Lotus Cortina - Classic Driver - MAGAZINE

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classic car of the week

08/07/2002
Lotus Cortina

Sporting saloon

Text:Steve Wakefield

Photo: Steve Wakefield/Don Rose. Gallery by Ford Media - copyright

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If the Mini Cooper can be called the original ‘hot saloon’ then Ford’s Lotus tuned Cortina model, appearing in January 1963, was certainly the first ‘fast Ford’ and, in contrast to the Mini, was a much more developed competition car for the road.

As yet another part of Ford’s ‘Total Performance’ programme the Cortina project was created by Walter Hayes and used the racing expertise of Lotus for the chassis modifications and Cosworth to tune the 1558cc Ford engine. A triumvirate that was later to win the Formula One World Championship for Jim Clark with the seminal Lotus 49 Cosworth.

Originally given a Lotus type number (28) it was officially known as 'Cortina developed by Lotus', but soon the name Lotus-Cortina became a byword for one of the sixties great performance saloons. The early cars were built at the Cheshunt factory from Ford supplied 2 door bodyshells minus bonnet, boot and doors. In true Chapman fashion ‘lightness was added’ by using alloy replacements for the standard items, as well as an ingenious rear suspension set-up which retained the live axle but replaced leaf springs with coil-over units, trailing arms and a special A –bracket which kept the geometry correct. The standard Ford motor was replaced by what was essentially the Elan unit; a cross flow head design with twin cams and Weber side draft carbs.

Externally the cars were known for their lower stance, front quarter bumpers only and of course the now celebrated Ermine White with Sherwood Green stripe colour scheme. Unseen additional modifications to the rear wheel drive car were; unique alloy bell-housing, tailshaft, diff casing and steering arms, a close ratio gearbox and lowered suspension all round. The car was homologated for Group 2 racing and rallying; and if it happened to be a useful car on the road all well and good.