Lotus Cortina 1970…….the car that shook the rally circuit

The late Colin Chapman and Ford decided in the late 1960s to collaborate to develop a race and rally winner like no other and the end result was the Lotus Cortina. From Ford came the basic two door Cortina shell and front suspension, where Lotus installed its own 105 bhp twin-cam engine, close ratio 4-speed gearbox and rear suspension . The car sat lower, had front disc brakes and was shod with wider wheels. The choice of colours was limited – all were in a basic cream with green stripe and black grille. More options became available with the Mk. II but this was primarily because the Mk. II was built on the Ford production lines and later the Cortina was to even loose the Lotus badges. Production ceased in 1970 and we know of a few units that made its way to Malaysia and are still seeing duty with some very lucky owners.