Ford
Lotus Cortina Mk1 works team cars

Why it matters

The works Lotus Cortinas were the factory-backed race versions of a road saloon built so that Ford could race in Group 2. Jim Clark won the 1964 British Saloon Car Championship in his works car, and many top drivers raced Cortinas.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

History

Walter Hayes of Ford approached Colin Chapman to build a world-beating racing saloon, with Lotus assembling 1,000 cars to homologate the Cortina for FIA Group 2. Harry Mundy designed a twin-cam head for Ford's 1500 Kent engine, with help from Cosworth, and Chapman reworked the suspension and lightened the body with aluminium skins on doors, hood and trunk lid. Production began in February 1963 and homologation came in September 1963, before the 1,000-car target had been reached.

Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Vic Elford, Jack Sears, John Whitmore and Jacky Ickx all raced Cortinas. The 1965 homologation model went back to leaf springs at the rear, and the production run ended in late 1966 with about 2,894 built, according to Bonhams.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.