Ja Boet,
I remember those days. I was involved doing the dealer launch of the 323 at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban in 1977.
The launch as a roaring success and ground breaking in many respects. .
Shortly after welcoming the dealers the Master of Ceremonies informed them that there was a very important news bulletin that had to be screened and would cause some delay in the proceedings. The backdrop to the stage became a huge television screen. On the screen there was the normal drum roll of the news and, as usual, the legendary Michael de Morgan began to read the news. The actual news was being screened. First a little bit of this and then a little bit of that because it was actual news being read. Without those present knowing, the news was cut and a recorded clip of de Morgan carried on. He looked so credible when he hesitated, smiled, wiped his brow and .........Then came the great moment: He announced that Sigma Motor Corporation has launched the new revolutionary Mazda 323.
The audience was dumbfounded.
You must realise that actual real time tv was only around less than two years prior to the launch of the 32 so tv was still very much a novelty.
The "news" continued with interviews of the Mazda top brass. This was so real that one of the dealers ran from the auditorium to phone his wife to tell her to record the "news"!
After the great festivities on the Saturday, many dealers whose dealerships were within 600km or so drove home in a 323. In 1977 petrol was not sold over weekends and the speed limit was 90km/h. It was amazing to hear the stories of how the other road users gawked at the 323 because it certainly was very unique and had no equal. It was the first baby hatch in SA. The VW Golf was launched in SA in1978.
I remember that one
