Celebrate Singles’ Day with one of these used cars
Ever heard of Singles’ Day? It’s an unofficial Chinese holiday and shopping season conceived to celebrate those who are not in relationships. Also called “Double 11”, it takes place on November 11 (the 11th day of the 11th month) each year.
Since it is now widely regarded as one of the largest physical retail and online shopping days in the world, we thought we would extend the idea into the automotive scene, taking a look at a broad range of used cars that might suit single people (with tongue firmly in cheek, of course). After all, almost a quarter of homes in South Africa are classified as single-person households*.
With no partner or offspring to worry about, you will find no three-row SUVs or spacious sedans here. Instead, we will focus on quirky and/or fun-to-drive vehicles covering a healthy range of needs and budgets. All for a bit of fun, of course.
Okay technically is not a car at all, we have included the Indian-built Bajaj Qute quadricycle, as it became a bit of a social media sensation earlier this year. According to AutoTrader data covering the first 10 months of the year, the average list price for the single-cylinder Qute is a shade over R70 000, with mean mileage coming in at a mere 34km. While the little tykes feature four seats, they are in decidedly close proximity to one another, so we suspect the cabin is better suited to singles.
What about outdoor lovers who require loading space for surfboards, mountain bikes and the like? Well, since there is no need for the extra passenger space that comes with a bulky double-cab bakkie, we have gone for the half-tonne Nissan NP200. With an average registration year of 2017 and average mileage below 85 000km, this popular single-cab model bears an average list price of around R158 000.
View the Hyundai Veloster – which has an average list price of about R175 000 and average mileage of less than 110 000km – in profile from the driver’s side and it appears to be a coupe with just a single large door serving the pilot. However, the other side of the vehicle features two smaller portals, perfect for those odd occasions when unattached individuals opt to invite along a friend or two.
Sure it is classified as a two-seater, but who would volunteer to be a passenger in the lightweight Ariel Atom, what with its distinct lack of roof or windows? No, the pew you really want to occupy is the driver’s seat, where you can enjoy all the performance of this open-wheel car on your own (besides, a second person merely adds unwanted weight). AutoTrader figures show an average list price, mileage and registration year of about R700 000, 18 000km and 2014 respectively.
For the particularly well-heeled singleton (one who does not have to worry about buying diamond rings or paying exorbitant private school fees), the Ferrari 488 likewise offers just two seats, though the average list price sits at about R5.5m. At full tilt, the twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8’s howl is vociferous enough to drown out any pesky passenger conservation, so we would keep that extra seat clear and enjoy a solo drive in this mid-engined Italian thoroughbred.
