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Although many malign the Ford Cortina, history will judge it in a different light. Launched on September 21, 1962, the Cortina cost £573 in standard 1200 saloon guise and became an instant bestseller. It enjoyed a 20-year career in which 4.3-million examples were produced. The last Cortina was assembled in July 1982, and was succeeded by the Sierra, at which time the entry-level model was priced at £4,515.
The Cortina was so successful and so different from other cars in the industry that in Britain it inspired what became known as 'the Cortina class'. Once established, at times one in every six cars being built in the UK was a Cortina. Along with the parallel success of the Escort from 1968, this helped Ford gain market leadership in Britain, which it has now maintained for more than 25 years. In 20 years, four distinctly different generations of Cortina were put on the market - each of them selling more than a million examples around the world.
Although the Cortina is often viewed as something of a figure of fun, it has become an integral and important part of British motoring history and the rarer models are increasingly collectable.
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What you get
The Cortina has always represented no-nonsense family transport. The MkI and Mk II models, like Wagon Wheels, may well be smaller than you remember them, their interior space being put to shame by a current Fiesta. The 109bhp Lotus Cortina still has the capacity to entertain and the 1600E is a handsome devil. The Mk III's American influence is apparent in its soft suspension and lazy power delivery, the 2.3-litre engine generating just 113bhp but a decent amount of torque. Opt for a Mk IV or preferably a Mk V - also known amongst Cortinaphiles as the Cortina 80 - and understandably you'll get a closer approximation of modern motoring. Whilst some would say they give a closer approximation of what a big step forward the Sierra represented, the later Cortinas are still spacious and good looking in a set squared eighties fashion.
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What to look for
As with most cars over twenty years old, corrosion is always going to be an issue. Mk I and Mk II cars are comparatively less rigorously rustproofed than the later models and a sure way of seeing if suspension mounts have corroded is to take a good look at the bonnet. If the bonnet panel doesn't sit straight, either the car has been accident damaged or (even more likely) the front suspension mountings have been patched over. The chrome parts such as light bezels and bumpers are prone to corrosion and are very difficult to replace. The alloy wheels fitted to sportier Mk IV and V models also suffer notable corrosion.
The vinyl interiors found in most Cortinas are prone to cracking and fading, whilst the plusher velour trims found on later Ghia models hasn't proved particularly hardwearing either. Having said that, bodywork really is the key consideration with Cortinas. Engines can be repaired or replaced fairly cheaply but a set of quality panels are increasingly rare and valued. The only genuinely troublesome engine was the initial 1.2 which had a reputation for gearbox seize ups which in turn put the engine's main bearings out of kilter, sending the con rods punching through the block. This can spoil your day. Fortunately this problem was largely ironed out when the engine was massaged out to 1.3-litres in the Mk II.
Finally a word of warning regarding 'King Cortina', the Mk I Lotus Cortina. This is one of those cars of which a good few more examples seem to exist now than when they were made. When you pause to consider the premium Lotus models make over regular cars this is understandable. Check the chassis plates and registration details, and look for the bulge in the boot floor that denotes the lowered suspension. There should be additional reinforcement on a bona fide Lotus Cortina too. Anybody trying to pass off a four-door model as a Lotus Cortina should probably be reported to Trading Standards. There was never any such thing. If in doubt, the good folks at the Lotus-Cortina Register may well be able to help.
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Replacement parts
Join a club, trawl the internet and scour the breaker's yards for Cortina spares. You'll soon work out what is interchangeable with what in order to keep your Cortina on the road.
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On the road
Aside from the early Lotus and 1600E models the Cortina never had much of a reputation as a driver's car. Those expecting creature comforts may be a little shocked at quite how Spartan our motoring pleasures were in the early Seventies. The Mk III models are a little plusher and consequently a little barge like, but find an automatic version and it's possible to waft about enjoyably. The later Mk IV and Mk V versions, despite selling in huge numbers, really represent the glory days of the fleet purchasing bloc and in all but the Ghia versions feel very much built down to a price. They are surprisingly nimble, however, due in no small part to their relatively light weight and the estate versions still make perfectly serviceable workhorses able to swallow cavernous loads. Diesel engined cars are particularly unlovely.
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Overall
The Cortina represents a snapshot of what life represented for the British man in the street form the late sixties through to the early eighties. The values, the economic conditions and the fashions of the day are all preserved faithfully. Find a good one and wallow in the nostalgia. Prices can only go in one direction and a decent car may represent a canny investment as well as an enjoyable ownership experience.
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