The story of the Fabulous Lotus Cortina
The story of the Fabulous Lotus Cortina
Back in 1962 the Ford Cortina MKI was the latest car from Ford U.K., and was soon to gain a foothold in the British car market for those looking for a new medium sized car that offered good economy and low running costs. This car was to become the first of 5 different evolutions of the Cortina, and was eventually superceded by the Sierra.
However, during the Summer of 1962, the PR Director at Ford, Walter Hayes was looking for an edge with the new car, and needed someting to set it apart form it's rivals. He found it when talking with legend of Lotus, Colin Chapman, who was at the time developing a Ford engine to use in his Lotus Elan models. During the discussions, Colin agreed to develop a fairly agressive version of the Cortina, to be known as the Lotus Cortina. This decision put Lotus firmly on the map with the British public, as well as giving Ford a great car that could win races and rallies, as well as be driven on the road.
What a great concept the Lotus Cortina was.