Wogmidget

By the early 1970s, the state of Cold War between the US and Soviet Russia had cemented itself firmly as the geopolitical status quo, and although détente between the two powers had improved relations, the East/West divide was still very much in place; this was immediately visible in the stark contrast of vehicles gracing the roads of each political sphere.

In 1982, Ford introduced its global replacement for the Cortina, a sleek hatch dubbed Sierra. Whilst the range of drivetrains was familiar, the Sierra was built on an all-new platform, and its avant-garde styling was in direct contrast to its boxy predecessor. For many, however, the styling was a case of too much, too soon, and so Ford’s South African division decided that the best way to promote the new model would be to take it racing, specifically in the local version of the FIA’s Group A touring car formula, known rather confusingly as Group 1.

One of the things Australian ad man Allan Purvis had brought back with him from a holiday to Britain, among the trinkets and photos, was the rights to license build a car. The car in question was a cartoonish, Volkswagen Beetle-based sports car called the ADD Nova.