• An early 1963 Lotus Mk1 Cortina, well-known over many years on the UK rally scene
• Recently restored by a Lotus Cortina expert over a six-year period using new or reconditioned parts
• The car was re-shelled using a correct 1963 GT shell and is now in simply superb condition
• Accompanied by a many invoices and a full photographic record of the restoration

The Lotus Cortina came into being because of Ford's decision to step up their Motorsport involvement in the early 1960s. Their Head of UK Public Relations, Walter Hayes, spoke to Colin Chapman, asking him to come up with a competitive saloon, using the Cortina as a base, that could be produced in sufficient numbers to satisfy the mandatory 'Group 2' homologation requirements, and with which the Blue Oval could beat all comers. The solution was to take Ford's bullet-proof 1500 Kent engine, fit it with a twin-cam cylinder head, pop it into a stiffened Cortina shell, sort out the suspension and brakes and paint a green stripe down the side. The cars would be built by Lotus at its plant in Cheshunt and marketed through their dealer network as the Ford Cortina Lotus.

'AFE 718A' dates from 1963 example and is well known in club rallying having competed regularly over many years, latterly by a team of three friends. The car was well maintained, as all competitive machines tend to be, but time and rally life caught up with the original shell. It was subsequently put into storage coincidentally with a Cortina GT from the same year. One of the friends, an engineer with many decades of classic Ford knowledge, took it upon himself to combine both cars into what you now see. He has just concluded an exacting six-year-long restoration, with the Lotus correctly re-shelled using the shell from the 1963 GT. New OEM or reconditioned parts were used, and the car is accompanied by a raft of invoices and a full photographic record of the metamorphosis.

Mechanically too, the car has all been fully renewed and, according to our vendor is in "better than new" condition. The engine has been tuned and given some proper runs out to shake it down. Dynamically, it has all been set up correctly by someone who knows these cars well and would not put his name to a Ford that wasn’t right.

Fit-for-purpose, no unnecessary adornments, just clever and robust engineering providing a rewarding driving experience – the Lotus Cortina is a legendary machine, and this example honours that reputation. Offered at a tempting guide price, we welcome any inspection.