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South African Howler: 1978 Ford Granada Perana Ghia, One Of Eighteen!


South African Howler: 1978 Ford Granada Perana Ghia, One Of Eighteen!

The South African manufacturing scene might seem like European parts toned for local flavor to an outsider. Vauxhalls and European Fords were present and mostly left alone. Mostly. There are a few notable exceptions to every rule, isn’t there? What was the Vauxhall Viva most anywhere else became the Chevrolet Firenza Can-Am, a monster that used Chevrolet’s 302ci V8…yeah, the one you know from the 1969 Z/28. What was an otherwise dowdy little Euro-coupe that made do with a 2.3L four cylinder and had interesting lines became just about ungodly, roaring like a Trans Am racer for anyone who had the nuts to step on the throttle in an overpowered car that might have weighed in at just over a ton.

Ford was no slouch either…actually, back up and try again. A Ford dealership was no slouch. Basil Green Motors popped up on Ford’s radar after their cars started kicking ass in local races. Think of Basil Green Motors as an analogy to a Royal Bobcat, a Yenko Chevrolet or Grand Spaulding Dodge…they’d build what the factory didn’t and they’d go raise hell with their creation. Cortinas, Escorts, they’d modify it. They’re most infamous for the Capri Perana, a 302 Windsor-swapped Capri that moved with authority and barked like an angry, hungry dog.

The Granada was also touched by Basil Green, resulting in the Granada Perana, but most of those cars are the Mk1 (1973-77) generation. Oil price shock pretty much put the nail in the coffin of hot rods in South Africa about 1978, but apparently Basil Green managed to crank out at least eighteen Mk2 Granada Peranas before toning it down a bit. Meet one of a reported four that managed to get into private hands. What can we say? It looks like a winner from our perspective.

Car & Classic Link: 1978 Ford Granada Perana Ghia


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3 thoughts on “South African Howler: 1978 Ford Granada Perana Ghia, One Of Eighteen!

    1. Stefan

      Sorry, but that’s not a Falcon. The styling looks almost similar, but it’s a completely different car. Compare the external dimensions of both, the Falcon is bigger overall.

  1. Henrik

    This is what a ford Granada looked like here in Europe in the 70s. But you could only have a 2,0 Four or 2,3 – 2,8 V6. That of course was no street machine. But i did not matter as they were known for rusting out in a matter of 5 years. They were Big heavy grandpar cars with lousy fuel economy, a nasty habbit of overheating and trowing head gaskets. I had several smaller ford taunus and capri as a kid. But never really loved any of them.

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