With more than 500,000 kilometers on Gavin Wiseman’s 1996 Opel Kadett, he reckons this trusty car is not just a means of transport, he affectionately refers to his “Opal” (old pal). The Mother City resident said his 20 year old vehicle has not missed a beat mechanically, despite the high mileage. Wiseman, 45, bought the vehicle in 1998 from Reeds N1 City Cape Town, with 44,000 kilometres on the clock.
“Since I bought the car I have been using it to get to and from work and to go about my daily tasks every day without fail. Back then already Opel was way ahead of its competitors in terms of performance, design and drive. Truly the best in German engineering.” Boasting a full service history, Wiseman’s Kadett has never had any major problems – and it joins the ranks of the European “Kilometer Kings”. Wiseman: ”The vehicle only had the clutch cable replaced once at 360,000 kilometres and later the replacement of the bearings and the petrol pump.”
STRONG HERITAGE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Asked whether he would ever trade in his vehicle, Wiseman said he has his eye on the new Opel Astra that was launched in South Africa in April. Opel has a strong heritage in South Africa with its products being sold in the market since the 1930’s. Known for its performance, the Opel Kadett was a true icon of the 1980’s and 90’s having set a number of high speed endurance records and winning Car of the Year in 1994. The Opel Kadett was later succeeded by the Opel Astra.