VANDERBIJLPARK – From amajita cruising in flashy German machines to loud bikers making noise down the street, everything pauses when Bra Joe-man’s oldschool beauty slides through. Even the township cherries can’t help but turn heads. For many, Joe-man’s vintage Chevrolet Kommando, rocking its smooth brown original paint, clean white hood, and thick white-wall tyres, looks like a car straight out of a movie scene. When some elders see it, they remember the old days, even calling it a reminder of those 1900s police cars, while the young ones can’t help but fall in love with the sematsatsa. Real name Josias Makane, is the man behind the classic vehicle. For him, this isn’t just metal and wheels, but rather his pride and joy with a rich history. Speaking to Ster, Joe-man, who fused vernac and Afrikaans when telling his love story with his beast, said the car raised him. “Die kar het my grootgemaak. My father was a Chevrolet fan since the apartheid days. I tried to understand his reason for his love. When I bought my first love, I made sure it was a Chevrolet Kommando,” he said. “In 1976, SAP officers used to chase us with this car. The history behind it is the reason I favoured it rather than any other vintage. Since 1982, I’ve been riding this beauty, and we’ve created memories in every long and short drive,” he said. At the time of purchase, Joe-man got the car for only R500. Now, it costs a fortune, but Joe-man has no plans to sell it. From Kasi streets to big events, this jalopy has seen it all. Joe-man said his Kommando always pulls up looking like a million bucks, carrying grooms and brides in style like a proper VIP chauffeur. Music videos, adverts, photoshoots, the car is booked and busy. “The car is now used for various commercials and music shoots. If I had been told back when I bought it that it would be such a head turner, I would have bought it in different colours. Sometimes I feel like abantu don’t even see me, they only see the car,” giggled the gentleman. Teboho ‘Small’ Matloko, who normally chauffeurs clients who book the car, said, “We’ve shared great moments with Mrs Kommando. Sometimes when I drive the streets, old ladies stop me and ask for a moment with the car as a reminder of the good old days.”