Cortina Savage

Lore & Background

Jeff Uren began as a tuner and race driver, winning the 1959 British Saloon Car Champion as a privateer driving a Ford Zephyr Mark 2. He later managed the Ford Works team before joining John Willment's race team. The first racing win ever by a Cortina was taken by a Willment Cortina Mk1 that came from the back of the pack to win its debut outing. Uren was involved with the development of Willment's 'Super Sprint' and 'Sprint GT' Mk1 Cortinas, and his own company continued to produce the Sprint GT after Willment's departure. In 1967 Uren established Race Proved Performance and Racing Equipment Ltd.; by the early 1970s most advertising referred to Jeff Uren Ltd.

Original development of the Cortina Savage was done based on Mk1 Cortinas, though some sources claim as many as six Mk1 Savages were built, and that some still exist; their provenance and engine types are unconfirmed. The first car generally recognised as having received the 'Savage' treatment was the Mk2 Cortina. Conversions of Mk3s, Mk4s and even a one-off Mk5 followed. A Cortina Savage could be had as a two-door or four-door saloon, or an estate car. For twenty years, starting in 1971 and ending in 1991, a Cortina Savage was Uren's personal vehicle; this car was one of two reported estate conversions and one of the few with an automatic transmission.

To accommodate the V6 engine, changes included a larger radiator, thermostatically controlled fan, shorter coil springs, adjusted spring rates and damper settings, reinforced strut attachment points, front suspension geometry altered for negative camber, and a front anti-roll bar. Power went to the rear axle through a 4-speed manual or optional automatic, with a Powr-Lok limited-slip differential (3.77:1 ratio) and strengthened axles. An extra 8 impgal fuel tank was mounted in the boot. Other fittings included 5.5 in Lotus-Cortina road wheels with Goodyear G800 radial tyres, anti-fade brake pads and linings, a leather-wrapped alloy spoke steering wheel, wooden shift knob, dead pedal, Contour racing seats, and a 140 mph speedometer. Exterior V6 badging and a side stripe were added. A distinctive optional feature on the Mk3 was a custom fibreglass bonnet by Specialised Mouldings.

Reader's Guide

The Cortina Savage represents a significant chapter in British performance car conversions, bridging the gap between factory hot hatches and bespoke tuner cars. Jeff Uren's background as a champion driver and Ford works team manager lent credibility to the project, and the car's ability to match a Jaguar E-Type V12 in acceleration (as shown by the 1972 comparison test of the SS PI model) demonstrated its potency. The conversion was applied across multiple Cortina generations, with the Mk2 being the most numerous, and production is estimated at 1,000–1,100 Savages out of Uren's total of 1,700 vehicles (including other models like the Escort-based Navajo and Apache, and the Capri-based Comanche and Stampede). The car's legacy is preserved by surviving examples—five Mk3 Savages are known to the Cortina Mark Three Club, two still on the road—and by its appearance in motorsport, such as the 1968 Daily Express London-Sydney Marathon and the 1970 Daily Mirror World Cup Rally 40. The availability of a home-installation kit in 1978 also allowed enthusiasts to build their own Essex V6-powered Cortinas, extending the model's influence beyond the factory conversions.

Did You Know?

• The Cortina Savage SS PI could accelerate 0–60 mph as quickly as a Jaguar E-Type V12.
• Jeff Uren used a Cortina Savage estate with automatic transmission as his personal car for twenty years (1971–1991).
• A 1:43 scale model of a Mk4 Cortina Savage in gold with a vinyl roof was produced by Corgi Toys.
• The company also offered a Cortina Cheetah model using the 2.5 L Essex V6.