By Farai D Hove | The man who made Zimbabwe become the word’s fastest growing crop economy, Ian Smith was certainly turning in his grave Tuesday when Information Permanent Secretary, Ndabaningi Mangwana, announced that Zimbabwe is now so backward that it is now importing number plates for cars.

The spin doctor, threw a celebration on Twitter saying the country which used to produce its own model cars, is planning to make its own number plates.

The development comes at a time when the Mnangagwa regime continued to boast of hosting the world’s largest assortment of minerals while yet failing to produce a single shovel from the resource.

Announcing, Mangwana said: “Zimbabwe is now going to manufacture vehicle number plates locally.

“The price of number plates will fall from US$80.35 to US$45.61 because of the use of local materials. This is also expected to reduce the import bill by 56%.”

Below is a pictorial of some vehicles during Rhodesia:

Many thanks to Mrs Elise Pakemen for the scans above
Lomagundi Motor Garage owned by Mr. J.H.Vorster	Lomagundi Motor Garage owned by Mr. J.H.Vorster
Match Race in 1940	Possibly a 1912 Overland
1937 Studebaker at JH Vorster’s garage for repair or more likely scrapping	1941 Studebaker Champion
Chrysler Airflow owned by JH Vorster
Many thanks to Mr Nick Wood for the scans above
Unknown old car in Rhodesia	Picnic in Rhodesia, Ford Model T and motorcycle
Source unknown – Possibly Mike Jones	Source unknown –
1936 Adler Trumph in Northern Rhodesia.	1947 Hudson Super Six in Northern Rhodesia.
1953 Ford Zephyr 6 in Northern Rhodesia.	1953 Hillman in Northern Rhodesia.
1955 Jaguar XK140 bought new by Paul Cowie’s Grandfather in Northern Rhodesia. Originally black and LHD. Photo shows car in South Africa now RHD.	Austin 110 Westminster, the Cowie family’s first of this model in Northern Rhodesia
1963 Austin 110 Westminster owned by the Cowie family in Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia.	1964 Jaguar 3.4 MK2 – Shows the car one day old in Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, owned by the Cowie family.
1967 Jaguar S-Type owned by the Cowie family in Zambia – Photo shows the car in later years in South Africa.	Lockyer family from Northern Rhodesia on holiday in Cape Town in 1958 with their Jaguar .
Many thanks to Mr Paul Cowie for the photos above
Ivan Theunissen in Rene Theunissen’s Sunbeam Rapier in North End, Bulawayo	Rene Theunissen’s Sunbeam Rapier, Bulawayo – Hillman or Humber alongside
Rene Theunissen’s BSA 650cc, North End Bulawayo	Rene Theunissen’s Yamaha 350cc, North End, Bulawayo
Fiat 2300 6-cyl Rene Theunissen, North End Bulawayo – Originally  black, repsrayed Kelly green in 1973	Ford 6-cyl – Rene Theunissen, Chevrolet station wagon behind Mathieu Theunissen, North End bulawayo
Consul Mathieu Theunissen, North End Bulawayo	Opel Mathieu Theunissen at Bulawayo airport 1956
Vauxhall Mathieu Theunissen, Bulwayo 1957.	Unknown homemade vehicle, Bulawayo
Opel station wagon Marcel Theunissen, North End Bulawayo	Opel station wagon Marcel Theunissen, North End Bulawayo
Opel station wagon Mathieu Theunissen, North End Bulawayo	Opel station wagon Mathieu Theunissen, North End Bulawayo
VW variant station wagon Gaston Andre	VW variant station wagon Gaston Andre
Chevy station wagon Gaston  Andre	Citroen DS19 or DS20 Gaston  Andre, Burnside Bulawayo
Fiat 500 Gaston Andre, possibly at Matopos	Vauxhall Gaston Andre
Datsun Station Wagon Claude Andre	Ford Corsair H Longmore, Bulawayo
Vespa Claude Andre	VW Beach Buggy Buddy Miller
Ford Consul 315 (Export version of the Consul Classic) – Hendrik Verwoerd Tunnels South Africa 1973.
Many thanks to Mrs Caroline de Bruin for the photo above
Valiant Chrysler in Bulawayo, 1982	Hillman Super Minx 1965
Many thanks to Martin Williamson for the photos above
Triumph TR4s, 1/4 mile sprints on the Chambishi to Kalulushi road. EA-7938 belonged to Tony Bilbrough, EA-7936 to Peter Hills
Many thanks to Peter W. Hills for the photo above
c1935 Dodge	1935 Auburn 2-door sedan from South Africa
1951 Austin A40 Sport Convertible, S-28403/SRH	1957 Ford V8 custom, owned by an electrician at Wankie Colliery, B-9890/SRH
1960 peugeot, 1st demo model in Northern Rhodesia, RA-790/NRH	1965 Chevrolet Impala convertible
Misc Rhodesian military vehicles	Tractor
Gathering with government Humber limousine in background	Presidential? Armstrong Siddeley with Ferret armoured cars in front
Triumph motorcycle, S-977-C/SRH	Canadian built 1941 Ford C11AS Heavy Utility – This is a militarised 11A-79A station wagon.
Possibly a Morris in Northern Rhodesia.	Vintage Touring Association of Mashonaland sticker
Many thanks to Craig Fourie for the photos above
1936 Willys 77, 4 cyl. Photo taken in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia in 1939, shows Koos and Christina Fourie with their children Skatie and Poppie, after a 1000 mile trip in the car from Ottoshoop in South Africa to Lusaka..	1960 Studebaker V8 station wagon. Traded in a Peugeot 404 for this car. Motor removed and fitted with two banana exhausts, Burgess boxes, shift changed from column to console. Later sold to someone in Gwelo who unfortunately crashed into a tree and was killed.
1961 Ford Zephyr six station wagon at Nchanga mine, Northern Rhodesia, acquired for £300. UK assembled, said to be neater than the Rhodesian assembled Zephyrs. Fitted with Phillips radio, spot lights, rear view mirrors, wheel trims, white wall tyres. Painted two tone grey, divided by chrome strips.	1956 Ford Zephyr six, acquired in Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia for £250
Many thanks to Skatie Fourie for the photos above
1956 Chevrolet – two tone blue – Crossing Beit Bridge into South Africa	1958 Chevrolet – Howard learning to reverse
Belvedere Race Track, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1961 – Borgward Special (silver car ) and possibly Vic Wilson’s MG Special	Belvedere Race Track, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1961 – Borgward Special (silver car ) and possibly Vic Wilson’s MG Special
Mini	Rhodesian assembled Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super
Rhodesian assembled Renault R12 station wagon and Rhodesian built Sprite caravan
Many thanks to Howard Neill for the photos above
Thought to have been a Star, owned by Mr. M.R. Bland.
Many thanks to Viv Westbury for the photos above
Morris Oxford refuelling on the Kariba road north of Salisbury.	Ford Corsair owned by Brian Goodwin 1970-81
Filling station on the road to Beira	Ford Corsair owned by Brian Goodwin 1970-81
Many thanks to Brian Goodwin for the photos above
Cavalcade of Vintage Cars carrying the Mayor and Mayoress of Bulawayo and the Town Clerk. Car owned by John Collingwood – See entry under Ford Model A 1927-1929
1948 Ford V8	1954 Jaguar MKVII
Many thanks to Rod Wells for the photos above
Umtali 1960s	Umtali 1960s – Police Camp?
Umtali 1960s -Puzey & Payne Motors
Many thanks to Roger Capper for the photos above
Many thanks to Brian Byrne for the photos above
Note S. Rhodesia cast iron plaque, others with Bulawayo above the S. Rhodesia have also been noted
Many thanks to Alan Hardy for the photo above
Ferry crossing possibly Northern Rhodesia	Misc Rhodesian cars
Ford V8 pickup, registered in Salisbury
Many thanks to Anne Burgess for the photos above
JOHN FRAZER LISTER [1935-xx] motorbike (Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia). Reg. L-660/NRH	John Frazer Lister [1935-xx] with motorbike. Reg. S-2242/SRH
John Lister – Hatfield Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia – Sept 1958	Johns Frazer Lister[1935-xx] His first solid heel bike. He thinks its a early BSA. Reg. L-660/NRH
Thomas Shackleton Lister next to his Ford truck (Rhodesia).Reg. B-21600/SRH	Thomas Shackleton Lister with his Ford truck (not married yet as has Bulawayo, Rhodesia registration plate)
Many thanks to Rob Lister for the photos above
Downings Bakery truck
Schacht in a parade in Bulawayo
Many thanks to Mimi Shaw for the photos above
Major John (Jack) Greenwood Fisher MBE. He took his car to the Gold Coast in 1939, where this photo is believed to have been taken, in Rhodesia by 1943. Possibly a Lagonda	Ford Zephyr Zodiac – Photo 1960
Ford Zodiac – Photo 1960 – NK-6763/NRH – Zephyr Zodiac, two tone paint, slightly different grille from the Zephyr 6, chrome “arrow” line on the side standard white wall tyres all make it a Zodiac	Ford Zephyr – Photo 1962 – EA-2878/NRH – Imported from UK
Ford Zephyr Zodiac (twin headlights) – Photo 1963/4	Phil Selley’s first car
Fiat 850 – Believed to have later been burned out	Fiat 850 Sports – Photo 1978.
Spitfire – 1965 – Yellow in colour	Ford Capri 3L. – Photo 1971. Imported from UK. Was originally Silver
Austin / Nash Metropolitan Photo 1965 – owned by Lyn Clark, Phil’s Aunt – Yellow
Many thanks to Phil Selley for the photos above, the majority of the cars belonged to Eric Selley
Matopos 1971, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti – Previously owned a Grey Morris Mini Cooper 1071-S/RHO, acquired from Atlas Motors in Grey Street. Sold to Glasby Motors with a broken camshaft c1972 when Denis moved to Botswana.	Dodge truck owned by Denis Coghlan in Botswana, BPB-587/BOT.
Pontiac Trans-Am owned by Denis Coghlan in Botswana	Ford Fairmont GT automatic. Denis Coghlan and his Father in Chobe Game Reserve 1980. (Denis also owned a manual Ford Fairmont GT that became the donor for the Ford F100 Trans Kalahari special below)
Ford F100 Trans Kalahari special that Denis raced in last Trans Kalahari race in 1982 (car came last)	1989 3.9 Efi 2-door Range Rover 1992 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4×4 1986 Ford Escort XR3i All imported from the UK by Denis Coghlan
2008 Porsche Cayman ‘S’ alongside a Toyota Celica
Many thanks to Denis Coghlan for the photos above
Cecil Lyle with Buick and friends out for a picnic	Cecil Lyle with Buick
John Love and Cecil Lyle, with John’s Manx Norton after it arrived. Note Matabeleland Motor Cycle Club blazer badge as  seen below.	Dick Bonniwell, John Love, Cecil Lyle with trophy for the Manicaland 100 won by John with his Velocette..
Matabeleland Motor Cycle Club blazer badge worn by Cecil Lyle	Colin Lyle on John Love’s Manx Norton
Bridgestone 250 two-stroke – quite rare – RSH-3647/SRH	Kawasaki Z1300 6-cyl ex John Love
Many thanks to Colin Lyle for the photos above	See also Continental Beacon owned by Colin Lyle

Copyright © Wayne M. Kennerley 2019