Cortina Savage

Jeff Uren had raced for and managed the Ford Works team before joining the Willment race team, which fielded Ford Falcons, Galaxies, Cobras, GT40s, and, most famously, the humble Cortina Mk1. Uren was responsible for the development of the Willment Sprint GT Mk1 Cortina.[5] When John Willment gave up racing, Uren set up Race Proved Performance and Racing Equipment Ltd as his own company in 1967.[6] The first car to have the Savage treatment (by dropping in a Ford 3.0 L Essex V6 engine and re-engineering the suspension) was the Mk2 Cortina;[7][8] this then progressed to Mk3s,[9] Mk4s[10] and even a one-off Mk5 Cortina. A review in Autocar, August 1967 of the Mk2 stated it really does hitch its skirts and get moving in the open roads in a manner that will leave practically everything else standing[11] while Motorsport Magazine stated The outstanding feature of the Savage is how enjoyable, yet effortless, it is to drive.[12] The Mk3 was reviewed by Motor who called it the absolute ultimate in hot Cortinas.[13] Race Proved linked up with Weslake Engineering who did most of the engine tuning for Jeff Uren.[14] The customers had various tuning choices; the standard Ford Capri-spec 3.0 L engine with 138 bhp and 182 ft-lbs of torque, the 170, 180, 190 and the mighty 218 bhp Tecalemit fuel-injected version, which in a 1972 Motorsport Magazine article was timed as fast to 0-60 mph as a Jaguar E-Type V12.[14]

In Graham Robson's The Story of Ford's Best Seller, Uren recalled,

Walter Hayes (the then head of Ford GB’s PR), wangled us quite a lot of 1600E Cortinas for us to convert although they were very scarce at the time. He approved of the Savage because it put Fords into the hands of a different class of user – older people, quite well-off, who bought them as fun cars.[11]

The most obvious feature of the Cortina Mk3 Savage is the optional fiberglass bonnet. Many other options were also available, such as Mati headers and power pipes, Dunlop wheels, adjustable shocks, and various brake upgrades.[14]

Along with the Cortina Mk3 Savage, there was also the less well-known Cheetah version. This used the 2.5 L version of the Essex V6 and was a cheaper option.[15][16] It was also possible in 1978 for the home mechanic to buy a complete installation kit (minus engine) for the 2.5 L or the 3.0 L for £315 and install the engine themselves.

The cost of a new Cortina MK3 Savage in the early 70s would start at around £2,000 and then rise accordingly depending on the extras added.[14]

In total it is thought around 1,100 Savages[17] were produced with between 50 and 100 being the Cortina MK3 versions.

There are only three surviving Cortina MK3 Savages known to Cortina Mark Three Club,[18] of which two are on the road.

Corgi made a 1:43 model version of the Mk4 Savage, ref CIVA11912.[19]