If you've ventured into the Bo-Kaap from Wale Street you would've seen this eye-catching blue Ford Cortina on the left, parked outside green and pink houses. This is easily the most photographed car in Cape Town- it's even been printed on a RipCurl tee. Tourists and locals alike can be seen strutting their best poses around this car on any given day.
Mikki's Ride belongs to 27 year old Mikhail Abrahams who has been living in the equally iconic Bo-Kaap for over 20 years. One could say iconic runs in his blood. He is a laid-back panel beater by trade who bought this car about 5 years ago. Back then it was a green old car that Mikki has transformed into the iconic ride that it is today. He invested about R35k to get it looking as stylish at it is and says he isn't really sure how it became this popular because he didn't consciously plan for the car to be a tourist attraction in its own right. He doesn't charge for photos and was more than happy to meet with us to do a little feature. Cars come with sentiment in his family; his father also loves cars and they're currently working on a MKII Escort and a Capri. They're clearly into their Fords. We can't wait to see how those turn out...
For the technical lovers this is a 1970's MKII 1600 Ford Cortina. The interior of the car is in great condition considering it's age and it's simplicity is special. Mikhail has spent good time and money making it look like a GT. It has an aftermarket exhaust, the black GT stripes and has been lowered. He is currently in the process of getting a GT badge and a few other bits and bobs to get it looking and going the way he envisions.
In the 70's the Ford Cortina was the UK's best selling car. The cars name was inspired by the name of the Italian ski resort Cortina d'Ampezzo, site of the 1956 Winter Olympics. Several Cortinas were driven down the Cortina Olympic bobsled run at the resort, a publicity stunt which Ford called "Cortina Auto-Bobbing". It seems the Cortina has been a head turner since its conception...
The Cortina has it's own special reputation in South Africa and has become quite the collectors car over the years. Many keep them as passion projects and we love sharing the stories that go with it. If you have an iconic ride and/or story, reach out and let's share some memories and history...
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