Delta Motor Corporation was a South African car manufacturer, which was created through a management buy-out after General Motors (GM) divested from South Africa in 1986.[1] It was headed by former GM executive, Bob Price, who had returned to South Africa from Detroit.[2] He had previously served as General Motors South Africa's managing director between 1971 and 1974, and later became president of Motors Trading Corp., a subsidiary that engages in international trade on behalf of GM.[3]
Delta continued to use the Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki brands under licence from GM as well as pay for the supply of assembly kits.[4] Delta also exported small numbers of cars to neighboring, right-hand drive markets. Delta Motor Corporation introduced a number of efficiencies and performed considerably better than GM ZA had been able to do.[5]
Following the transition to universal suffrage in the 1990s, GM acquired a 49 percent stake in the company in 1997 and in 2004 the company once again became a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, reverting to its original name, General Motors South Africa.[6] GM ZA also assembled vehicles for export to other right hand drive markets in the region, such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, and Mauritius.[7]