Automotive history is peppered with South African unicorns that were locally developed and have rarely seen the light of day in other markets. These homegrown heroes represent a fascinating chapter in our motoring heritage, where local engineers – often working in secret – pushed the boundaries of what was possible. In fact, since late last year, our Kry jou ry series has spanned Part I and Part II already. If you’re only joining us now, click on the highlighted links above to catch up …
SOUTH AFRICAN UNICORNS
And there’s perfectly good reason for that. Because lovers of South African unicorns keep writing in and commenting on our social media with brilliant suggestions. So, it turns out there aren’t just five or ten automotive South African unicorns we can be proud of. There’s even more. Now, don’t forget to buckle up because here’s the next batch …
DATSUN 160Z
Let’s keep the South African unicorns galopping with the treasured Datsun 160Z. When Datsun South Africa couldn’t import the legendary 240Z, they decided instead to create something special. It all hinged on the locally built carb-fed 1600 SSS engine. They then squeezed it into the sleek(ish) Z-car body. The result was a uniquely South African sports coupe that produced 89 kW and 167 Nm of torque. While modest by today’s standards, the naturally aspirated engine was a ‘talker’ and the zero to 100 km/h sprint in 9.0 seconds was mighy impressive for 1974.
BMW (E23) 745I
The BMW (E23) 745i represents one of the more fascinating South African unicorns. BMW South Africa was somewhat hamstrung by low-grade fuel quality back in the day. So, the firm took to fitting the naturally aspirated 3.5-litre M88 engine from the M1 supercar into the new 7 Series. A magnificent machine producing 213 kW and 340 Nm of torque resulted. It summarily began to dominate local race tracks, too. The South African-only 745i could rocket to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds and top out at 240 km/h. Only 209 of these special cars were ever built between 1984 and 1987.
FIAT 131 RACING
The Fiat 131 Racing might be less well known, but it’s no less special and impressive a performance car. This hot hatch developed specifically for South Africa in 1984 featured a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 93 kW and 192 Nm of torque. The little pocket rocket could sprint to 100 km/h in less than 9.0 seconds and top out just shy of 195 km/h. While rare, its distinctive paint schemes made it instantly recognisable as a South African unicorn.
MAZDA 323 200I
Who could forget the Mazda 323 200i? Well, we did actually, sorry about that. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that Mazda 323 doesn’t exactly spring to mind when you think performance car. However, this local-is-lekker legend was developed to compete in Group N racing. Mazda ditched the 323’s original engine for a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre producing 96 kW and 181 Nm of torque. The result was a giant-killer that could reach 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and nearly attain the magical 200 km/h. Good luck even finding this slice of South African automotive folklore.
DATSUN 2.8 GTX
Finally, the daddy, the meneer, the Datsun 2.8 GTX. This was one of those South African unicorns that really proved local ingenuity. Created in 1981, this beast combined the Skyline body with a rorty and raucous 2.8-litre straight-six engine producing 100 kW and 225 Nm of torque. Being rear-wheel drive meant it could drift and skid on command. Plus, its sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and top speed beyond 200 km/h was mighty impressive during a time of international isolation.
DID WE LEAVE ANY GREAT SOUTH AFRICAN CARS OUT?
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