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| The Arctic stands head and shoulder above its DMAX stablemate. |
But how to convince the accounts manager that actually, it's an investment?
Stay with me as I ask if a 4x4 workhorse, even a really good one like the Isuzu Arctic conversion and the rally-ready Ford Raptor, can ever become collectors' cars.
Turns out the answer is "definitely" for the Arctic, and "maybe" for the Raptor, but not for the reasons you may think.
See, to become a collectible that sell for lots on an auction floor, something first has to remind of
good times long gone; and second, be rare.
good times long gone; and second, be rare.
Good times come built into both the Arctic and the Raptor. They are that big, mountain-climbing, snow-crunching, sunset-chasing, poacher-stopping lifestyle accessory all 4x4s strive to portray in the adverts.
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| The Raptor does corners like, tight. |
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| The Arctic is happier rock climbing than cornering. |
In South Africa, the Raptor and the Arctic costs about the same, and both boast tricked-out suspension that does the heavy lifting of those heads and shoulders.
The D-Torque diesel in the DMax does not boast the cutting edge engineering of Ford's bi-turbo 2-litre, but what the Isuzu loses in not providing the very latest in diesel tech, it makes up for by only providing the most proven tech. And among bakkies, a reputation for reliability sells very well. Just ask Toyota.
The difference in potential future investment values of these two bakkies lie in their rarity.
The Raptor is not a rarity, yet. Ford South Africa is running full shifts at its factory in Silverton and is sending trainloads of Raptors into the RoRo ships at Coega to meet demand for the Raptor in especially Germany and the UK. In June 2019, Ford SA exported 3,559 vehicles, most of them Raptors, and that was a slow month for Ford.
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| Ford South Africa builds and exports thousands of Raptors a month. |
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| Shawn Geldenhuis, master artisan at Isuzu, can hand-finish up to three Arctics a week. |
Meanwhile, at the Isuzu South Africa plant in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, Shawn Geldenhuis can hand-finish about two Arctic bakkies a week -- three if he puts in overtime.
That makes a dozen Actics a month, versus thousands of Raptors, which means future investment dividends can pay out big on the Arctic. There is only one problem -- the rule with collectibles is "Never Open The Box!".
For collectible cars, the box is a climate controlled, rodent-proof garage in which the car may be gently idled every week or so just to circulate the fluids a bit while the owner picks off the odd dust particle using static electricity generated by a geniune Ostrich feather duster from Oudshoorn (which still works far better than any of these plastic imposters).
Not opening the box is really hard in the Arctic, what with the far side of every horizon calling to be explored in this Isuzu conversion. Once you get there, the Arctic is certainly capable in the rough. Isuzu was kind enough to invite this vehicular hack to a bit of dune bashing near the village of Cape St Francis in the Western Cape, where it took all of my considerable talents in getting stuck, to stick.
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| The Arctic in its happy place. |
With the polished grooves of those 17-inch Rotiva tyres from the world's northernmost tyre maker digging away below, the Arctic stoically shoulders up and over sand dunes where the normal D-Max digs in. (I checked. Twice. For as they say at the KZN Midlands 4x4 Club if you don't get stuck, you are not trying hard enough.)
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| The Raptor in its happy place. |
After a similar bit of dune bashing with Ford in the Namib desert near the metropole of Upington in the Northern Cape, I now rate the sand surfing skills of the Goodyear tyres on the Raptor's a smidgeon below that of the Nokians on the Arctic (but I hasten to report willing and able to do much further study in this vital comparison.)
The stoic Arctic does not, however, have the Raptor's built in little demon that sits on your left shoulder, yelling at you to gooi that corner like Ken Block or jump that little hill like stunt driver Greg Godfrey.
Hence Raptor owners who hope to convince the accounts manager they are buying the Ford for dividends rather than divine driving pleasure will place a lot of hope in that little demon to turn today's many Raptors into tomorrow's few.
As for which of the two excellent bakkie to choose, I say let your tats decide. For there is just something in the Ford Raptor that appeals to people who already has their next tattoo design picked out, while the Isuzu Arctic is for the person who feels happier uninked. But good luck in getting one. The waiting lists for both are already months as more bakkie riding connoisseurs place their orders.
* "Bakkies" be "pick-ups" or "utes" for all you forriners.
