1966 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk I

The Ford Cortina GT was already building a major reputation for competitive success in International rallying and circuit racing when Walter Hayes of Ford approached Colin Chapman and Lotus and discussed how they could further build the potential of this car. The new Ford Cortina-Lotus or 'Lotus-Cortina' entered production in February 1963, with a starting price of £910. While the road cars boasted 105bhp, the racing version possessed more like 150bhp. Once fully developed, Lotus-Cortinas absolutely shone on track driven by household names including Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Jackie Ickx, Roger Clark and many, many more.

First registered on the 18th February 1966, this car was purchased by our vendor in 1999 in a very sorry state. Photographs taken pre-restoration, and available on file, shows the car required full restoration, and this was undertaken with meticulous care and attention to detail over a period of eight years with no expense spared. Used sparingly for the past nine years the car resides in a "Carcoon" when not used on sunny days. It presents today in exceptional condition with just the right amount of patina on the badges and instruments. The paint is still fresh, the interior is absolutely spot-on and the engine bay is a delight. As is common with full restorations the odometer was zeroed from, we believe, 70,000 miles, and displays 5,436 miles today. Offered with a Swansea V5 and a new MoT prior to the sale, this is a great example that looks just as it should and is a testament to our vendor's meticulous restoration and is included on the Lotus Cortina register.