Romance in a Hilux

Our accountant recently advised me to buy a new bakkie to pay less tax, which led to a lot of unsolicited advice from the petrolheads in the office.

- By Alwyn Viljoen

Gert, the farm mechanic, wants me to get an affordable Indian bakkie. Raavi, the new vet in town, recommended an even more affordable Chinese brand, while I am actually impressed by the powerful American engines.

This short list met with a brick wall in Mbali, our real Zulu princess and strict office manager, who put her foot down and told us the latest model Hilux is our only choice.

When not bossing us around in the office, Mbali competes in the local driftkhana and rally competitions, so her opinion carries a lot of weight.

Service after the sale

Cornering me in the small office kitchen, Mbali ticked off the main reasons why we must get a new Hilux, starting with excellent service from our local Toyota dealer.

Gert said that was only because the local salesman was sweet on Mbali, but she countered that he was one of her many cousins and besides, he spent more time with Gert in the workshop than with her in the office.