South Africa has a strong affinity for bakkies because of how simple, tough and dependable they tend to be. Over the past 40 years, however, they have become a little more advanced in terms of safety and comfort.
Some would argue that the bakkies of today can’t quite put in the hard work of the originals, so if what you’re looking for is a good ol’ fashioned bakkie, then the five trucks below might tickle your fancy.
Bear in mind, however that the following examples are quite rare and in some cases, sellers might ask for much more than R85 000.
Will there ever be a truck more adventurous than the Land Cruiser J40? This particular one makes use of a 3,6-litre straight-six diesel engine delivering 67 kW and 205 N.m of torque to all four of its wheels. It also features a rust-free fibreglass body.
The Homer is Nissan’s Volkswagen T1. It was initially manufactured by the Prince Motor Company for commercial use until a merger with Nissan. Based on the year, we’re guessing this particular example uses Nissan’s 1,6-litre J16 engine, which is worth around 60 kW.
The Chevy Nomad is as simple as a workhorse can get. It was made specifically for the South African market as a low-cost “go-anywhere” truck weighing less than a ton. Interestingly, it had to make do with rear-wheel drive. It’s new price back then? Just R3 090…
In the States, these things are a huge deal. They’re big, loud and patriotic and have been putting in the hard yards since the 1940s. There are a surprising number of F-150 and F-250s on the local second-hand market, but plenty of them are priced at well over R100 000.
Not exactly as hard-working as the models above, the El Camino is the best that Australia had to offer, and for some it was enough. The El Camino was based on the Holden Kingswood. This particular model makes use of a 4,1-litre straight-six engine.
