‘Bokkie bakkie’ still a sight to behold
Influenced by the famous green and gold kit worn by South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, Ford set about replicating the striking two-tone combination on the Cortina.
A few years after the first Cortina bakkie was launched in South Africa in 1971, Ford released a limited edition of the Cortina MK3 bakkie, badged the Cortina Springbok edition.
This unique vehicle, designed to commemorate the All Blacks rugby tour to South Africa, started a trend for the many iconic nameplates that would later arrive in Ford’s 96-year history in the country.
This special bakkie received a tribute during Heritage Month.
Influenced by the famous green and gold kit worn by South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, Ford set about replicating the striking two-tone combination on the Cortina that was produced at Ford’s vehicle assembly plant in Port Elizabeth at the time.
Ford then sealed the vehicle’s exclusivity by limiting production between Cortina bakkies (or pickups) and Cortina sedans.
Among the South African population, the Cortina bakkie was affectionately given the nickname ‘bokkie bakkie’.
Painted in that resplendent green and contrasted with gold paint – most evident on the wheels and roof – the Cortina Springbok is still a sight to behold on the road, especially among rugby fans, although not everyone might grasp how rare a sighting it is.
Many interested onlookers initially surmise that they’re looking at a MK3 Cortina with a custom paint job, rather than an authentic and serialised Ford model from the 1970s.
The Cortina bakkie is widely considered the genesis of the South African bakkie.
It’s believed that, technically, the term bakkie stems from the colloquial term bak, which loosely translates to bowl or container.
Scanning through 1970s motoring publications reveal that it wasn’t until the Ford Cortina pickup’s production was in full swing that South Africans started using the term bakkie for any light utility vehicle.
Did the Cortina bakkie start the trend?
It’s difficult to say for sure, but the word ‘bakkie’ has become an intrinsic part of South African culture and has been used as the generic term for all pickup models ever since, including the current Ford Ranger.
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