Estimate: £45,000 - £50,000
Registration Number: ECA 850C
Chassis Number: BA74EA59464
In the early 1960s Ford asked Lotus founder Colin Chapman to produce a sports/racing version of its new Cortina for homologation in Group 2. Announced in January 1962, and assembled at Lotus, the Lotus Cortina sported bonnet, bootlid and doors made of alloy, as were clutch and diff housings and the gearbox tailshaft. Front suspension was standard MacPherson strut, lowered and stiffened, but the rear was radical with the leaf springs being replaced by an A-bracket, coil springs and trailing arms. Wide wheels and servo-assisted brakes (discs front, drums rear), along with 105bhp from the twin-cam 1,588cc Ford engine and a close ratio box, completed the package.
The Lotus Cortina’s first victory came in the 1964 Motor Six Hours at Brands Hatch, followed by Sir John Whitmore’s outright honours in the 1965 European Touring Car Championship; Jackie Ickx also won the Belgian Saloon Car Championship, Bengt Sö