On your Bakkie

Reading the Cortina bakkie story in your June edition brought back some good memories regarding these fine vehicles. The picture enclosed is of a 1981 3- litre Essex V6 auto that has only

done 81,000 km since new. It belongs to a friend Keith Butler- Wheelhouse who lives in England and comes to South Africa for your winters.

In the article it says that the one van came with a 2.3- litre Essex motor. This cannot be as Ford South Africa only built these vehicles with the 1.6 Kent and Essex 2- litre V4 and V6 in 2.5, 3- litre and 3.4- litre versions. Another thing to note is that Ford only ever used Donaldson Air cleaners on all Bakkies — never the car air cleaners.

Basil Green is a friend of mine and I have asked him if they ever built any V8 Cortina saloon or Bakkies. He says there were a few Bakkies done as special orders, so the van in the article could be one of them.

Andrew Cave Port Elizabeth, South Africa