When it came time to replace the aging Ford
Consul Classic of 1961, the ever-popular Cortina
was born. An instant hit, it would morph through
five generations, however for the Australian
market and from the Mark 3 onward each was
given a two letter designation, from TC through
TF. The first two generations were based almost
entirely on the UK counterparts, but in keeping
pace with Holden’s Torana from the TC
onward Ford began fitting the 200 and 250ci
6 cylinder engines previously reserved for
the Falcon. As engine changes were introduced
across the Falcon range, the Cortina naturally
benefited also, the TD, TE and TF models being
fitted with the cross-flow head versions of
both the 3.3 and 4.1 liter engines.
The engineers
were forced to make several modifications to
the Cortina’s body to accommodate the
larger engines, and to keep manufacturing costs
down this same body was used across the entire
range, so the 4 cylinder versions were also
to benefit. Modifications included reinforced
side rails and centre pillar, a tubular cross
member support under the transmission, remodelled
firewall panels (to accommodate the longer
engines), and the use of a wider bell housing
manufactured from thicker metal.
There may
have been plenty of power on tap, but the chassis
dynamics were never that well sorted, the additional
front mass producing truck-loads of under steer.
Handling issues aside, that over 1 million
Cortina’s were sold in various markets
around the world stands as testament to the
popularity of the car, and as evidence of its
continued evolution to meet growing consumer
demands. Replaced by the Sierra in European
markets from 1980, it was unfortunate that
Australia did not receive such a worthy successor,
Ford Australia instead re-branding the Mazda
323 as a Meteor. |
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1962 - 1966
In the late 1950’s it was apparent that the aging Anglia 105E would no longer be able to maintain it’s market share, and an all new car would be needed to help Ford compete against the likes of the Vauxhall Victor and Hillman Minx. More >> |
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1963 - 1970
When Colin Chapman and Ford collaborated to develop a
race and rally winner - the end result was the Lotus
Cortina. From Ford came the basic two door Cortina shell
and front suspension, where Lotus installed its own
105 bhp twin-cam engine, close ratio 4-speed gearbox
and rear suspension. More >> |
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1965
A car seldom remembered these days, except perhaps for the Cortina aficionados, is the wonderful Cortina GT500. The brainchild of Harry Firth, the GT500 was manufactured by Ford Australia to satisfy homologation rules to allow it to race in the Armstrong 500. More >> |
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1966 - 1972
In autumn 1966 the Mk.II Cortina GT was released. The
body was, of course, completely restyled, along with the
entire Cortina lineup, but initially the car was still
using most of the Mk.I GT drivetrain. More >> |
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1966 - 1970
With the Mark 2 Cortina, Ford would continue their association with Lotus. The new model Cortina retained much of its dynamic performance too, yet it was a much more refined car than its predecessor. More >> |
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1967 - 1970
One of the best loved versions of the Cortina appeared in 1967, the 1600E. The 1600E offered a blend of sporting style and luxury with its comprehensive specification. Standard equipment included sports suspension, Rostyle 5.5" J rim wheels, spot lamps, vinyl roof and metallic paint. More >> |
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1967 - 1970
The "Big Engine - Light Chassis" formula had been tried before, and Uren knew that significant chassis modification would be required if the V6 iteration was to be anything more than simply a quick straight-line performer. More >> |
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1970 - 1974
There are perhaps 2 main reasons for the downturn in the
popularity of the Cortina, for starters the Japanese were
making big inroads at the time, and unfortunately the
Cortina was quickly gaining a bad reputation for poor
quality and reliability. More >> |
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1974 - 1977
Most commentators of the day knew that the objective
of the TD release was to remedy the misdemeanours of
the previous model, but many lamented the continued lack
of quality and poor road manners. Brake fade, steering
with a mind of its own on unmade surfaces and, in the
case of the 4 cylinder, completely underwhelming performance
became the hallmarks of the TD. More >> |
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1977 - 1979
When the TE body style first appeared it almost created
a sensation; it was the first of the European-look medium
cars. It looked impressive and solid, and gave an air
of rugged dependability. Buyers were familiar with the
engines and their reliability had never been in doubt. More >> |
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