Sure, these vehicles drive like drunken wombats, you can’t lock them when at the shops, they don’t have power steering and there isn’t even a key to start them … but one drive and you will be hooked. In fact, driving a Perentie might even transform you into a bit of an off-road snob. It did to us. We remember cruising down the highway in one, when a bloke in a modified Pajero drove past and nodded. We couldn’t help but think to ourselves: Pffft, that isn’t wheeling! Bugger air conditioning, and cup holders (well, the Perentie does have a gun rack you could probably use as a cup holder); what you get here is straight up off-road potential. And truth be told, they even ride really well around town. For the price of a second-hand 80 Series or GQ Patrol, you could own a piece of Australian history … that makes you feel alive when you drive it, rather than wrapped in cotton wool. If you have an adventurous streak in you, you owe it to yourself to take one for a drive. Oh, and you will be able to cancel your gym membership too, thanks to the arm-strong steering. Bonus!
Priced from … between $8,000 to $15,000 depending on price at auction.
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