[1][2][3][4] Uren started out as a tuner and race driver, winning the 1959 British Saloon Car Champion as a privateer driving a Ford Zephyr Mark 2.

The highest output engine offered in a factory car was a 218 bhp (162.6 kW) version based on the Weslake 190 with Tecalemit fuel-injection and a "Mati" exhaust system from Perkins Commercial Services.

The strut attachment points were reinforced, and the front suspension geometry was changed to add negative camber.

Other changes included fitting 5.5 in (140 mm) Lotus-Cortina road wheels shod with Goodyear G800 radial ply tyres, anti-fade brake pads and linings and, on the interior, a leather-wrapped alloy spoke steering wheel, a wooden shift knob, a dead pedal, Contour racing-style front seats, and a speedometer calibrated to 140 mph (225 km/h).

[7][9] A distinctive optional feature offered on the Mk3 Cortina Savage was a custom fibreglass bonnet made by Specialised Mouldings.

Other options included Mati headers and power pipes, Dunlop wheels, adjustable monotube dampers, and various brake upgrades.

[20] In 1967, pricing for the Mk2 Cortina Savage started at £1365, with options such as magnesium wheels, Cox GT3 seats and inertia-reel belts, and a Weathershields sliding roof adding £90, £35, and just over £41 respectively.

Uren is believed to have built a total of 1,700 vehicles, including the Cortina Savage and other models such as the Escort-based Navajo and Apache, and the Capri-based Comanche and Stampede.

A review of the Mk2 in the August 1967 issue of Autocar magazine stated[18] it really does hitch its skirts and get moving in the open roads in a manner that will leave practically everything else standing while Motor Sport magazine stated[26] The outstanding feature of the Savage is how enjoyable, yet effortless, it is to drive The Mk3 was reviewed by Motor, who called it the[7] absolute ultimate in hot Cortinas