The South African car market is bursting at the seams. The sheer number of vehicle brands and models available can be quite overwhelming. Let’s learn a bit more about each brand, it’s origin and history.

 

Japan

The Land Of The Rising Sun is home to a number of companies that produce cars, construction vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, and engines. Japanese automotive manufacturers include Toyota, Honda, Daihatsu, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Mitsuoka.

Standout Japanese brands in South Africa

Toyota

Toyota is one of the most popular car brands in South Africa. The brand boasts of all makes of cars from entry-level models to high-end luxury cars, which often bear it’s Lexus nameplate.

Toyota enjoys best-in-class sales in most segments in which it competes. The Hilux, Fortuner and Corolla are among the most ubiquitous cars on our roads. And, of course, who can forget the Toyota Siyaya and Toyota Quantum which are undoubtedly the backbone of the public transport sector.

Toyota was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda and is now the largest car manufacturer in the world. We have thousands of Toyota parts for you to choose from. Browse them here!

 

Nissan

Founded in Japan in 1933, Nissan is a fellow Japanese company and has the heritage and reliability to challenge Toyota. The company has a long history of producing reliable cars and is best known for its popular sedans and SUVs, and it also manufactures electric cars.

Nissans are reliable and sturdy which makes them a popular choice for those who need a car that can handle the South African terrain. Let our Nissan spare parts help you shift your expectations about your car today.

 

Honda

Honda is another Japanese car brand that is a hit in South Africa. Founded in 1948, Honda is best known for its popular cars and motorcycles, and was often seen as a more premium, sporty alternative to Nissan and Toyota.  The brand is well represented in the South African passenger vehicle and sports utility vehicle markets. Owner’s report that Honda’s rarely give any trouble, but if they do, we have you covered with our extensive range of Honda spare parts.

 

Mazda

Mazda is a popular Japanese car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1920 by Jujiro Matsuda, and has a century of experience in manufacturing high-quality vehicles. After a brief romance with Ford ended a few years back, Mazda is once independent. Locally, Mazda is synonymous with the Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5, CX-3, CX-5 and BT-50 models. Click here to view all available Mazda spare parts from Start My Car today!

 

Subaru

Subaru was founded in 1953 by Kenji Kita, and it has a long history of cutting-edge technical expertise, being at the forefront of AWD technology as well as making the boxer engine famous. Subaru is a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries, and it is one of the most popular car brands in Japan. In South Africa, Subaru's most popular models include the Forester, Outback, and Legacy. Subaru has a large following of loyal customers. Do you want to keep your Subaru running smoothly and better for longer? Visit our website today for our wide assortment of spares and accessories.

 

Mitsubishi

Japan's Mitsubishi is another brand that is well-loved on domestic shores. Known for their offroad prowess, the Pajero and the Triton (Formerly known as the Colt) are household names. Mitsubishi has been manufacturing quality vehicles since 1917. We sell a variety of original equipment and aftermarket spares to fit your Mitsubishi.

 

Suzuki

Suzuki was founded in 1909 by Michio Suzuki and is the rising star on the South African motoring scene in terms of sales. Pull any Naamsa sales report of late and Suzuki is right up there with the frontrunners. Suzuki offers a strong value for money offering, and its reliability is underscored by its collaboration with none other than Toyota. Suzuki's most popular models include the Swift, the Alto, and the Splash. Get the right deal on your Suzuki parts from our extensive range.

 

Germany

Being home to the modern car, the German automobile industry is regarded as the most competitive and innovative in the world,[1] and has the third-highest car production in the world. Motor-car pioneers Karl Benz (who later went on to start Mercedes-Benz) and Nicolaus Otto developed four-stroke internal combustion engines in the late 1870s; Benz fitted his design to a coach in 1887, which led to the modern-day motor car.

Currently, four German companies dominate the automotive industry in the country: Volkswagen AG (and subsidiaries Audi and Porsche), BMW AG, Daimler AG and Adam Opel AG.

Standout German brands in South Africa

Opel

Opel was founded in 1862 by Adam Opel. The company started out making sewing machines, but it soon began producing cars. After a period of absence from SA following the demise of GM, Opel is back under the newly formed Stellantis group. While it’s limited dealership network and scarcity of spares is a concern for some, most people just hop onto our website which has a vast range of  Opel spare parts , from the first Astra and Corsa to the present.

 

Volkswagen

VW, as it is commonly known, is popular in South Africa for a variety of reasons. The brand offers a wide range of affordable yet well-built cars. One of VW's most popular models in South Africa is the VW Polo, a small car that is perfect for city driving and is also competitively priced.

Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by Ferdinand Porsche and it is the second-largest car manufacturer in the world after Toyota. Similarly in South Africa, Volkswagen remains Toyota’s biggest competitor.  Click here to get VW parts for your ride.

 

BMW

BMW is one of the three premium German brands – the other’s being Mercedes-Benz and Audi.  All three brands offer top-notch technology and the choosing one brand over the other comes down to personal preferences. It is generally said that BMW offers the more driver-orientated approach.  

This brand was born in 1916 when two companies: Rapp Motorenwerke and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, merged. The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany and produces cars and motorcycles. Some of the most popular models include the BMW 3 Series, the 5 Series and the 7 Series. The company is also known for its luxury SUVs, including the X5 and the X6. With the extensive collection of BMW spare parts in our online store, you can rest assured that your BMW will continue to ‘beat the bends’!

 

Audi

Audi are known for their sleek designs, high-quality materials, and advanced technology. Benefitting from its association with both Volkswagen and Porsche – it is considered by some to offer the perfect compromise in terms of value, build quality and performance.

And if you want performance with a capital P, their S- and RS- branded models have you covered. Also covered are all your spare parts needs – simply view our online inventory for your Audi parts and accessories.

 

Mercedes-Benz

This brand needs no introduction. Founded in 1886, the three-pointed star is one of the most well-known and most recognised high-end luxury car brands in the world. With an extensive model line-up, from sedans to SUVs, Mercedes-Benz has something for everyone. As behooves a premium brand, Mercedes is always at the forefront of technological innovation.

Mercedes’ exude class, which is not surprising seeing that every range is referred to as a class. No matter the class of Mercedes Benz you are driving, Start My Car has a spare part for you. 

 

South Korea

The automotive industry in South Korea is the fifth-largest in the world as measured by automobile unit production and also the sixth-largest by automobile export volume.

 

Standout South Korean brands in South Africa

Hyundai

The brand is known for its popular and affordable cars, and its meteoric rise can be attributed to its value offering. While Toyota rested on its laurels of reliability, Hyundai entered the market offering spec-laden vehicles at prices you couldn’t ignore – often cheaper than the base spec Toyota in the same class. As it turned out, the Korean newcomer was just as reliable, in some cases more reliable than Toyota. Three decades later and Hyundai is a global force to be reckoned with, closing in on the third largest automaker worldwide. The brand competes in almost every segment of the local passenger car and SUV market. Not bad for a brand which was founded as recently as 1967 by a good fellow called Chung Ju-Yung. Hyundai sedan or SUV? At Start My Car, we have a part for that!

 

Kia

Kia, like it’s sister brand Hyundai, is one of the most well respected and well represented brands in South Africa, competing in almost every segment of passenger car market. With reliability which has displaced Toyota in the JD Powers rankings for the last few years, and spec-laden vehicles – it is hard not to buy a Kia or Hyundai. With industry-leading warranties, you can rest assured that your car will be covered in the event of any problems.

Keep you Kia in prime condition when you buy your Kia spare parts from us!

 

France

France was a pioneer in the automotive industry and is the 11th-largest automobile manufacturer in the world by 2015 unit production and the third-largest in Europe (after Germany and Spain). It had consistently been the 4th-largest from the end of World War II up to 2000.

 

France is home to two major automaking companies:

 

Stand Out French Brands In South Africa

Peugeot

Peugeot is a French car manufacturer that was founded in 1810. The company started out making bicycles, but it soon began producing automobiles. Peugeot has always been underrated in South Africa, and motoring scribes often choose them as the best-in-class vehicle, often outclassing German opposition which sell tenfold the amount. Did you know that we have a range of Peugeot parts? Click here.

 

Renault

Renault is another popular French car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1899 by Louis Renault. Of late, Renault South Africa have made big inroads in the budget market, where it’s Dacia-sourced vehicles offer incredible bang for the buck – with the Renault pedigree often being the deciding factor when buying a Kwid or Duster over Chinese opposition. Elsewhere in the range, the collaboration with Nissan has been a win for both manufacturers, marrying French flair with Japanese reliability. Models such as the Clio, Kadjar and Koleos are built on shared platforms with Nissan. Buy your Renault spare parts from Start My Car.

 

Citroen

Citroen is another French favourite. The company was founded in 1919 by André-Gustave Citroën, are provide a somewhat quirky but unique take on motoring. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there can be no denying Citroën’s major contribution to furthering the motoring cause over the last century.  Citroen gave the world several innovations, most famous the hydropneumatic self-levelling air suspension. If it quality Citroen spares and accessories you are looking for, then Start My Car is your one-stop shop.

 

Italy

Italy is one of the significant automobile producers both in Europe and around the world. Today the Italian automotive industry is almost totally dominated by Fiat Group (now called Stellantis); in 2001 over 90% of vehicles were produced by it. As well as its own, predominantly mass market model range, Stellantis owns the mainstream Fiat brand, the upmarket Alfa Romeo and Lancia brands, and the exotic Maserati brand.

 

Standout Italian Brands In South Africa

Fiat

Fiat is one of the most popular car brands in Italy. The company was founded in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli, and it has a long history of manufacturing economical vehicles. The first-generation Fiat Uno was undoubtedly the biggest success story for the Fiat brand in South Africa, whose star has faded in recent years. The current vehicle range consists of the 500 and the Tipo. New or old, 1990 or 2022, we do Fiat spares and accessories. Buy them from us!

 

Great Britain

The automotive industry in the United Kingdom is now best known for premium and sports car marques including Aston Martin, Bentley, Caterham Cars, Daimler, Jaguar, Lagonda, Land Rover, Lister Cars, Lotus, McLaren, MG, Mini, Morgan and Rolls-Royce. As a country with one of the richest automobile heritages, there have been many other British brands, not listed above, that come and gone or merged. We are talking about Wolseley, Austin, Leyland, Noble, Caterham, Bristol, Truimph and TVR to name but a few.   

 

 

Stand Out British Brands In South Africa

Land Rover

Land Rover is a popular British car brand. The company was founded in 1948 by Maurice Wilks, and it has a long history of manufacturing rugged, reliable offroad vehicles. In South Africa, Land Rover's most popular models include the Defender, the Discovery, and the Range Rover. Ensure that your Land Rover lives up to its reputation with original and replacement parts from us.

 

Jaguar

This premium British brand needs little introduction. Jaguar is a subsidiary of Tata Motors, and it is one of the most popular premium car brands in the UK. Jaguar has been manufacturing quality vehicles since 1922, and is currently at the forefront of fully-electric vehicle production. Jaguar’s prowess and reputation lie in its performance, and our spare parts can help your leaping cat purring sweetly.

 

India

The automotive industry in India is the fifth-largest in the world as per 2020 statistics.

An embryonic automotive industry emerged in India in the 1940s. Hindustan Motors was launched in 1942, long-time competitor Premier in 1944, building Chrysler, Dodge, and Fiat products respectively.Mahindra & Mahindra was established by two brothers in 1945, and began assembly of Jeep CJ-3A utility vehicles.

 

Stand Out British Brands In South Africa

Mahindra

Mahindra is a popular Indian car and SUV brand. The company was founded in 1945 by K.C. Mahindra. Locally, Mahindra build a reputation for honest, hard-working vehicles. Mahindra’s are built tough, with owners happily choosing these no-frills vehicles as workhorses and farm vehicles, which is where models such as the Scorpio and Bolero reign supreme. Of course, frills came later, with the Kuv and Xuv models. With a wide range of  replacement parts from Start My Car, your Mahindra will always ‘work hard and play hard’.

 

Tata

Tata was founded in 1945 by Jamsetji Tata. Tata Motors entered the South African market in December 2004 with an attractive range of passenger and light commercial at even more attractive prices. Tata faces increasingly stiff opposition from a slew of Chinese brands and has decided to shift it’s focus to the commercial vehicles. But don’t say tata to your Tata just yet, rather visit Start My Car’s Tata spare parts inventory.

 

The USA

The automotive industry in the United States began in the 1890s and, for much of its existence, the industry has been dominated by the by three large companies: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, all based in Metro Detroit.

 

Jeep

Jeep is a popular American lifestyle-vehicle brand. The company was founded in 1941 by Willys-Overland.  Jeep's most popular models include the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee. We sell a variety of original and aftermarket spares to fit your Jeep. Shop with us!

 

Ford

Ford was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford. The company is best known for its popular and affordable cars, and it is another of the largest automakers in the world. Ford has also been involved in other industries over the years, including aerospace and defence. Keep your Ford going further with our OEM spares.

We have done our best to compile a list of some of South Arica's favourite car brands. Of course, there are more brands on the road than those listed above, but these are some of the most popular. We hope that this gives you a good idea of the kind of brands that are available in South Africa. Be sure to do your research before making a purchase, as each brand has its own unique selling points.

 

Get Your Brand’s Spares and Accessories from Start My Car

Did you know that regardless of what your favourite car brand is, at Start My Car, we stock and sell accessories and spare parts for most car brands - including your favourite brand? Visit our website today to find out more!