The not often informed story of the best South African sports activities automobile begins with native powerboat champion, Peter Lindenberg. One day within the 2003, he and world-renowned Port Elizabeth-based sports car builder, Jimmy Price, got here collectively to fulfil a lifelong dream. Ever since they might keep in mind, each of them wished to construct the ‘greatest South African sports car’ and at last put this country’s car builders on the map.

Jimmy Price was revered the world over for constructing the chassis and our bodies for the Noble N400 and Shelby Legendary vehicles (used within the Ford v Ferrari film). And he at all times believed there was no motive the best South African sports activities automobile couldn’t grow to be a actuality. His manufacturing facility within the Eastern Cape, Hi-Tech Automotive, had the {hardware}, manpower and engineering knowhow. All it wanted was the cash and the precise automobile. Between Price, Lindenberg and pioneering Ford dealership owner Colin Lazarus, they shaped the Perana Performance Group (PPG). And determined to revive the Perana identify in homage to the legendary vehicles of Basil Green. The automobile itself could be known as the Z-One.

GREATEST SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS CAR EVER

The solely factor lacking of their masterplan was a top-notch car design. However, again in 2003, Price was constructing vehicles for Noble. And he recurrently visited the UK on enterprise. At the time, TVR and MG Rover had come collectively below a banner known as the Phoenix Consortium. While the enterprise finally folded, it did bear fruit for Price who was launched to former Maserati technical director, Giordano Casarini. The Italian wished to rekindle the well-known, however lengthy dormant, De Tomaso marque with a bespoke V8 sports car. The automobile Casarini described was an ‘Italian TVR,’ and he wished Price to construct it for him. That challenge by no means materialised both. However, it did forge Price’s relationship with Casarini and grant him entry to the best coach-builders in Italy.

One of which was Zagato of Arese, Northern Italy. So, when the time got here to design the best South African sports activities automobile ever, who higher to rent than Zagato!? Price contacted Casarini and the timing couldn’t have been higher. Zagato was in search of a brand new challenge. Of course, Price made it clear that PPG couldn’t afford to pay full value. In 2003, as it’s now, the South African Rand was not robust towards the Euro. And so, absolutely conscious they weren’t going to make any cash off the small Perana challenge, Zagato set to work designing the Z-One. Price, Lazarus and Lindenberg obtained their affairs so as and traveled to Arese, Italy, to assist craft the best South African sports activities automobile.

CORVETTE UNDERPINNINGS

Everyone was in settlement the Z-One needs to be tailor-made across the mechanicals of a Chevrolet Corvette C6 of the time. That meant utilizing the all-aluminium LS3 6.2-litre V8, good for 325 kW. The group met with Zagato’s chief designer, Norihiko Harada. Within simply 5 days (presumably all of the South African Rands may afford) Harada got here up with a design for the Z-One. It was a particular, head-turning GT sports activities automobile, with a pronounced bonnet and svelte coupe silhouette. It was completed off with a squat, large and muscly rear finish. The chassis itself was designed and inbuilt Port Elizabeth at Hi-Tech by Price. Moreover, the whole automobile, hefty V8 and all, weighed simply 1 195 kg. It was mild, quick and nimble: zero to 100 km/h in lower than 4.0 seconds and a high pace of 300 km/h.

At the time, the PPG consortium foisted huge cash into the challenge. And the primary growth vehicles have been constructed for testing. Just 18-months later, the Perana Z-One idea automobile was loaded onto an airplane and airfreighted to Switzerland for its world debut on the Geneva Motor Show in 2009. Peter Lindenberg recounts his expertise manning the stand on the motor present. “Everyone thought we were just a bunch of clowns from South Africa. But after we uncovered the car for the first time, there was total bedlam. Media swarmed the stand, and top brass from the likes of Bentley, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche and Ferrari all wanted to get close to the car. The sentiment was utter disbelief,” explains Lindenberg.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

Perana deliberate to construct 999 vehicles (Zagato additionally had a fixation with the quantity 9, usually limiting manufacturing runs to 99 or 999). The retail value was pegged at $70 000 or roughly R1.9 million in right now’s cash. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding the best South African sports activities automobile couldn’t have been worse. The worldwide recession of 2009 put the skids on the challenge and demand for nice-to-have, limited-run, coach-built sports activities vehicles dried up. Price constructed simply eight Z-Ones ultimately, earlier than the challenge was deserted. However, British agency, AC Cars, got here to the rescue. It purchased up the whole lot and rebranding the automobile an AC 378 GT Zagato (as pictured). Even then, solely 15 extra automobiles have been produced by Price.

The historical past books – for now – would possibly take into account the Perana Z-One a failure. That’s simply the best way it goes with ardour initiatives generally. But had the automobile been conceived just a few years earlier on the peak of area of interest sports activities vehicles growth, who is aware of … Perhaps the best South Africa sports activities automobile would have been one everyone knows about and revere. Nevertheless, to this present day, it stays the one sports activities automobile absolutely conceived, engineered and inbuilt South Africa that graced a global motor present. And we reckon that’s one thing to be mighty pleased with.

THE FIGURES

• Perana Z-One/AC 378 GT Zagato
• Engine: 6 198 cc V8 petrol
• Power: 325 kW @ 4 000 rpm, 583 Nm @ 1 750 rpm
• Performance: 0-100km/h 3.9 sec (claimed), high pace 300 km/h
• Transmission: 6-speed guide, rear-wheel drive
• Price: Last offered at public sale for R2 450 000 (in 2017)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS RARE SPORTS CAR?

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