On the cusp of celebrating its 100th anniversary, Ford South Africa reminisces some of its most noteworthy nameplates to ever emerge from the local production lines of the Blue Oval group.
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It would be criminal to talk about Ford’s local legacy cars without starting with the hallowed V8-powered Capri Perana. The only Ford factory-sanctioned model equipped with a V8 engine, the Perana name’s weight is felt on public roads and in South Africa’s Motorsport Hall of Fame. As a result of the popularity garnered through a dominant performance in the motorsport scene, these V8-powered coupes were homologated into road-legal versions, with a total of 500 road-going models emerging from Basil Green’s workshop. The Capri Perana had a total weight of 1 100kg and an output of 210 kW and 407 N.m.
Related: A Brief Walkthrough of Ford’s History Ahead of it’s 100th Year in SA
Ford’s Cortina would play a significant role in the evolution of the bakkie segment within the motoring industry. The Cortina moniker would evolve into a cornerstone offering within Ford’s stables through the 70’s and 80’s. A year after its official debut, Ford South Africa released a special edition Cortina model that featured a gold, green and black colourway as a show of support for the Springbok team during the 1976 All Blacks tour in SA. Visual differentiators range from the vehicle’s green paint accentuated by a pinstripe that runs along the side of the vehicle.
The 70s saw the invention of modern amenities that would shape the future of humanity, such as the digital camera, the inkjet printer and email. But most notably, the 70s, specifically the tail-end of the decade, saw the birth of the Mk4 Cortina with the “3.0S” suffix. The V6-powered four-door would give way to the Mk5 Cortina XR6, which would later be enhanced and evolved into the 118 kW Ford Cortina XR6 Interceptor. Characterised by its Wild Coral Red colourway accentuated by elements such as the rear window shading slats, a boot spoiler and 13-inch Ronal four-spoke wheels. Below the metal, the XR6 Interceptor featured triple downdraft 42 Webber carburettors and a new exhaust manifold.
The Sierra XR8. An icon that was bred to serve as a production car that Ford could take to the track, the Sierra XR8 was powered by a 5,0-litre V8 borrowed from the Mustang and affixed to Borg Warner five-speed manual transmission. Accompanying the hot-blooded eight-cylinder was a slew of go-faster parts such as a four-barrel Holley Carburettor, upgraded side and drive shafts, upgraded suspension and an upgraded braking system. Just over 250 examples of the Sierra XR8 were ever produced.
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In 2003, the local arm of the Blue Oval group introduced the first Ford Focus ST and sought to offer a more attainable entry point into the performance market. Safe to say, Ford succeeded in doing so and, for the decade that followed, would continue to embolden and broaden the Ford Focus subspecies. The pallbearer of the Focus badge came in the form of the 257 kW Ford Focus RS, which was motivated by a 2,3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder that, on top of its 257 kW, produced 440 N.m fed to all-four-wheels.
More than a decade after the arrival of the Focus ST, Ford adopted the hallowed Mustang moniker into its local stables. Offered with a rowdy 5,0-litre V8 or conservative 2,3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder, the Mustang quickly garnered a firm following in the local market and, to this day, stands as one of the firm’s flagship offerings.
