The good old days - were there such things? When you drive the Chevrolet Lumina bakkie - or Ute, as General Motors prefers to call it - you might be tempted to think so. Or not.
I did.
There are few things as satisfying for a petrol-head as having a big-bore American-style V8 throbbing away under a long, sweeping bonnet, or being thrust forward by oodles of torque from take-off, while seated in a surprisingly comfortable seat, positioned in a rather roomy single cab.
And this experience certainly takes you back to the days when big V8 engines were much more common, when petrol was as cheap as mieliepap and stove-pipe jeans were invariably worn with white socks and black, pointy shoes.
But, thinking about it, those days weren't altogether better than today. For one thing, car radios have improved dramatically since then and Jimi Hendrix has come and gone, leaving a huge legacy. And that's important.
Here in South Africa, hard-core petrol-heads can be grateful to the Australians. Yes, we love to beat them at any sport, despite the fact that they so frequently beat us.
But they've made it possible for us to continue enjoying this kind of car, even if we insist on calling it a Chev when they call it a Holden.
We have to thank them, not only for keeping the large-capacity V8 alive, but also for the technology that allows it to retain its viability in an auto market that increasingly favours reduced consumption and green causes.
No, I'm not anti-green, I'm just happy to see technology that helps the good things of old stay alive a a little longer.
For example, when you drive today's Chev SS Ute at a normal, easy-going pace, four of its eight cylinders shut down to save fuel. Yes, you are then effectively driving a three-litre four rather than a six-litre bent eight.
General Motors calls it "displacement on demand" and I can testify that it works. The shift from four to eight cylinders is so smooth you hardly notice it.
Part of the reason for that, of course, is that a three-litre, four is no slouch anyway, but as soon as your right foot indicates to the engine management system that it's going to need all eight pistons, you get them, with appropriate results.
Displacement on demand saves fuel by using only half the engine's cylinders under most normal driving conditions. The system automatically and seamlessly reactivates the rest when the driver requires the engine's full capabilities for brisk acceleration or load carrying.
THE KIND OF CAR YOU WANT TO
This active fuel management feature is available on the 6.0 V8 engine when matched to the six-speed automatic 6L80-E transmission but not with manual-transmission models.
The General's men say the system delivers savings of about 0.9 litres/100km in the urban cycle but greater benefits can be achieved on the open road, particularly while using cruise control, where the feature will shut down four cylinders at speeds as high as 110km/h.
I managed to push its average fuel consumption down to 13.8 litres/100km, not too shabby for this kind of car.
This kind of car? Yes, it is like that; it's the kind of car that you want to drive, that makes you want to put a bit of foot.
And it's also a question of horses for courses. Yes, one could criticise the Ute for being light in the tail. But, what the heck, it's a bakkie.
It is tail-happy, unless you keep it loaded - but who's going to drive around with a baby grand on the back just to keep some weight on?
BOTTOM LINE
With a price tag of R413 700 and an interior that should satisfy most normal people, this is a very pleasant "truck" to drive.
And I wouldn't mind one at all, thank you very much.