Some epic autos are the Ford Model T, the Volkswagon beetle, and the Land Rover.  Each of these was very practical and durable.

We envisage a Safricar with its engine mounted between the two front seats, but a bit forward so there is a small nose to the vehicle’s shape.  But not a full “bonnet” or “hood” protruding in front of a bench front seat.  This works for either a passenger body with rows of seats at the back, or a cargo box behind an extended cab – so that there is storage space for luggage or tools behind the seats in the cab.

Design should be as modular as possible in order to be serviceable across Africa.  Parts should be available through existing dealerships like Toyota, Mahindra and Ford.  (Assumption: that these brands join the Safricar movement.)

We welcome individual designers and corporate participants as well to come up with suitable designs.  They need to be attractive as well as functional.  The specs listed on the Specification page of this website may change in the course of Open Dialogue on this website’s blogging.  However, until changes to the proposed baseline are agreed, let’s get creative with designs that conform to the guidelines posted.