Motoring Views
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Time-warp drive with British icon
20:58, Aug 21 2011
Classic Wheels - Ford Cortina
by Ian Johnson, drivingforce.uk.net
IT WAS like stepping into a 1960s time warp – accelerating away in a MkII Ford Cortina that still had that showroom feel was a heady experience.
The car is part of the renowned Ford Heritage collection and had one private owner since Ford snapped it up in 1990.
It was especially nostalgic for me because it was one of the first two dozen or so of cars that I road tested in my early days and offered an intriguing flashback to what everyday motoring was like in those golden years of Ford.
The car, a 1600 Super four-door, was one of the the mid-1960's most successful models. Fitted with a 1,599cc version of the crossflow Kent four-cylinder ohv engine and a four-speed manual transmission, this MkII features more luxurious upholstery and exterior brightwork over the de-luxe version of the car. When new it cost £810 including purchase tax.
The model took over from the original Cortina in October 1966, using the same basic platform and running gear. But the big difference was the body style which was much more boxy and businesslike being on the starting blocks for the later business car boom.
The MkII sold even faster than the original type, with well over one million manufactured in a four-year period.
So what was it like mixing it in the cut and thrust of traffic 45 years later? Interesting to say the least with the biggest difference being the thin and spindly plastic steering wheel which is so unlike the chunky tactile wheels of modern cars.
But on the road the car proved more than up to the task of accelerating with the flow and its rear-wheel drive configuration imparted a healthy slice of old style handling fun.
Although sparsely equipped by modern standards this Cortina was way up front in specification for its day and when you put your foot down in time-honoured Cortina style 87mph is well within your sights.
