To celebrate the British International Motor Show this year we picked our 100 best British cars. Check out our selection to help you choose your favourite home-grown motor.
|
90 Lotus Cortina (page 15 of 25)
|
Ford collaborated with Lotus on a win-win basis: Ford wanted more sporting credibility, Lotus wanted Ford's engines. Lotus developed Ford's Kent 1558cc into a high-revving twin-cam 105bhp unit and took the otherwise staid two-door Cortina to 105mph and 0-60 in under 10 seconds: the result won the 1964 British Touring Car championships for Jim Clark and the '65 European series for John Whitmore. It made a quick (if unreliable) rally car, too. With aluminium doors, bonnet and boot lid, lowered suspension, and white paint with olive green go-faster stripe, this Cheshunt-made sports saloon was a Cortina like no other. The all-steel MkII, which ran from 1966 to 1970, was made by Ford in-house.
