The Cortina was one of the most important vehicles from the ’60s British car industry.
It was the car that paved the way to sport-compact coupe vehicles.

Ford designed a concept-car in North America, named Cardinal. But ultimately, it decided that it was too small for Americans taste. So, they asked the British arm if that car would fit into their pans. The answer was “yes,” and the first car rolled down from the assembly line in 1962. But it wasn’t quite like the original, and it used the name Cortina instead.

The car was designed by Rory Brown Jr., who was sent into the U.K. after the disastrous design of the Ford Edsel. This time, he did it right. It was a light car, available in three body shapes: coupe, four-door sedan, and station wagon. They shared the same front fascia with a pair of round headlights and trapezoidal chromed grille. The descending bodywork lines were made the car looks faster. The round taillights split into three areas were a delight and became a classic theme design.

Inside, the Cortina featured a flat, straight dashboard with only a bump over the instrument cluster. It offered just about enough room for four passengers, with tilting front seats. There were not many features inside the cabin, allowing the carmaker to sell the vehicle with big discounts.

The drivetrain was simple, with an inline-four under the hood and a four-speed, all-synchromesh gearbox. To promote the car, Ford worked with Lotus to create a sporty version, and that’s how the Lotus Cortina appeared on the market. A light, agile, fast vehicle that won many races on the race-tracks’ tarmac and the gravel in rally stages.