Hall of Fame gets some Green
Recognizing those for their service to South African sport and honouring achievers, the SA Hall of Fame, added Basil Green's name to the list of South Africans that have excelled locally and internationally.
Famed for his Ford-based creations, Basil Green is responsible for the Perana Cortina, Capri, Escort and Granada which dominated race tracks and local roads. The Perana variants quickly became popular and the modifications were not only approved by Ford, but the vehicles were also officially sold through dealership networks. The Ford Capri was introduced in 1969 with the top-performing derivative fitted with a V4 engine, Basil and his team quickly got to work and fitted the Capri with 3.0-litre V6 and sent it to Ford for evaluation and approval.
The result Being that Ford liked it so much, the put it into production and made it available globally. Once again Green and his team looked at how they could further improve the performance and ended up changing the gearbox, suspension, brakes, wheels, tyres and fitted a lightweight Mustang V8 engine. It proved so capable; the Capri Perana V8 not only competed in the Group 5-specification race series but dominated it winning 13 out of 14 races at the hands of Bobby Olthoff. There were a mere 500 units of the road-going version produced which was able to achieve 100km/h from a stationary position in a mere 6.7 seconds and reach speeds of 228.4km/h, this all came at the price of R4 450 including a full factory warranty.
The induction of the 82-year-old took place during the Concours South Africa event that took place at Steyn City from 30 August to 1 September 2019. “It is a great honour to receive such an accolade. It’s difficult to put into words what this means to me, particularly when one considers previous recipients such as former President Nelson Mandela. I am truly humbled and grateful to everyone who made this possible, and also to the many people that played a role in our success over the years,” Basil Green
“Basil Green created the era-defining fast Fords that were unbeatable on the track and unmatched on the road, combined with such engineering excellence and dedication to detail that various evolutions of the Perana Cortina, Capri, Escort and Granada were not only approved by Ford but were officially sold through the countrywide dealer network. Many of his modifications to standard cars were world-firsts, and Ford even incorporated some of his developments in the production model local line-up,” Neale Hill, MD of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.
“Along with the road cars, Basil Green’s exploits in the motorsport arena were truly exceptional and came to define the period, with his multiple championship-winning Capri Perana V8 being the most memorable. On behalf of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, we congratulate Basil on his induction into the SA Hall of Fame and commend him for raising the bar in the automotive, aftermarket and motorsport sectors over many years. He has been an exceptional ambassador for Ford, having played a significant role in building the industry we know today. He was instrumental in lifting the profile of Ford through his Perana cars, in racing, and as a Ford dealer, and helped create a loyal and proud following for Ford that continues today,” Neale Hill, MD of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.
