1965 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk I Saloon

That “inside front wheel in the air” was a function of stiff front springs and soft rear ones, which seemed to work

by Thor Thorson

Ford’s 1960s profile-raising competition program included recruiting Lotus boss Colin Chapman to give the new Cortina a sporting makeover. Chapman’s brief was to develop a Group 2 competition version; Lotus would then build the 1,000 cars required for homologation.

Launched in 1963, the Lotus Cortina featured the Elan’s Ford-based, DOHC, 1.6-liter engine in the two-door bodyshell. Lotus Cortinas dominated saloon racing’s 2-liter class, often challenging for outright honors. Works cars were driven by Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Peter Arundell, and Jackie Ickx, while Sir John Whitmore, driving an Alan Mann-entered Lotus Cortina, was European Touring Car champion in 1965.

The Lotus Cortina offered here is one of the original Works racing saloons campaigned during the mid-1960s by legendary Formula One World Champion Jim Clark, while touring car champions Sir John Whitmore and Jack Sears also competed in this same car. It was raced by the Works-backed Team...