Coke-bottle Cortina still has fizz

Jun 19 2009 Ian Johnson

THE Ford Cortina may be yesterday's wheels but people never stop talking about this cult classic which really is the daddy of the modern mid-sized saloon.

The one that many fans hold dear is the mid-term model, the Mark III which is known as the 'coke-bottle' Cortina due to the stylish rear dip and curve of its bodyline.

It may have been a child of the decade that taste forgot, but the Mark III really hit the high notes with the car buying public.

It came about because the original Cortina and the Mark II were very much children of the 60s and had to be replaced.

The 98-inch wheelbase platform of the early models had soldiered on for eight years through two incarnations and it was time for something completely new. Ford's big rival was Vauxhall and the 'big two' were at it hammer and tongs to hold the high ground over sales and image.

So in came a 101.5-inch wheelbase and a style that gave the Cortina image a real punch-in-the-back burst of visual 'oomph'.

Ford moved the Cortina slightly upmarket because in addition to having to replace its previous model it also had to net the customers loyal to the discontinued Corsair. It had a lot to achieve because many drivers had grown used to the old Cortina Mk II. Getting them to take to a completely new look and secure sales threatened by a time-expired model was a tall order.

But it all tied in with Ford's four-year model cycle and the Mark III Cortina was unveiled to gasps of amazement at the 1970 Earl's Court Motor Show - I know because I was there.

Its thoroughly modern look was the result of a wake-up call to British manufacturers due to the growing popularity of Japanese imports such as Datsun (now Nissan).

With the Mark III Cortina Ford responded to Oriental pressure by providing much more comfort and a healthy helping of glamour.

But there was more going on than mere styling. This model featured much 'under the skin' technical innovation and was a landmark in the growing influence of Ford of Europe developing models independently of the US parent company.

The Mark III was built in Dagenham and also in West Germany, under Ford's Taunus badge.

This was the model that fired the obsession with specification and trim levels, 35 variations being available with engines ranging from a 1,300cc, to the lively two-litre.

This Cortina was the cruiser of the family. It was not exceptional at motor sport due to body roll and soft suspension but it really was king of the road on motorways.

During this model's production run, the British motor industry was totally strike-happy, but nevertheless it soon became Britain's best selling car.

The real model to have was the 2000E of 1973. This was the version sales reps aspired to because the E stood for executive and the 2000E had style by the bucketload.

They are now a rare sight but they are still out there in ones and twos. The vinyl roofs may be curling up at the edges and the almost obligatory furry dice hanging from the driver's mirror may be bleached out by the sun, but the dear old Mark III is still capable of turning a head or two - which is more than you can say for the original Ford Mondeo.