1966 Lotus-Cortina Mark 1 Replica Sedan

The original Lotus-Cortina was Ford's first real attempt at an homologation special, taking the newly launched Cortina GT - itself a high performance version of the Mark 1 Cortina - and developing it into a lightweight racer ready for the track. Under the direction of Ford Motorsport chief Walter Hayes, Colin Chapman added the classic Lotus twin-cam engine, lightweight body panels in alloy, heavily revised suspension and wider wheel rims along with distinctive paintwork in white with green flashes down the sides. With drivers like Jim Clark and Sir John Whitmore at the wheel, Lotus-Cortinas dominated touring car racing in the mid-1960s and Cortina GTs had a similar impact on the racing scene in Australia as well. In production from 1963 until 1966, just over 3,300 Mark 1 Lotus-Cortinas were made and every one of them is now a highly desirable collector's car, fetching serious money when they infrequently come onto the market. As demand - and prices - for the Lotus-Cortina pushed ever higher, so the number of replicas has grown and the vehicle on offer here is a fine example. Although not mechanically identical, the car certainly captures the spirit of the original Lotus-Cortina and drives like a properly sorted example of this classic performance Ford should.