Coys Auction - Automoto D‘Epoca
Padova Fiera
Padova, Italy
Saturday 24th October 2009
Admission by catalogue only - admits two
Chassis Number: BA 77 EP 82676
In the early 1960‘s 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, boot lid 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, the leaf springs replaced by an A-bracket, coil springs and trailing arms. Wide wheels and servo-assisted disc front/drum rear brakes, 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