A beloved figure in South African motorsport, Willie Hepburn, has passed away at the age of 82. Hepburn’s death was of natural causes and occurred at his home in Bedfordview, Johannesburg. His passing marks the end of an era for motorsport in South Africa.
Born in Johannesburg in 1942, Hepburn devoted more than half a century to his passion for racing, initiating his career early on as an apprentice mechanic at Basil Green Motors in 1958. It was here that his career in motorsport took root, fostering a keen interest and skill for modifying vehicles for racing. Basil Green Motors, a well-known car tuning company, provided the fertile ground for Hepburn to nurture his talents.
He was a trailblazer early in his career. By 1965, Hepburn had famously created his own racing car, the “Mortina,” which combined the body of a Morris 1000 with a 1500 cc Cortina engine. The Mortina quickly garnered attention due to its performance, capturing class victories at venues like the Wembley Hotrod track and Kyalami club races. This ingenuity defined his career, earning him a reputation as an exceptional car builder who excelled at making vehicles outperform their expected capabilities.
In the late 1960s, he shifted his focus to drag racing, driving a V8 Chevy II. His aptitude for speed was undeniably clear by 1971 when he set a landmark record at the Kyalami Top Speed Runs, reaching 145 mph in a 1967 Chevrolet truck.
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Throughout the 1970s, Hepburn continued, winning numerous races with Mazda RX-2 and Capella models. In 1979, he engineered a powerful Opel Rekord V8 for the Manufacturers’ championship. His dedication bore fruit when he won the national title in 1982, driving a Chevrolet SS in the Star Modified Saloon Car Championship, followed by a Group One title in 1984 with a Mazda RX-7.
Hepburn’s relationship with Opel starting in the late 1980s further cemented his status in the racing community. In 1989, he began constructing and racing V8-engined Opel Rekords. Hepburn also set a remarkable national land speed record in 1990, reaching 372 km/h in a twin-turbocharged, 7.0-liter Pontiac Trans-Am—a record that remains unbeaten in South Africa.
Remarkably, Hepburn’s career extended long past the conventional retirement age. Although he planned to retire in 2007, his love for the sport led him to continue racing a Chevrolet Corvette, affectionately known as the “Flying Naartjie,” until 2013. His unyielding dedication was evident when he won a national championship race in Killarney, making him the oldest person to achieve this milestone in South Africa. A severe crash in 2014 didn’t deter him; his desire to compete and his enthusiasm for racing remained steadfast.
Hepburn was awarded the Motorsport South Africa’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
