 1966 Ford Cortina MkI in GT trim, with Lotus Cortina like side flash |
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 1980 Ford Cortina MkIV in the Crusader version |
The Ford Cortina was a medium sized car sold by Ford of Britain. The Cortina was produced in five generations (Mark I through Mark Vthough officially the last one was the Cortina 1980) from 1962 until 1982, when it was replaced by the Ford Sierra. From 1970 it was almost identical to the German-market Ford Taunus (they were built on the same platform), which was originally a different car model altogether; this was part of a Ford attempt to unify its European operations. By 1976, when the revised Taunus was launched, the Cortina was identical. In fact, this new Taunus/Cortina used the doors and some panels from the 1970 Taunus.
The Cortina replaced the unpopular, quirkily styled and expensive to build Ford Consul Classic of 1961 and proved an instant hit.
All Cortina series sold over the million mark, with each successive model proving even more popular than its predecessor!
In the UK the Cortina models are:
- Mk I (1962–6) notable models were the Lotus Cortina and Cortina GT. Available with 1.2 and 1.5 engines in 2 and 4 door saloon and 5 door estate forms. Base, Deluxe, Super and GT trims were offered but not across all body styles. Estates offered the option of fake wood side and tailgate trim, aping US style wagons, for a short time. Lotus Cortina models were solely offered as 2 door saloons all in white with a contrasting green side flash down each flank. Lotus Cortinas had a unique 1.6 litre Twin Cam engine by Lotus, but based on the Cortina's "Kent" overhead valve engine. Aluminium was used for some body panels. For a certain time, it also had unique A frame rear suspension, but this proved fragile and the car soon reverted to the standard Cortina semi-elliptic rear end.
- Mk II (1966–70) Again a Lotus version was produced (this time in-house at Ford) but the most admired was the 1600E that came about in late 1967.
The engines were at first carried over, but for 1967, they received a new cross flow cylinder head design, making them more efficient. AT this time, they became 1.3 and 1.6 litres in size, with the Lotus Cortina continuing with its own unique engine. A stripped out 1.2 version running the engine of the Ford Anglia Super was also available for some tax conscious markets.
Again, 2 and 4 door saloons and a 5 door estate were offered with base, Deluxe, Super, GT and later 1600E trim available, but again not across all body styles and engine options.
The 1600E was a particularly sought after car, combining the lowered Lotus Cortina's suspension with the high tune GT 1600 Kent engine and luxury trim featuring wood dash and door cappings, bucket seating, sports steering wheel and full instrumentation inside, while a black grille, tail panel, front fog lights, a vinyl roof and plated Rostyle wheels featured outside. They were very often stolen just for their unique body bits and trim to dress up more humble Cortinas.
For 1969, the Mk II range came in for subtle revisions, with separate FORD block letters mounted on the bonnet and boot lids, a blacked out grille and chrome strips on top and below the tail lights running the full width of the tail panel marking them out.
An aftermarket converter, Jeff Uren used the Mk II but managed to shoehorn in the larger 2.5 and 3.0 V6 motors from the Ford Zephyr/Zodiac to create the Uren Savage.
Crayford also did some convertible versions based on the 2 door saloon body.
- Mk III (1970–6) was an iconic 1970s' car. The Detroit-inspired "coke bottle" shaped Cortina was a huge hit amongst fleet buyers. It replaced both the Cortina Mk II as well as the larger, more expensive Ford Corsair by offering more trim levels and the option of larger engines than the Mk II did.
Ford UK originally wanted to call it something other than Cortina, but the name perservered. Although the Mk III looked significantly larger than the boxier Mk II, it was actually the same overall length, but 4 inches wider.
Trim levels were now Base, L (for Luxury), XL (Xtra Luxury), GT and GXL (Grand Xtra Luxury). 1.3, 1.6 and 2.0 engines were offered, the 1.6 having two distinct types - the Kent unit for models up to GT trim and a single overhead cam "Pinto" unit for the GT and GXL, the latter of which was also offered in 1600 form for a short while. 2.0 variants ran a larger version of the 1600 "Pinto" unit and were available in all trim levels except base. Four headlights and Rostyle wheels marked out the GT and GXL versions, while the GXL also had bodyside rubstrips, a vinyl roof and a brushed metal tail panel.
All models featured a downward sloping dashboard with deeply recessed dials and all coil suspension all round. In general styling and technical make up, many observed that the Mk III aped the Vauxhall Victor FD of 1967.
In late 1973 the car received a facelift. Outside, there were revised grilles, rectangular headlights for XL, GT and the new 2000E which replaced the GXL. The 1.3 Kent engine was carried over but now, 1.6 models all ran the more modern 1.6 overhead cam engine.
Inside, the car received a much neater dashboard that no longer sloped away from the driver's line of sight and generally upgraded trim. The 2000E reverted to the classy treatment offered by the 1600E instead of the vulgar faux wood offered by the GXL.
- Mk IV (1976–9) was a conservative square-shaped style, this time imitating the Opel Rekord D, but this was largely appreciated by fleet buyers. This series spawned the first Ghia top-of-the-range model that replaced the 2000E. A 2.3 litre Ghia version was introduced, featuring a version of the German Cologne V6 that was also taking root in the sportier Ford Capri. These models were identical mechanically and bodily to the 1976 Taunus. 2 and 4 door saloons and a 5 door estate were offered with all other engines being carried over. There was a choice of base, L, GL, S (for Sport) and Ghia trims, again not universal to all engines and body styles. The dashboard was carried over intact from the last of the Mk III Cortinas while the estate used the rear body pressings of the departed Mk III, with smaller tail lights.
- Mk V (1979–82) A facelifted Mk IV in many special editions such as Calypso and Crusader, as well as Base, L, GL, GLS and Ghia variants. Officially, it was known as the 'Cortina 80', rather than the Mk V. The press called it Mk V anyway.
These were differentiated by revised headlight units with larger turn indicators incorporated, a wider slatted grille said to be more aerodynamically efficient, slimmer C pillars with revised vent covers, larger, slatted tail lights (except estate models) and upgraded trim.
By this time, the Cortina was starting to feel the heat from a rejuvenated Vauxhall, which, with the Cavalier, was starting to make inroads on the Cortina's traditional fleet market.
The Cortina was Ford's mass market medium-size car and sold in enormous numbers, making it ubiquitous on British roads until 1982, when it was replaced by the Ford Sierra. In other markets, particularly Asia and Australasia, it was replaced by the Mazda 626-based Ford Telstar, though Ford New Zealand did import British-made CKD kits of the Ford Sierra station wagon (estate) for local assembly from 1984.
The Cortina also raced in rally and Lotus did some sportier editions of the Cortina Mk 1 and Mk 2 referred as Lotus Cortina.
Overseas
The Cortina was also sold in other right hand drive markets such as the Republic of Ireland where it was assembled locally, Australia, New Zealand,Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and South Africa, where it had a 3.0 litre V6 'Essex' motor. Mk III Cortina Estates were adopted as police cars in Hong Kong. The Cortina was also assembled in left hand drive by Hyundai in South Korea and Ford Lio Ho in Taiwan until the early 1980s.
For a time, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was also thinking of using the Cortina as a template for a transnational car, but the plans were scuppered.
The first two generations of the car were also sold through US Ford dealers in the 1960s. The Cortina competed fairly successfully there against most of the other small imports of its day, including GM's Opel Kadett, the Renault Dauphine, and the just-appearing Toyotas and Datsuns (Nissan), although none of them approached the phenomenal success of the Volkswagen Beetle. The Cortina was withdrawn from the American market when Ford decided to produce a domestic small car in 1971, the Ford Pinto, though it contiuned in Canada until the end of the 1973 model year.
Australia
In Australia, rather than referred to by Marks, Cortinas had a two-letter code beginning with 'T' from the Mk III on. Hence, the Mk III was the TC, with a mid-life revised model the TD. The Mk IV was the TE and the Mk V the TF.
While the first two generations were similar to the British models, Ford Australia began fitting the six cylinder 3.3 and 4.1 litre units from the Ford Falcon to the TC onwards. The chassis was never designed to take such large and heavy engines, so naturally, these cars handled extremely poorly. However, they found enough customers to last to the end of the model's life in 1981, when it was replaced, firstly as a stop-gap measure by the smaller Ford Meteor (a Mazda 323 saloon clone) and then the Telstar.
The TE and TF had minor exterior differences to the models sold elsewhere. Bumpers were the most noticeable differences (larger steel bumpers for the TE, rubber for the TF), while the TE had additional indicators in the front wings. Another example was that the TF's front numberplate was mounted below the front bumper, further identifying it from its European Mk V counterparts.
In the mid-1970s, Ford Australia did propose a three-door coupé version of the Cortina, which would have used the Pinto tailgate and other parts from around the world (The longer 2 door Cortina doors), to compete with the upcoming Holden Torana liftback. However, Ford rejected the idea: a unique model, particularly a small coupé for Australia could not be justified on cost grounds.
In the late 1970s, Cortina wagons were briefly built in Renault's Heidelberg, Victoria factory (now closed), as Ford Australia's factories did not have the capacity.
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