This article on Kelly’s Ford Capri was originally published in the March 2018 issue of Street Machine magazine

“I HAVE owned four Capris. Three were V6 3000GTs, but around the mid-90s I heard of the unicorn of Ford Capris: the South African-built V8 Perana.

Only about 500 were built with a Windsor 302 motor, Top Loader gearbox and a BorgWarner diff from the Mustangs of the early 70s. Ford South Africa endorsed Basil Green Ford to build a small number of Peranas to sell to the public, which then allowed them to race and dominate the South African racing scene.

I dreamt of owning one, and to my surprise one appeared for sale here in Australia in 2014, not too far from where I lived. It was imported into the country in 2005 and was destined to be a road-rally tarmac car.

I purchased it as an incomplete project and set about converting it to a road-going muscle car. It is a very tough street car with all the right stuff in all the right places, and all matching numbers.

I absolutely love driving it, and the reaction it gets in the streets is awesome. Future plans are to take it to hillclimb events and other selected automotive events. I look forward to enjoying the car the way it was intended to be used: driven hard and fast.”