Lotus Cortina – A saloon racing legend

LOTUS
CORTINA

The performance Cortina modified by Lotus

IMPRESSIVE COMPETITION REPUTATION

In the early 1960’s the Ford decided to go motor racing. A key car in this ambition was the Lotus Cortina which was born through the collaboration between Ford and Lotus. Ford turned to Lotus, to make a high performance and racing version of the Ford Cortina. Lotus made several enhancements to the Lotus Cortina, resulting in a remarkable blend of lightweight construction and striking design. The initial plan called for Lotus to assemble 1000 cars to secure the necessary approvals to go Group 2 racing where the Lotus Cortina would go on to dominate saloon car racing worldwide.

TRUE VERSATILITY

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Lotus badges appeared on the rear wings and front grille as well as of course, the stylish Lotus steering wheel.

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LIGHTWEIGHT, AGILE AND POWERFUL

The bodyshell incorporated light alloy skins for the doors, bonnet and boot lid, while lightweight aluminium was used for the clutch housing and differential housing. The full-width front bumper was ditched in favour of quarter bumpers and Lotus badges appeared on the rear wings and grille. The car's lightweight construction contributed to its exceptional agility and handling. It was powered by the iconic Lotus Twin-Cam engine, which featured a 1.6-litre bottom end from Ford and a specially designed Lotus cylinder head. The engine produced around 105bhp in road cars and up to 150bhp in racing versions.

DESIGN & PERFORMANCE

In October 1964, an optional SE model was announced that included the Aeroflow ventilation system that was introduced in 1964, a full-width grille, two-piece propshaft, different gear ratios and other minor alterations. Early in its production life, Lotus enhanced the SE model with improved engine performance, Dunlop SP tyres and adjustable rear suspension.

MOTORSPORT DOMINATION

While Team Lotus campaigned in Britain, Ford raced cars in the USA and Alan Mann Racing took the Lotus-Ford banner to Europe. In 1965 Sir John Whitmore took his red and gold Alan Mann car to outright victory in the European Saloon Car Championship and in 1966 Bengt Soderstrom and Gunnar Palm won the RAC Rally.

All Lotus Cortina’s were assembled by Lotus at its Delamare Road, Cheshunt factory in Hertforshire, UK

CORTINA STATISTICS

Name Lotus Cortina
Lotus Type No: 28
Year of production 1963-1966
Volume 2,894
Engine 1,558cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 105bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 826kg

Name Lotus Cortina SE
Lotus Type No: 28
Year of production 1964-1966
Volume Approx. 68 ‘SE’ cars officially built
Engine 1,558cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 110bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 842kg

SPECIAL
EDITIONS

LOTUS CORTINA RACE CAR

The Cortina was officially homologated for Group 2 racing in September of 1963. Racing Cortinas had around 150bhp and after early teething problems, the Lotus Cortina went on to dominate saloon car racing and rallying. It certainly attracted all the right drivers such as Hill, Stewart, Elford, Sears, Arundell, lckx and Whitmore. However, it is the style of the inimitable Jim Clark which will forever be associated with this car. The balance of the car was far better than anything else on the circuits at that time, and Clark’s ability to four-wheel-drift the car at almost any speed proved to be the dominant factor in the 1964 BRSCC Saloon Car Championship.

LOTUS CORTINA MkII

In 1967 a MkII Cortina version was produced but this, unlike the MkI cars, was assembled by Ford using parts supplied by Lotus, and was therefore not allocated a Lotus Type number. The Lotus badges remained front and side but in publicity Ford would officially call it a Twin-Cam Cortina. On the track, the Cosworth FVA-powered Team Lotus works cars in the hands of Graham Hill and Jacky Ickx would provide plenty of dramatic racing.