A combination of envy and perhaps a touch of jealousy over the success of the advanced Mini- Cooper on both road and track and the sharp, smooth talking Colin Chapman of Lotus provided all the goading Ford needed to launch its own Grand Prix-linked hot saloon. The original Lotus Cortina was developed in an amazingly short space of time which inevitably resulted in reliability issues. So, when the MK2 Cortina was introduced in October 1966, any Lotus-tuned model went through Dagenham to keep control of the quality (much to Chapman’s dismay at losing such a moneyspinning contract).

Mechanically the Lotus Cortina differed by using the old 109bhp SE spec engine to counter extra weight and body drag. The car used the excellent Corsair 200E gearbox with a 3.7 axle ratio for more relaxed high-speed work. The chassis was much the same as before, riding an inch lower than ordinary Cortina Mk2s and the brakes benefi ted from servo assistance. Outside, to say that Ford made the Lotus low key is an understatement. With no slide fl ash and plain hubcaps the MK2 looked just like a normal GT, making it perhaps one of the best Q cars of its era. Although enthusiasts will always view MK1s through rose-tinted glasses, the Mk2 was the more complete and usable car. Motoring News (now Motorsport News) hailed the Mk2 as the best Lotus Cortina ever built. Ford tried to distance itself from Lotus by badging later MK2s as “Twin Cam”, to complement the newly launched Escort Twin Cam. Yet even with the Escort on board and with less than 200 cars made during its fi nal year in 1970, the Twin Cam still comfortably outsold the original by a healthy 1000 units. Save for the relocated handbrake in 1968, hardly any changes were made to the car. Rumour has it that a batch of 1600E-bodied motors were made plus some estates and certainly Police forces used fourdoor Twin Cams!

Perhaps Ford learned its lesson from the tie up with Lotus because it decided to also make its own go-faster cars in house along with homologated options such as uprated suspension, limited slip differential and closer ratio gearboxes. Certainly, for all its undoubted showroom appeal and exotic name, Lotus Cortinas were a nightmare for main dealers to sell and maintain, while the warranty claims were so bad that Ford considered pulling the plug on the MK1 shortly after its launch. Happily for us they didn’t and the Twin Cam proved far more reliable.