Young entrepreneur Jerry Issac Mallo created Africa’s first-ever continental sports car.
Made in Nigeria and available in West Africa, Mallo’s company, Bennie Technologies Ltd., made history as the first Afro-centric sports car, Black Business reported.
The red luxury car, called the Bennie Purrie, is made out of recyclable material, making it eco-friendly. Instead of using materials like aluminum alloy or galvanized sheets to protect the car’s hood and exterior, the Bennie Purrie uses recycled fiberglass, also known as reinforced plastic.
One of the safety advantages of having a plastic car is that the car would break down as if it is made of glass, in contrast to a metal car that crumbles when it hits a resistant force, in the event of a crash.
The car’s first model can travel from 0 to 120 miles per hour in 12 seconds and has a 2.0-liter engine that produces about 130 horsepower.
The car has four radiators, making its interior cool regardless of its tubular chassis’ heat.
Mallo wanted to break into the automotive industry since he was five. He would make his own toys out of garbage and try to make improvements.
He got the opportunity to build his first car at the age of 18, also made of recyclables. Mallo received a scholarship to the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. to study art. In his spare time, Mallo would make cars out of Africa’s rich resources and raw materials. Deciding that making cars was his calling, he dropped out of school to pursue his dream of starting his own car manufacturer.
“Nigeria is a very big market for luxury vehicles. I got that exposure when I was in Europe, we learnt that making the car is just half of the challenge, and selling it is the other half; Africa is usually is the target place to sell these vehicles, so I feel there’s a big market for it here,” Mallo said, according to This Is Africa.
It was until late 2019 the world would get to see Bennie Purrie.