Ford Cortina Anniversary
(24 December 2002)
On a recent visit to Ireland on Fusion-testing duties, CARkeys collectively had a nostalgic drive in a trio of Ford Cortinas, in a year which marked the 40th anniversary of the introduction of this best-selling model, and the 20th of its replacement by the Sierra. They may not drive like 21st-century cars, but you understand why they sold so well in their own era. (NB For the avoidance of doubt, nobody named in this article appears in the picture above.)
Mark II 1600
(by David Finlay)
I was too young to be conscious of the Mark II when it was in production, but later I thought it was the best-looking of all the Cortinas, and I still do.
Admittedly, the version I think of, on the rare occasions when I think of Mark II Cortinas at all, is the Lotus (as seen here being rallied by Roger Clark and Jim Porter). This one isn't nearly so potent, and it's hampered by a strange misfire which Ford hasn't quite sorted yet, but once that's fixed the car should certainly cover the ground quite well, thanks to the good old 1600cc Kent crossflow under the bonnet.
God knows how many of those Ford built over the years. Simple, reliable, and very responsive to tuning - there are still dozens of them in race and rally cars across the UK, four decades on.
The Mark II (which is visually unrecognisable from the Mark I but mechanically almost exactly the same car) is roomy, has great visibility thanks to the enormous glass area, and boasts one of the finest, most precise gearchanges the motor industry ever produced. I can't think of any car built in the last thirty years which can match it.
The chassis is fairly agricultural, the steering is quite heavy, and the switchgear is scattered all over the place. All the same, it's quite fun to drive. In its day, this was almost completely irrelevant, since Cortinas were never meant to be anything other than basic family transport. But today it has a lot of period charm. I think I'd like one.
Mark III 1300
(by Ross Finlay)
Pulling the door of the Cortina open was like stepping into a time machine. This MkIII was only built in 1976, but car design has taken such massive steps in recent years that this was a real drive down to the politically dangerous end of a misty memory lane; to a time when even family cars were mostly driven by men.
On that warm afternoon in Dublin the cabin was filled with the delicate scent of the finest, most yielding of vinyl seats. On the road the olfactory experience was supplemented by the aural delights of a whirring, and surprisingly responsive 1300cc engine and the satisfying physical exertion of hauling on the thin, unpowered steering wheel while stomping on the less than responsive brake pedal.
Outside, the wild green paintwork was nicely set off by the tight vinyl-covered roof. Meanwhile the muscular-looking "Coke bottle" flare around the haunches, the sensible round headlamps in a flat wind-jamming nose and the lovely view of the bonnet from the driver's seat, all conspired to create the impression of it being a man's car.
This was not a real family car like today's Mondeo. The Cortina would seat five people comfortably and its boot was big enough, but it took what would be seen today as an unfashionable combination of subtlety and brutality to wring the best out of it.
Mark IV 2.3 Ghia
(by Mike Grundon)
I never really fancied the "Coke bottle" styling of the Mark III, and the squared-off Mark IV always seems much neater. It's the model which essentially, although in improved Cortina 80 form (only enthusiasts called that one the Mark V; the company never did) brought the series to an end in 1982.
This Mark IV upstaged the earlier cars in our test (well, our outing) for power output, because the 2293cc V6 engine produced a healthy 108bhp in its heyday, and is still no slouch.
It's a surprise to note how low-built the Mark IV is, with much less rear window area than the Mark II. Following that car gave the impression that the driver was a couple of sizes too tall for the interior.
There's another neat gearchange of the rear-drive persuasion, a good-looking four-spoke steering wheel, power assisted steering and disc brakes up front. Ghia owners got a sunroof. Although there's no problem about front cabin space, the body isn't as roomy as it looks from a distance, and when I put the driving seat back as far as I wanted there wasn't much rear legroom.
Especially with the V6 engine, the Mark IV is pleasant car on the road, with a decent turn of acceleration. However, there is one curiosity about the top-of-the-range Ghia. The chassis may not be agricultural in the way the Mark II is, but there's something rather crude about the way the interior wood trim is attached - with Philips screws whose heads are still visible.
