South African racing legend Willie Hepburn passes away aged 82

23 October 2024 - 11:59 By Motoring Staff
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Willie Hepburn at the wheel of his trusty V8-powered Opel Rekord.
Willie Hepburn at the wheel of his trusty V8-powered Opel Rekord.
Image: Supplied

South African motorsport legend Willie Hepburn has passed away at the age of 82.

The Durban-born, Edenvale-based racing driver began his illustrious career in 1965 when, aged 23, he entered his private Austin 1000 road car into an event at Midrand's Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. He missed qualifying, started 36th on the grid and won the race. 

With the motorsport bug truly bitten, Hepburn soon traded his machinery and starting competing in events including drag and oval track racing. A trained mechanic, the racer built and worked on all his cars himself, a strength he put to practice in the late 1970s when he competed in tuned rotary-powered Mazda RX2 and Capella models.

The relationship with the Japanese brand continued into the 1980s when he campaigned a RX-7 in South Africa's then popular and hotly contested Group 1 race series. Conquering the likes of BMW and Alfa Romeo, Hepburn took the title in 1984. 

Graduating to the top-tier WesBank Modified Saloon Car class in 1988, Hepburn became a firm crowd favourite behind the wheel of a particularly rambunctious V8-engined Ford Sierra XR8 affectionately known as the "Animal". Thereafter he forged a relationship with Opel, and in the 1990s commandeered a red-and-white V8-engined Opel Rekord in the same series as well as an Opel Kadett Superboss in the ultra-competitive Group N series. 

During this decade Hepburn also turned his talents to setting an overall South African Land Speed Record in his 7.0l twin-turbocharged Pontiac TransAm. Achieved across a section of the N3 highway near Villiers, and on standard road tyres, he clocked an incredible 372km/h. This remains the highest speed recorded by a road-legal car in South Africa.

Willie Hepburn and his Opel Rekord remained a force to be reckoned with on track or at the Simola Hillclimb.
Willie Hepburn and his Opel Rekord remained a force to be reckoned with on track or at the Simola Hillclimb.
Image: Supplied

Still addicted to the thrill of the chase, the veteran campaigner continued racing well into the next millennium, conducting title chases in the Wesbank V8 Supercars series. He finished third overall in 2008 at the age of 66.

Though no longer competing on a full-time basis, Hepburn steered his bright orange Corvette V8 to victory at a race event held at Cape Town's Killarney Raceway in 2013. Aged 71, Hepburn's feat went down in the record books as the oldest person to win a national championship race in South Africa.

After being awarded with Motorsport South Africa's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, Hepburn focussed his attention on the burgeoning historic racing scene, where he ran his trusty Opel Rekord in different classes with much success.

He also became a regular at the Simola Hillclimb, scooping the Spirit of Dave Charlton trophy in 2018, a coveted award honouring attention to detail, meticulous preparation and commendable performance.

His enthusiastic, hands-on approach, willingness to help rival competitors and undeniable skill behind the wheel made Hepburn an icon of a South African motorsport generation. 


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