• Latest
  • Trending

Two South Africans represent the country as BMW drivers

July 24, 2020
Johannesburg traffic roads

Challenges facing road users at Maalgate River Bridge R102 project

April 13, 2021
road accidents

Reduction in road accidents

April 8, 2021
NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

Transformation imperative in aviation: Mbalula

April 8, 2021
Minibus taxis in Alexandra township, Johannesburg.

Santaco says ‘No’ to taxi fare increase while NTA gives it a thought

April 8, 2021

Gautrain offers student travel pass discounts

April 7, 2021

Most South Africans prefer travelling by foot

April 7, 2021
Integrated transport

Gauteng may give taxis a reprieve on e-tolls

April 7, 2021
NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

Limpopo and Gauteng record high deaths during Easter

April 6, 2021
Ford SA lends helping hand to fight against Covid-19

Ford SA lends helping hand to fight against Covid-19

March 31, 2021
Toyota upgrades its Hiace Ses’fikile and improves Covid-19 driver guard

SATAXI introduces incentive scheme for taxis

March 31, 2021
DiDi

Chinese Uber Competitor DiDi Chuxing Expands To Cape Town

March 29, 2021
Uber

Uber driver behind bars for hijacking and kidnapping

March 24, 2021
Profit margins in South Africa’s minibus taxi industry have been under pressure long before the COVID-19 lockdown. Karel Prinsloo / AFP via GettyImages

Zululand taxi industry mourns King Goodwill Zwelithini 

March 24, 2021
Minibus taxis in Alexandra township, Johannesburg.

KwaZulu-Natal taxi association fights illegal operators

March 24, 2021
A Taxi Foundation in collaboration with POWA

Corporate collaborations join forces with POWA to fight GBV

March 23, 2021
taxis

Limpopo taxi body gets life back under level one

March 8, 2021
Juliet Mamqibela Murembiwa

The Iron Lady from Limpopo hails taxi industry 

March 8, 2021

Stats SA shows taxis now take more taxis 

March 8, 2021
Minibus taxis in Alexandra township, Johannesburg.

Taxi industry welcomes the easing of restrictions

March 8, 2021
Uber

Uber drivers in South Africa: employees or independent contractors?

March 3, 2021
Volvo C40 Recharge

Meet The New, Pure Electric Volvo C40 Recharge

March 3, 2021

Toll tariffs adjusted to 3.39% inflation rate

February 24, 2021
Taxi industry to plead for early vaccination 

Taxi industry to plead for early vaccination 

February 18, 2021
taxis

SA Taxi officially opens its doors to drive Mbombela forward

February 18, 2021
NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

February 15, 2021
COVI19

KwaZulu-Natal suspends major events as Covid-19 wrecks havoc

February 15, 2021
taxis

Taxi industry new fight against potholes

February 15, 2021
A policeman stands guard during a protest by minibus taxi operators against a new bus service for Johannnesburg. Alexander Joe/AFP via Getty Images

Diepmeadow chairman dies under mysterious circumstances

February 15, 2021
Minibus taxis in Alexandra township, Johannesburg.

Taxi operator lives in fear of losing vehicle to the bank

February 15, 2021
A policeman stands guard during a protest by minibus taxi operators against a new bus service for Johannnesburg. Alexander Joe/AFP via Getty Images

Warring Limpopo taxis cool off after MEC intervention 

February 15, 2021
  • Contact us
  • Advertise Here
  • Login
Gibela Transport Magazine
Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • Airports
  • COVID-19
  • Editorial
  • Government
  • Rail
  • Taxis
  • Tenders
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Airports
  • COVID-19
  • Editorial
  • Government
  • Rail
  • Taxis
  • Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Gibela Transport Magazine
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Cars

Two South Africans represent the country as BMW drivers

Phehello Mofokeng by Phehello Mofokeng
July 24, 2020
in Cars
1 0
0
2
SHARES
3
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Munich. When the 2020 DTM season gets underway next weekend (1st/2nd August) at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the grid will feature two BMW works drivers from South Africa: Sheldon van der Linde and Jonathan Aberdein.

This is van der Linde’s second season at the wheel of the BMW M4 DTM. Aberdein, meanwhile, is contesting his first year as a works driver for the Munich-based manufacturer. The BMW brand can look back on a long history in South Africa, while both drivers have been fans of BMW since they were young boys.

The BMW Group’s first plant outside Germany opened in South Africa in 1973. Over the next 35 years, more than one million BMW 3 Series were produced at the site in Rosslyn, to the north of Johannesburg. At the Rosslyn BMW plant, BMW also created the BMW 530 MLE in 1976, which is widely seen as one of the early steps of BMW Motorsport. The racing version of the BMW 530 MLE won the Star Modified Racing Series three times in a row and went on to become the world’s most successful 5 Series on the track. After a substantial investment, the Rosslyn plant was converted to produce the new BMW X3 in 2018. BMW South Africa employs over 40,000 people directly and indirectly, and is one of the country’s leading exporters of automobiles.

South Africa also plays a special role in the motorsport history of BMW: Nelson Piquet (BRA) won the World Championship title in the final Formula 1 race of the 1983 season at Kyalami, in the province of Gauteng. That was the first Formula 1 title for BMW and the first for a car with a turbo engine.

Kyalami is also the racetrack, with which van der Linde associates his first memories of BMW. He comes from a family of racing drivers and his father Shaun used to drive BMW cars on the touring car scene.

“I grew up next to the race track from the age of about four, watching my dad race in a BMW at that time”, van der Linde remembered. “That was my first memory of BMW and that was where it started. BMW stayed in my mind since then and that is why I always wanted to become a BMW driver one day, because I grew up with the brand and I think it was clear that I wanted to make the next step at some point in my life and also be like my dad. He was my example and I obviously wanted to do what he was doing.” Van der Linde achieved that goal in the 2019 season, when he joined the squad of BMW works drivers.

Another dream came true for van der Linde last autumn when he contested a home race in South Africa as a BMW works driver. He raced in a BMW M6 GT3 for BMW Team Schnitzer at the finale of the 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge at Kyalami. “I would have never expected to be in a BMW at Kyalami exactly like my Dad was long ago. For me, it was a very special event and one of my highlights of last year”, van der Linde said. “It was my first ever home race as a BMW works driver and just having all the home support from the fans and BMW South Africa was phenomenal. There are so many passionate BMW fans in South Africa and I had the feeling that we had the majority of the fans on our side.”

The father of his new fellow BMW works driver, Aberdein, was also an active racing driver, not in BMW race cars, but privately it was he who awakened his son’s enthusiasm for BMW when he was still but a boy.

“One day, when I was still pretty young, I arrived home and there was a bright red BMW M3 E46 in the garage that my father had just bought”, Aberdein reflected. “And I thought that was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life. That was a really high performance car and it is still one of my favourite BMWs.”

Aberdein’s passion for the brand has never waned. “I’ve always liked all the BMW M3s and M4s that BMW have produced. And then, at the beginning of this year when I signed my first professional contract with BMW, that was a very special moment.”

When the two South African BMW DTM drivers get the season underway at Spa-Francorchamps, they can be assured of the support of many of their compatriots, as BMW is one of the most popular automobile brands in South Africa.

“I myself have seen quite a few BMW and BMW M models on the road around Cape Town. They are a popular choice for South Africans”, Aberdein confirmed.

And van der Linde agreed: “The brand is very popular. Not only that people are enthusiastic when they see a BMW at a racetrack. You also see so many BMWs on the road, which is always a great feeling because you are part of the brand and so many people have so much passion for it. For many years, BMW in South Africa has enjoyed one of the highest market shares in M automobiles in the world. It’s a special feeling to be representing what so many people love in South Africa.”

Tags: AberdeinBMWBMW M6 GT3GT ChallengeKyalamiRosslynSchnitzer

Would you like to hear more about this? You can subscribe here ...

Unsubscribe
Phehello Mofokeng

Phehello Mofokeng

Related Posts

Johannesburg traffic roads
Roads

Challenges facing road users at Maalgate River Bridge R102 project

by Mokgalwane Mogano
April 13, 2021
NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands
Cars

Limpopo and Gauteng record high deaths during Easter

by Giyani Shivambo
April 6, 2021
Ford SA lends helping hand to fight against Covid-19
Cars

Ford SA lends helping hand to fight against Covid-19

by Giyani Shivambo
March 31, 2021
DiDi
Cars

Chinese Uber Competitor DiDi Chuxing Expands To Cape Town

by Staff Writer
March 29, 2021

Latest

  • All
  • Taxis
  • Rail

Toll tariffs adjusted to 3.39% inflation rate

February 24, 2021
SA TAXI PROTECT JOINS FORCES WITH AUTOBOYS

SA Taxi Protect teams up with Autoboys for a safe festive season

December 18, 2020
NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

NTA still waiting for Mbalula’s response to demands

February 15, 2021

Browse by Tags

ACSA Arrive Alive Aviation BMW coronavirus COVID-19 Department of Transport Eskom featured Fikile Mbalula Gautrain Jacob Mamabolo Mbalula Mbombela minibus taxi Minibus taxis Minister Mbalula National Taxi Alliance NTA President Cyril Ramaphosa public transport RTIA RTMC SANRAL Santaco SA Taxi South Africa Taxi Indaba taxi industry Taxi Lekgotla taxis taxi violence Tender Toyota Transaction Capital Transport Transport Minister Transport Month Uber Volvo VW Commercial VW Crafter Women Women's Month Zimbabwe
Gibela Transport Magazine

GIBELA is a digital and print publication and a premier source of transport news on minibus taxis, aviation, e-hailing, cars, logistic transport, rail, the Gautrain, mobiity-as-a-service, (transport) technology and bus services.

MAIN MENU

  • Home
  • Airports
  • COVID-19
  • Editorial
  • Government
  • Rail
  • Taxis
  • Tenders

SPEAK TO US

  • Contact us
  • Advertise Here

© 2020 All copyrights reserved - Gibela Online Transport Magazine; part of Motho Media & Geko Publishing (Pty) Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Landing Page
  • Buy JNews
  • Support Forum
  • Contact Us

© 2020 All copyrights reserved - Gibela Online Transport Magazine; part of Motho Media & Geko Publishing (Pty) Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.