IN the early 1960s, those formative years of the modern motor car, Ford was on a roll with the raceaway success of its Cortina. It was in 1962 that the Cortina first hit the road in response to the rising sales figures of other manufacturers including BMC and it certainly was a class act. Ford used the latest aerospace excellence in the car's monococque body shell, and was able to do away with a lot of surplus metal, thus discarding weight. This made the Cortina cheaper, faster and more economical than anything in its class. But as is the case today, nothing stands still for long in the world of cars and the brains at Ford got to work the give the Cortina the power boost it really deserved. Despite the saving on metal, the original 1.2 could only just top 76mph and although this was all right for some, its 0-60mph acceleration time of 22.4 seconds left a lot to be desired. So in 1963 the Cortina Super and GT models drove in to up the ante in the family car sector and put more pressure on competitors such as the Morris Oxford and Vauxhall Victor. The Super featured a lively 1.5 engine, with bigger brakes, better trim and distinctive chrome strips down the flanks. It could manage a maximum speed of more than 80mph and the 0-60mph sprint was much better at 19 seconds. It was priced at £670. And hot on its heels came one of the most significant Mk 1 Cortinas, the GT. This featured a camshaft designed by Cosworth and was lower, faster, racier and lighter. At £767 it was expensive for a Cortina. But it was a landmark model with its silvered facia and 91.5mph top speed. It could zip to 60mph in 12.1 seconds and formed the basis of Ford's flourishing rally programme. A significant win in the demanding Safari Rally said it all for Cortina which was rapidly becoming the car to be seen in. But the icing on the cake came later in 1963 when the Lotus Cortina burst from its wraps giving this amazing design the 108mph performance it so richly deserved. At £1,100 this was no cheapie and only 3,301 were built. But for those who could dig deep to afford the purchase price and the insurance this was the Cortina to die for. With a 10.1 second 0-60mph time it was a hot saloon with suspension and 1,558cc engine adapted by Lotus performance genius Colin Chapman. The handling of this car was astonishing on track and I remember it being a very powerful handful on normal roads. It just loved smooth surfaced race circuits and made a great name for itself. But the curtain was soon to draw for the fast and arty Mk I models because waiting in the wings for 1966 was the Mk II which was a different animal altogether. The rise of the performance Ford is perhaps best illustrated in the acceleration of the Mk I Cortina theme. It was one of those cars that one experienced was never forgotten. | 
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