The ex-Team Lotus, Alan Mann Racing, Paul Hawkins/Jackie Ickx/Frank Gardner
1967 Ford Lotus Cortina MkII Competition Saloon
Registration no. CTC 24E
Chassis no. BA91GD12811

Launched at the 1966 Earls Court Motor Show, the '2nd Generation' Cortina continued the successful collaboration between Ford and Lotus in the form of the Lotus Cortina MkII. But whereas the original had been built by Lotus at Hethel, the new car would be made at Ford's Dagenham works. The mechanical specification continued much as before, though servo-assisted brakes, wider wheels, and the 109bhp Special Equipment engine were now standardised together with the Corsair 2000E gearbox. Available, unlike the MkI, in a full range of colours, the MkII was given an improved interior for 1968, the model name changing to 'Twin Cam' at the same time. A total of 4,032 cars had been made by the time production ceased in September 1970, by which time the Escort Twin Cam and its derivatives had become Ford's frontline competition saloon. As a result, the MkII Lotus Cortina's competition career as a works entry was confined mainly to the 1967 season, the Escort Twin Cam having gained full homologation by May 1968.

Formerly part of Ford's press fleet, 'CTC 24E' is an original Team Lotus car, built at Cheshunt for the 1967 BRSCC Group 5 Saloon Car Championship and powered by a Cosworth-Ford FVA engine. It was raced during the 1967 season by Paul Hawkins and Jacky Ickx, the best results being 1st-in-class finishes at the Silverstone Martini International meeting in May and at Brands Hatch in August.

'CTC 24E was subsequently acquired by Alan Mann Racing from Brian Robinson, a privateer racer who also owned the sister-car 'CTC 14E' that had been raced by Graham Hill. In fact, Robinson had acquired five Lotus Cortinas directly from Team Lotus: three MkIs and two MkIIs. Once in Mann's possession, newly engineered chassis/body strengthening and suspension modifications (designed for the Escort Twin-Cam) were incorporated. Designed by Len Bailey and Alan Mann, these chassis and suspension upgrades proved highly successful and are retained in the car today.

Newly prepared, 'CTC 24E' was raced extensively during 1968 in both the European Touring Car Championship and the British Saloon Car Championship by Frank Gardner, whose best results were an overall win at Aspern, Austria and a 1st-in-class finish at Thruxton.

The original Ford-owned Cosworth FVA engine was removed in period, and the car was later fitted with a Lotus Twin-Cam and a Ford V6 over the intervening years when it was used in hill climbs and sprints by various private owners. Installed during the last restoration, the current engine is a 1.6-litre Cosworth BDA producing around 200bhp. A five-speed Hewland gearbox, Salisbury limited-slip differential, and a single-piece prop-shaft complete the current drive train specification.

Purchased directly from Henry Mann by the last owner, 'CTC 24E' retains its original 1967 Team Lotus bodyshell modified in period by Alan Mann Racing and retaining AMR's all-important chassis, suspension, and body modifications. An extremely well known and important Lotus Cortina MkII competition saloon, it comes with a history file containing restoration invoices, current MoT, a V5C Registration Certificate, and the original green logbook recording the Ford Motor Company Limited of Warley, Essex as first owners.