Ford Cortina at 60: celebrating a family favourite

By Andrew Roberts

| 8 Nov 2022

Classic & Sports Car – Ford Cortina at 60: celebrating a family favourite

On 20 September 1962, the Blue Oval unveiled a new model designed to bridge the gap between the Anglia 105E and the Classic.

The original plan was to use ‘Consul 225’ badging but, just before its debut, management decided to name the new car after the host resort for the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Within just a few years, ‘Cortina’ would be less associated with Italian ski resorts and more with commercial travellers, luncheon vouchers and the driveways of Wimpey-built semi-detached villas across the UK as it came to define a market sector.

Ford’s five-year plan to promote the marque in British motorsport led to the creation of the Lotus-engineered Cortina

With help from the magicians at Lotus, it swiftly became a legend on track, too.

Looking at Brian Harvey’s 1964 Lotus Cortina, it is impossible not to immediately conjure images of Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and John Whitmore three-wheeling the circuits of Britain.

A Ford Cortina powered by a twin-cam, 1558cc version of the ‘Kent’ engine was as remote from the average Dagenham output as Billy Fury was from Max Bygraves, but such a model could only add lustre to the range.

Ambitious drivers could contemplate applying a green side stripe and ‘ACBC’ badges to their modest 1200 Standard, complete with column gearchange.

As standard, 105bhp was available from the Lotus Cortina’s potent twin-cam ‘four’

In the early ’60s, Ford’s Dearborn head office tasked PR guru Walter Hayes with developing a programme to promote the brand in British motorsport over the following five years.

At the same time, Lotus suffered a combination of cash-flow and capacity problems, so in summer 1962, Dagenham sent a grey De Luxe to Cheshunt as a development car.

The resulting ‘Consul Cortina developed by Lotus’ was shown to the press on 23 January 1963.

On 5 September, the RAC issued the car’s homologation papers.

Matching the iconic livery, the Cortina’s Cosmic alloys give the car even more personality

Before autumn 1964, all models were Consul Cortinas – hence the slightly incongruous bonnet badge on Harvey’s car.

He came by CNO 510B in 1978, and it underwent extensive restoration between 1984 and ’96.

“It has the Lotus-designed rear suspension with an A-bracket,” he explains. “This was replaced by leaf springs from 1965.

“It also has various parts that were fitted for the pre-’65 saloon-car championships of the 1980s and ’90s, such as rate-adjustable shock absorbers, stiffer springs – height-adjustable at the rear – uprated suspension bushes, a strengthened rear-axle casing and competition-spec brake linings.”

The super-stylish interior is very evocative of the 1960s, fronted by a three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel in Lotus models

As a result, CNO is not the quietest of vehicles on the road.

“But the noise of the carburettors – and the engine as a whole – makes it all worthwhile,” enthuses Harvey.

“The Lotus Cortina is a car that more than lives up to all the hyperbole.”

At any rate, to quote the warnings from the Autocar road test, to use such a machine for domestic purposes was akin to: ‘Putting a spirited hunter into the shafts of a coal cart.’

Brian Harvey’s Lotus Cortina features a host of period-inspired upgrades

The Mk2 Cortina arrived on 18 October 1966, with Ford urging its dealerships to stage ‘Miss Cortina’ beauty pageants at their launch parties, accompanied by a swinging promotional disc, New Cortina, blaring from speakers in a demonstrator’s boot.

Despite PR events that belonged in a Leslie Phillips comedy film, the second-generation version became the UK’s most popular car in 1967, outselling BMC’s ADO16.

That year also hosted the debut of a rather special variant, the 1600E.

A new clean shape neatly updated Ford’s three-box Cortina

Dagenham had previously created ‘Executive’ versions of the Zodiac and Corsair, but the new 1600E attracted far more attention.

On paper, it was a neat blend of the GT engine, Lotus suspension and a long list of standard fittings.

In reality, here was the perfect vehicle for a junior insurance broker who was going places, and whose sartorial role model was private eye McGill (Richard Bradford) in Man in a Suitcase.

The ‘E’ felt less middle-aged than its Rootes rival, the Arrow-series Humber Sceptre, and made BMC’s MG Magnette look antediluvian.

‘E’ meant extra kit for the popular 1600E variant of 1967

Motor Sport grumbled that the wood-veneered fascia ‘diminishes the prestige such decor should have when applied to large, sedate, expensive cars’, but such concerns did not prevent Ford from selling 57,524 1600Es in three years.

Dave Smith’s last-of-the-line Blue Mink example dates from 1970, and he came by it in 2019.

“It’s my first Mk2, and more than lived up to my expectations,” he says.

‘Blending the GT engine with a long list of luxury fittings, here was the ideal car for a junior insurance broker who was going places’

“For me, it is the combination of its sheer style and all the extras found in the 1600E. The Lotus suspension really does enhance the handling – put simply, Ford got it just right with this model,” continues Smith.

In 1968, an advertisement asked potential buyers: ‘Will your new car still excite you after the first week?’

Some 54 years later, VAE 555H attracts a crowd whenever Smith attends a car show: “People gather around the Cortina, and I can hear them muttering appreciatively!”

A sporty steering wheel adds to the Mk2 Ford Cortina’s classy cabin

The Cortina GXL has become a familiar symbol of modest 1970s excess, along with Hai Karate aftershave, The Goodies on BBC 2 and Jason King-style moustaches.

Anyone who owned a vehicle with door panels in the finest simulated wood available to humanity was clearly the sort of person who could also afford a colour television set and the latest line in Harry Fenton suits.

Ford unveiled the ‘Coke-bottle’ Mk3 at the 1970 London Motor Show, as a replacement for both the Mk2 Cortina and the Corsair.

Detroit-inspired lines took the Ford Cortina into the ’70s

Buyers could choose from no fewer than 35 different variants: 1.3-litre, 1.6-litre (in overhead-valve and overhead-cam forms) and 2-litre engines; two-door, four-door or estate bodies; and five trim levels.

By 1972 the Cortina was once again the UK’s best-selling model.

Roger Chinery’s 1971 example is a member of his Affordable Classics fleet of Dagenham products available for wedding and film hire.

A 2.8 V6 from a Ford Capri has replaced a 2.0 Pinto engine in Roger Chinery’s car

He first heard of this Mk3 in 1998: “I had a phone call from a lady in Hull who needed to sell ‘an old Ford’. All she knew was that it was a Cortina.

“So I drove all the way to Yorkshire and never expected it to be a GXL, let alone the rare two-door version.

“The interior was in very good condition, but the bodywork needed repair and I decided to change the colour from brown to Maize Yellow.

“Since then, I have modified her somewhat, adding a 2.8-litre engine from a Capri, plus a five-speed ’box and power steering.”

Ford’s Mk3 Cortina looks chic as a two-door

Early Mk3 Cortinas were plagued by gripes concerning suspension noise and vibration, but Chinery believes these complaints are rather exaggerated.

“The ride is a little bit harsh,” he concedes, “but the springs on the first cars gave the best feel. Later models are softer-sprung and feel more boat-like.”

In 1973, Ford replaced the GXL with the more understated 2000E, and YKH 129J is a reminder of the GXL’s baroque magnificence.

To encounter it in all its yellow glory is to be instantly reminded of the launch film’s casual sexism: ‘She only knows it’s easier to hear the nice things he says, in the new Cortina.’

The American influence continues on the inside of this classic Ford, with Thunderbird-style double-binnacle dash (left) and comfortable rear seats (right)

The Cortina Mk4, launched on 29 September 1976, blended much of the Mk3’s running gear with smartly understated new bodywork by Uwe Bahnsen.

There were rumours that Ford had plans for even more powerful versions, and a year later they came true when the ‘Cologne’ V6 engine became an option on the GL, the S and the Ghia.

By the late ’70s, many fleet managers were allocating upmarket smaller cars to senior staff rather than entry-level large saloons, and Dagenham believed the 2.3-litre V6 would appeal to drivers who wanted a bit more performance.

Spotlights and black accents on the Ford Cortina 2.3 S add to its sporty feel

Your friendly local dealer would enjoy pointing out the lack of an equivalent in the Vauxhall Cavalier, and how the neighbours might faint with envy upon seeing the ‘sports road wheels’ and halogen driving lamps.

As with the 2.0 S, the V6 was only available with a manual gearbox, and the bodywork certainly looked dynamic.

Unfortunately, the insurance costs were high and too few drivers felt moved to spend nearly £500 more than the price of the lowlier version.

Consequently, just 476 examples of the 2.3 S left the factory, and Simon Hoar believes his car is one of two survivors.

The Ford Cortina’s compact V6 came as either a 2.0- or 2.3-litre in the ‘S’ variant

When he came by ALY 331S in 2016, he decided to refurbish it to the highest standards and change the colour.

“It was Roman Bronze on leaving the factory, but yellow when I bought it,” he recalls.

Hoar decided to respray the Cortina in an official ‘S’ shade and chose Signal Amber, a distinctive hue available only in 1978.

The Cologne engine’s main strengths lie in its smoothness and refinement, but, while the 2.3 S did have the significant advantage of power steering as standard, the larger powerplant makes the Cortina somewhat tail-happy.

The Mk4 Cortina’s wild trim and vinyl roof are very of its time

Moreover, the V6 mill was probably better suited to the Ghia with its optional automatic transmission, rather than an overtly sporting version.

Nevertheless, this is clearly a vehicle that makes an impression wherever it goes: who could resist a Cortina with driving lamps and Orange Cadiz upholstery as standard?

Just two years into the Mk4’s career, Ford embarked on ‘Project Toni’, which was due for launch in 1982 as the Sierra.

Fewer than 500 2.3 S variants were produced

To maintain the Cortina’s profile in the interim, it launched the 80, aka the Mk5, on 24 August 1979.

It was a well-devised upgrade, with a new grille, a higher roofline, a larger glass area, a deeper front valance and improved equipment levels.

In 1982 it was augmented by the Crusader – a 1.3, 1.6 or 2.0 L with sports wheels, the GL’s centre console and seats, the Ghia’s wooden door cappings and a remote-control driver’s door mirror.

There was even ‘Ford’s own high-quality pushbutton radio’ to induce envy in other customers of the Little Chef on the A32.

A slimmer roof gives the Mk5 Ford Cortina Crusader a glassier look

From a fleet manager’s point of view, it looked smart, was rear-drive unlike the new second-generation Cavalier, and appeared more up-to-the-minute than the Morris Ital.

The Crusader proved so popular that Ford made more than 30,000 units before the last of 4,279,079 Cortinas left the production line on 22 July 1982.

The Sierra made its debut two months later, but sales of its predecessor remained strong, due in part to the vast stock of Mk5s – and to the conservatism of the great British motorist. Dealers could offer discounts of as much as 30%, so a Crusader might cost less than a Sierra 1.6 L.

The Crusader’s interior showcases Ford’s 1980s family feel

Leonard Gildersilver acquired his handsome example in 2011.

“The 2-litre engine is well-suited to the automatic gearbox and makes it a very good cruiser,” he says.

“The response at supermarkets and petrol stations is incredible – I can hardly get away!”

A prime reason why the Crusader is such a fascinating machine to people of a certain age is the way it evokes visions of Adam and The Ants blaring from a provincial branch of Our Price, or moth-eaten punks in a high-street Wimpy Bar.

The Mk5 was the Ford Cortina’s swansong, before the model made way for the newly developed Sierra

Every detail of BBA 18Y embodies motoring in the early ’80s, from the velour trim to a glovebox large enough for several tins of travel sweets.

Plus those coachlines would bring cheer even to the most beige of suburban shopping centres.

Our quintet perfectly demonstrates how the Cortina achieved the rare status of becoming part of the fabric of national life.

The long-serving Pinto engine was found in the Ford Cortina Crusader

In 1978, the Tom Robinson Band sang about the joys of owning a grey example with a whiplash aerial and racing trim, the driver wearing the regulation ‘Bomber jacket, dressed to kill’.

Four years later, Alexei Sayle starred in the Arena documentary The Private Life of the Ford Cortina, an accolade on par with the Glamcabs fleet of Mk1s in Carry On Cabby.

But above all, each generation illustrates a different facet of a Ford that was the right product for the right market and launched at the right time – a winning combination its rivals could only envy.

Images: John Bradshaw

Thanks to: Flying Club Conington; Affordable Classics

Factfiles

Lotus Cortina (Mk1)

Sold/number built 1963-’66/3301
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 1558cc ‘four’, twin Webers
Max power 105bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 108lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar rear live axle located by A-bracket, trailing arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 13ft 10in (4216mm)
Width 5ft 2¾in (1581mm)
Height 4ft 7in (1397mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 2½in (2502mm)
Weight 1820lb (825kg)
0-60mph 10 secs
Top speed 108mph
Mpg 19
Price new £1100 3s 1d
Price now £30-70,000*

Ford Cortina 1600E (Mk2)

Sold/number built 1967-’70/60,087
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, ohv 1599cc ‘four’, single twin-choke Weber carb
Max power 84bhp @ 5200rpm
Max torque 96lb ft @ 3600rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar rear live axle, leaf springs, radius arms, telescopic dampers
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 13ft 11in (4293mm)
Width 5ft 5in (1651mm)
Height 4ft 7in (1397mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 2in (2489mm)
Weight 2154lb (977kg)
0-60mph 11.6 secs
Top speed 100mph
Mpg 23
Price new £982 2s 1d
Price now £8-15,000*

Ford Cortina 2000 GXL (Mk3)

Sold/number built 1970-’76/1,126,559 (all Mk3s)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, sohc 1993cc ‘four’, single carburettor
Max power 98bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 111lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, anti-roll bar rear live axle, four links; coil springs, telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 14ft (4267mm)
Width 5ft 7in (1702mm)
Height 4ft 5½in (1359mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 5½in (2580mm)
Weight 2340lb (1061kg)
0-60mph 11 secs
Top speed 105mph
Mpg 25.1
Price new £1194
Price now £8-15,000*

Ford Cortina 2.3 S (Mk4)

Sold/number built 1976-’79/ 1,131,850 (all MkIV/MkVs)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, ohv 2293cc V6, single carburettor
Max power 108bhp @ 5000rpm
Max torque 130lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones rear live axle, four links; coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 14ft 1in (4343mm)
Width 5ft 7in (1702mm)
Height 4ft 5½in (1359mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 5½in (2580mm)
Weight 2447lb (1110kg)
0-60mph 10 secs
Top speed 106mph
Mpg 21
Price new £4497
Price now £6-12,000*

Ford Cortina Crusader (Mk5)

Sold/number built 1982/30,000+
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, sohc 1993cc ‘four’, single carburettor
Max power 101bhp @ 5200rpm
Max torque 112lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission three-speed automatic, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones rear live axle, four links; coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 14ft 4½in (4379mm)
Width 5ft 7in (1702mm)
Height 4ft 5½in (1359mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 5½in (2580mm)
Weight 2119lb (1008kg)
0-60mph 10.3 secs
Top speed 102mph
Mpg 25
Price new £5935
Price now £6-10,000*