South African racing legend Willie Hepburn has passed away. The Durban-born Edenvale resident raced well into his 70s and is well-known throughout South African racing circles. He raced for over 55 years, competing in a few dozen racecars along the way.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

An Early Start

Hepburn’s racing career began in the 1960s, when he was in his early 20s. He raced oval track as well as competing in drag racing events. He was an adept mechanic and always built his own race cars. “I never went racing thinking I was a superb driver, but I knew I could make cars go really well – for me, that still is the challenge of racing. That is why I never raced for a factory team – I could never race a car without preparing it myself,” he said in an interview with The Citizen a few years ago.

A Long Track Rekord

Hepburn was often referred to as ‘Hepcat’ by fans and commentators. Over the years he competed in a variety of cars in various categories. Early exploits included standard Mazdas and Fords. It was in a modified Mazda RX-7 and later the outrageous Ford Sierra of the late ’80s that cemented him as a racing legend. The XR8 was dubbed ‘The Animal’ and netted him countless race wins and several national titles. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Motorsport South Africa in 2014.

However, it is his trusty, red-and-white Opel Rekord that most people will recall. Oom Willie, as fellow racers called him, built the Rekord in 1989 and the car raced until Hepburn hung up his helmet a few years ago. It featured a wide body with large rear wing, a V8 engine and absolutely no driver aids, not even power-assisted steering. Hepburn towed the car to all events himself, even in his advanced years.

Speedy Willie

Hepburn also set a South African land speed record in 1990. He drove a Pontiac Trans-Am powered by a twin-turbocharged 7,0-litre to a speed of 372,401 km/h. Incredibly, that car was road-legal. Although the record-setting run was completed on a closed-off section of highway. It remains the highest speed ever recorded by a road legal car in South Africa.