What do you say? E-mail us with your views.