Ford’s Southern African Legacy – Iconic cars through the decades.

Ford South Africa has developed and launched several iconic cars for local enthusiasts over the decades. Many of these developments have been unique to the South African market, building the Ford brand and heritage on our local roads and racetracks.

Ford has a rich history in South Africa, and a legacy of always being in tune with local appetites and trends. So much so that Ford has commissioned and developed many vehicles unique to South Africa, many of these to defend Ford’s True Blue legendary status on local racetracks, and others to fill gaps uniquely found on the local motoring landscape.

Ford Capri Perana – 1970

The late Basil Green is synonymous with not only the Ford Capri Perana, but also many other Fords from the 1960s and ’70s found on our roads and racetracks. The Perana was a locally developed vehicle that aligned with Ford’s global commitment to its “Total Performance” advertising campaign from the period, and the road cars were officially available through Ford dealerships across the country. The Capri Perana was particularly renowned for its dominance in South Africa’s Group 5 racing, especially during the 1970 season. That year, Bobby Olthoff, with his Capri Perana V8 Gunston-livery car number Z181, won 13 out of the 14 races.

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Ford Cortina Mk3 bakkie – 1971

Enthusiasts will remember that a few years after the Cortina bakkie was unveiled, Ford released a limited-edition Cortina bakkie and sedan known as the Springbok edition. These vehicles, painted green and gold, left no doubt about their purpose: showing support for the Springbok team during the 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa.

Both the sedan and the bakkie featured a gold painted roof and wheels with a pin stripe running along the side of the vehicles. The rest of the car was painted green. The success of the original Cortina bakkie has also proven to be the genesis of the word bakkie in motoring, which is still used by all South Africans to refer to any type of light utility pick-up. The Cortina bakkie idea was then carried over to the Mk4 and 5 versions of the Cortina and it proved to be an exceptionally tough vehicle, with some of them still seen to this day plying their trade.

Ford Cortina XR6 Interceptor – 1981

A performance version of the MK4 Cortina, named the 3.0S, was developed by Ford’s Motorsport division in the late 1970s. It was fitted with the 3.0-litre “Essex” V6 and had uprated and slightly lowered suspension, among other improvements. This car evolved into the better-known Mk5 Cortina XR6. An iconic Ford print ad at the time for the XR6 said: “Buckle in for the drive of your life.”

Celebrating its motorsport successes, the company produced a Team Ford, or “TF”, edition of the Cortina XR6 with distinctive blue pin striping, however, the ultimate development of the Cortina range came in the form of the legendary XR6 Interceptor, another homologation special to allow Ford to go racing. Painted Wild Coral Red, this model stood out from all other Cortina models, replete with its shading slats over the rear window, the small black boot spoiler and the double, four-spoke wheels. If other drivers saw the car approaching in their rear-view mirrors, there was no mistaking it for anything else on the road.

 

Ford Sierra XR8 – 1984

The Sierra XR8 was another distinctive South African model, widely regarded as a true South African muscle car. The aim of the XR8 was to develop a production car that Ford could take to the racetrack, taking on other competitors for the Group One crown. For that to happen, at least 200 cars needed to be sold, and the race car had to be based on a production car, making it a true homologation special.

The 5.0-litre V8 engine came from none other than Ford’s halo performance car at the time, the Ford Mustang. The engine was bolted to a Borg Warner five-speed manual gearbox and a Borg Warner differential. It developed 161kW and 374Nm, breathing through a four-barrel Holley Carburettor. The side shafts as well as the drive shaft were upgraded to deal with the additional power. Ford also upgraded the suspension and braking system to harness the additional power and torque.

One of the most notable design elements of the road car was the double-plane rear wing – an element that was not only visible from a distance, but left the driver and fellow road users in no doubt as to the intent of the most-powerful production Sierra in South Africa. Including prototypes, just more than 250 were manufactured.

During its final years the Sierra XR8 was raced by Willie Hepburn in the WesBank Modified series. The car quickly earned the nickname “The Animal” and went on to secure an unforgettable win at the old Kyalami circuit in 1987.

Modern classics

Vehicles from the 1990s and 2000s are now often referred to as modern classics, with their values steadily rising. In this era, Ford re-introduced cherished performance cars to the South African market, which encompassed various hot hatches and the highly anticipated Ford Mustang.

Ford ST and RS family

To cover the more affordable end of the performance market, Ford introduced the first Focus ST in 2003. It was based on the first-generation Focus and named the ST170, after the number of horsepower the engine developed.

The first Fiesta ST, the ST150, was introduced a few years later. Both these models were instantly loved by South Africa’s motoring enthusiasts. The three-door, front-wheel drive ST170 was fitted with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine developing 126kW and 195Nm. The more compact and lighter Fiesta ST’s naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine produced 112kW and 190Nm.

The fabled Ford Mustang

Ford has launched iconic performance models throughout the decades, but the cherry on top arguably arrived in 2015 with the introduction of the long-awaited and legendary Ford Mustang. This was the first generation of the Mustang to be produced in right-hand drive, thus making it accessible to South African buyers.

Since its introduction, it has been one of the best-selling performance cars in South Africa. Introduced with both the 5.0-litre V8 as well as the 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, customers could balance performance and price to suit their needs. Higher performance versions of both the coupé and the cabriolet were made available to the public, including the special edition Mustangs: Bullitt, Mach 1 and California Special.

Ford: Just iconic

From the early days when legends like Basil Green adeptly tuned classic Fords to the present, where Ford’s high-performance Mustangs and the mighty twin-turbo 292kW Ranger Raptor rule the roost, the company has consistently delivered iconic models to South African enthusiasts throughout the decades. With deep roots in the South African market and racing circuits, Ford is poised to continue crafting and introducing more iconic models long into the future. Someone you know, owns a Ford.

Wilhelm Lutjeharms