Two years ago Wheels24 reader Koos Fleming told us all about his Mazda 1000 bakkie. Now he has dug up old photos of his vehicle when he and his wife got married. They'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary in January 2023. I love these kind of photos and letters from our Wheels24 readers, there's always so much passion and history in these stories. Thank you, Koos, for sharing your memories with us. You can read Koos story here about his Mazda bakkie when he bought it for R1189 in 1970. 

View Koos old photos below by clicking on the arrows on either side of the image to scroll through the gallery.

Fleming says: "It was one of the cheapest vehicles available, but all I could afford at the time. As a basic, entry-level vehicle, it didn't have many features. It had no heater, no air circulation fan and an under-powered engine but the reason for selecting the Mazda was because of the protection plate in front of the engine sump."

READ | 'In 1970 I bought a new Mazda F 1000 bakkie for R1189' - reader

The images in the gallery below gives a glimpse into Koos and his wife Annetjie's life when they were very young, including their wedding day when friends decorated their bakkie. They're still Mazda fans and have been driving a CX3 for the past three years.

Earlier in July, an avid Mazda F1000 fan had enquired about Koos Fleming and his bakkie from the article we published in 2020. The two readers have been in contact and sharing little tidbits about the fascinating vehicle like the bit below:  Fleming says he used a fine wire mesh to protect the radiator from being blocked by grass seeds. "You can see grass hanging there in some photos, and the aluminium grille was soft, and I didn't want to damage it. "I replaced the body panel behind the front bumper with a mashed wire panel for more airflow in the hot Kalahari. Imagine driving at 6000rpm in second gear in 40 degrees temperatures over a long distance.

One trip to "Middelputs" border post between SA and Botswana was extremely rough. For many kilometres, we were the only vehicle on the road; everyone crossed only on foot at the border. "The main reason for buying the Mazda back then was because the engine protection underneath was good. None of the other bakkies could take the hammering (Colt 1100, Renault and Mini were all in the same price bracket).  "Sometimes you see a stone on the road, and you know your belly is scraping the road. If you stop, you're stuck. Looking in the rearview mirror, the stone is gone (buried now). Naturally, overloading the poor half-tonner was common practice.

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