Corgi Vanguard VA11912 - Ford Cortina Mk4 3.0 Savage, Strato Silver

Engineer and racer Jeff Uren came to prominence after winning the 1959 British Saloon Car Championship at the wheel of a Ford Zephyr Mk2. He remained loyal to Ford and established the 'Savage' brand, which offered well engineered conversions of Mk2 and 3 Cortinas fitted with the 3-litre 'Essex' V6 engine used in Capris and Granadas. In the late 1970s he relocated his business to Ashburton, Devon, and created at least one Mk4 Cortina Savage, modelled here, for a customer. The car was tested for the August 18th, 1979 edition of Autocar by well known engineer and race driver John Miles who had previously worked with Uren as a development engineer. This car started life as a 2.3S and, for a cost of £2,110, was fitted with a 170bhp 3-litre 'Essex' V6, Capri gearbox, uprated springs, dampers and brakes plus Minilite wheels wearing Goodyear 205/60VR14 tyres. A large-bore free-flow exhaust was also fitted and this was criticised by Miles who felt it objectionably loud for a 4-door family car. He also felt the suspension was too stiff, creating an unpleasant ride and poor handling on uneven surfaces. However the car's performance impressed him, with 0-100mph being achieved in 25 seconds, 0-60 in 7.9 seconds and a standing quarter mile time of 16.2 seconds at 86mph. Sadly, it is believed this car no longer exists and that it may have been the only Mk4 Savage built.