MARQUETTE

In the late-1920s, a number of American automobile manufacturers, especially GM, were on a mission to produce ‘companion cars’ to some of their established brands. On 1 June 1929, Buick introduced the Marquette, which was aimed at bridging the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile. It was not the first automobile to carry the name but was without doubt the most successful, albeit for a very short period.

Billed as a 1930 model with prices ranging from $990 to $1 060, a six-model range of cars was offered. The marketing effort was strong and press reaction was positive. The herringbone-pattern radiator grille was immediately highlighted as the car’s most distinctive feature. On the day of the launch, The Literary Digest wrote, “In appearance, the Marquette expresses the tempo of the age without conforming to an accepted pattern. In

Yamaha Ag175

The motorcycle plays an important commercial role in society, witness the massive increase of small-capacity machines running around delivering online orders for instance. Some 40 years ago it might only have been the butcher or the chemist having an order or prescription dropped off, whereas today these little bikes are everywhere. But there are other places in society where the motorcycle is often overlooked, and this is in humanitarian aid and agricultural sectors. These purpose-built machines had to combine the ruggedness of a foot-up trail bike, have the flexibility of city delivery motorcycle or scooter, be not too difficult to ride plus have a good load carrying capacity. They were usually light, easy to manoeuvre, economical to run and heard that right! The handsome V 300 d perfectly fits the bill as the Mercedes of minibuses.

V300 d Has it All. And Then Some

To say V 300 d has it all and then some is another understatement of note. A 2019 restyle and refresh brought enhanced luxury and exclusivity. The streamlined cockpit gained elegant new upholstery and turbine air vents as part of its advances. That had hardly gone down before Merc added this latest, powerful four-pot V 300 d turbodiesel to the mix.

Front occupants are spoiled in S Class splendor. Everything is rendered in typical avant-garde Mercedes style. You want for nothing in there. V 300 d packs Mercedes-Benz MBUX ‘My Mercedes’ 10.25 inch touchscreen Infotainment with CarPlay, Bluetooth and Mercedes-Benz hard-disk navigation.

V 300 d the Lap of Luxury Under a Panoramic Roof

Add top-drawer multichannel Burmeister 16-speaker surround sound. It even has integrated voice amplification to ensure that the driver and front passenger can comfortably converse with the rear passengers. All under a neat double rear panoramic roof.

Two climatised black leather command chairs pamper middle row passengers with reclining ability and back massage. With armrests both sides and a centre console drinks cooler, they’re served by tabletops that fold out of the front seat backs. Far easier than those picnic tables all the rage in this neck of the woods.

So Many Special Little V 300 d Touches

Anyway, our V 300 d also had auto-opening power sliding rear doors with child locks. The boot is proper, too. Closed by a remote power tailgate, it has an easy-pack shelf. The shelf really is a boon that allows you to store and pack smaller items into a pair of collapsible boxes with great ease and in reasonable security.

Powerful and efficient, the 176 kW 500 Nm twolitre four-cylinder OM654 turbodiesel has a 30 Nm overboost. Turning Merc’s tried and trusted paddle shifting 9G-Tronic automatic with Dynamic Select, it switches between comfort and sport as seamlessly as it shifts gears.

A Hoot to Drive With a Little Verve

V 300 d runs and performs as impressively as you’d expect from a Mercedes – like a dream! We were impressed to record a nine second 0-100km/ h run. Overtaking agility is properly elastic for a two-ton plus bus. Performance was considerably better than anticipated and it’s a hoot to drive with a bit of spunk.

Economy is another V 300 d plus. We averaged 8.2 litres per hundred in a fair bit of mixed driving, and over 1,000 km on the open road. That’s better than claimed; despite a load that grew and grew with wine boxes, trinkets, and acquisitions as we progressed. All gobbled up by that voluminous V cabin and boot.

Very Little to Fault on Merc’s V 300 d

The V 300 d doesn’t miss a safety trick. It gets full Driver Assist with Distronic Cruise, Pre-Safe, Lane Keeping, Blind Spot and Active Brake, as well every phase of performance, it demonstrates abilities that set it apart entirely from all cars of comparable price. In basic value, it embodies the added margin that Buick’s experienced craftsmanship and great production facilities make possible”.

Built on GM’s B-platform, the Marquette was powered by a slightly modified 3 487cc Oldsmobile six-cylinder, the only Buick-built car to have a side-valve engine. The motor developed 50 kW at 3 000 r/min and 198 N.m of torque at a low 1 200. The engine fires up with a healthy rumble, and even sounds powerful. Mated with a sliding-gear three-speed gearbox with a floor gearshift, the Marquette was quite a performer in its day.

The gleaming red Marquette Sport Roadster that is part of the FMM collection is a superb example of the marque. Even though its looks are typical of the period, the painted grille is certainly eye-catching. With spare wheels carried in each front fender and a massive very simple to repair.

FMM recently acquired one such machine, a lovingly restored 1978 Yamaha AG175 that came from a game farm in the mountains of Graaff Reinet. The AG175 forms part of a line of trail/agricultural-inspired motorcycles to make their way to South Africa from Japan in the early 1980s. The 175cc model made its appearance in 1976 and remained in production until the mid-1990s before being replaced by the current Yamaha AG range.

The AG175 has a double-cradle tubular steel frame housing a basic, single-cylinder 2-stroke engine making 8,6 kW @ 6 500 r/min and 12,8 N.m of torque. Front suspension is by telescopic forks with a 21-inch front wheel and a cable-operated drum brake. The rear suspension features simple, dual, manuallyadjustable shocks along with a steel tubular boot box mounted at the rear, its profile is far from streamlined, even less so when the dickey-seat – a tight fit for two – is erect. However, interior space is reasonable for average-sized people. as Active Crosswind, High beam and Attention Assistants. Add a 360 degree camera, driver and codriver front and thorax, front window, A to B and B to D pillar airbags.

It stars on luxury. We found very little to fault on this bus of buses. If you’re looking to shuttle up to seven people in the absolute lap of luxury, there are a few compromises you can make. But what the hell, why not go the whole hog and get the real thing? We did. It made our road trip adventure all that much more of a pleasure…

ROAD TESTED:

Mercedes-Benz V 300 d Avantgarde AMG Line

176 kW 500 Nm 2-litre turbodiesel I4

9-speed Automatic RWD

March News

When put up, the folding hood is low and care is needed to duck under the outer rails when getting in or out. But the seat and driving position are comfortable enough and the floor and footwell is flat. Given the basic nature of the suspension, ride quality is also good, and the mechanical duo-servo drum brakes are well up to their job once given a firm push on the pedal.

However, due to the Great Depression that began with the US stock market crash in October 1929, Buick’s management did not feel that enough Marquettes were being sold swing arm and an 18-inch wheel. Front and rear brakes are cable-operated drums. The AG175 could reach a speed of 90 km/h.

The single seat is broad and very comfortable. The extras are all based on getting a job done i.e. the loading of equipment or even animals … yes, livestock and pets! Standard on all AG models were the unmistakable sable grip protectors for riding and navigating through

Visiting Fmm

to warrant the extra burden on the bottom line given the depressed state of the economy, and the brand was abruptly shut down. It was a sad case of what might have been. FMM’s example is one of the finest around –a classic vintage American automobile with a short-lived yet fascinating background. It is on display in Hall A.

gates, rocky ravines or wooded areas etc. The front carrier was originally intended to carry smaller items such as books, maps and charts. Even with all the extra equipment, the dry weight of the motorcycle is only 108 kg. These tiny workhorses that make deliveries day and night, travel tens of thousands of kilometres on the roughest roads on the planet.

FMM’s opening time are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 18h00 (last admittance 17h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00). Visiting the museum is by appointment only and via online booking. Entry fees: R80 adults, R60 pensioners and motor club members (with membership ID), R40 children (ages 3-12). Only electronic payments are accepted. The famed FMM Pitstop Deli is open throughout the visiting hours.

For booking tickets and any other information as well as signing on for a free monthly newsletter, logon to www.fmm.co.za or phone 021 874 9000 or e-mail fmm@fmm.co.za

Working together is motivational and a powerful way to innovate.

I facilitated a strategy workshop last month for a division of a big mining group. I have worked in the mining industry for a long time and have come to expect certain behaviours and characteristics.

I love being surprised. Especially when the surprise is as pleasant as it is surprising!

This group certainly gave me pause for thought this past week. Not only about the work we were engaged in but also about so many of the inaccurate perceptions and beliefs we have about our country, about its people and mostly about what is possible and what is not.

One of the perceptions that persist is that the mining industry is an industry that is conservatively stuck in the past.

The thirty-five people from all corners of the country and its many cultures gave lie to this perception!

Here was a thoroughly diverse group of managers who were focussed on only one thing and that was the improvement of the business in which they operate. There were no visible divisions, no in-group, or special clique; just a group of people working as a closely-knit team with the single-minded purpose of making things better for everyone.

Of course, this did not happen overnight but with vehicles for business purposes.

• Employees may also be entitled to claim a reduction on the fringe benefit in respect of business kilometres travelled in a company car.

Without a Logbook, You Will Not Be Able to Claim a Travel Deduction.

(Sars Travel Logbook 2022/23)

Even while recovering from the economic impact of COVID and facing the challenges of power blackouts, businesses and their employees are also contending with the costs of travel that have reached historic highs. Thankfully, expenses related to business travel can be deducted from taxable income. Taxpayers should prioritise maximising the available tax deductions by ensuring they can claim for every actual business travel-related expense.

To claim any business travel expenses, it is compulsory to keep an accurate and up-todate SARS-compliant logbook for each vehicle. In addition, there are other tax implications related to travel expenses, travel allowances and travel reimbursements, some of which are briefly highlighted below.

Claiming the business travel deduction – fast facts

• Businesses can claim business travel expenses incurred in the production of income.

• Employees who receive a travel allowance can claim a deduction for the use of their private

• To claim any travel deduction, an accurate, upto-date logbook detailing all business kilometres travelled is required. SARS accepts electronic logbooks.

• There is no deduction allowed for private travel, which is any travel not for business purposes, such as travelling between home and work.

• In addition to a logbook, taxpayers who want to claim actual travel expenses should keep accurate records and proof of all travel expenses, such as fuel and maintenance, incurred during the year.

• A separate logbook and records must be kept for each vehicle used for business purposes.

• SARS reserves the right to query and audit the content or information recorded in any logbook by the taxpayer.

• Logbooks and other records must be kept for at least five years as taxpayers may be required to submit them to SARS for verification of travel claims.

How to claim a business travel tax deduction

• Record the vehicle’s odometer reading on the first day of a tax year (1 March for individuals and also for companies).

• Maintain the logbook all year – SARS requires the following minimum information for every single business trip: date of travel; kilometres travelled; and travel details including where the