‘Driven straight out of the 70s’ – classic Ford Cortina hits auction following ‘showroom quality’ restoration
However, it has borrowed some Toyota tech to give it an interior upgrade
A CLASSIC Ford Cortina that looks like it’s “straight out of the ’70s” has hit auction following a “showroom quality” restoration.
The model was once a “common sight” in the UK but is now a “rare and desirable” collection piece.
The Cortina, particularly the Mark III and IV versions, was the UK’s best-selling car of the 1970s.
Originally a collaboration between Ford’s UK and German branches, the model made its grand debut in 1962 to much acclaim.
But it was the later incarnations that really cemented it as an all-time great people’s car.
Now, a pristine “Coke-bottle style” Mark III has gone up for sale online.
Despite an extensive, “showroom quality” restoration, the car still “looks like it’s driven straight out of the 1970s”, according to the listing.
Finished in burnt orange and boasting the Cortina’s trademark boxy front end, it really is an icon of the decade.
Inside, the cabin is smothered in plush black leather and trimmed in luxurious light wood.
However, it’s not all Ford as the listing states it has borrowed the heater box from “the guts” of a modern Toyota Yaris, which is said to be “far better” than the original system.
Visibly, though, the car closely resembles a similar motor made famous in the cult classic TV show Life On Mars, which the current own has cited as “sparking the fire” of his love for the model.
He told : “I was after a Cortina for many years after my dad had one in the ’70s, and the TV show Life On Mars sparked the fire.
“I was searching literally for years.
“Then this one came up and I jumped at it.
“My wife will miss it as she loves driving it. We’ve enjoyed going to shows in it and it certainly turns heads.”
He also admitted that he’s only getting rid of it as he was able to get hold of a two-door Opel Ascona, which he dubbed his “ideal classic car“.
The Cortina will be sold by at its next auction, beginning on March 15.
It is expected to fetch up to £18,000.
Paul Hegarty, Bonhams’ consignment specialist, added: “1970s Britain was a bleak place in many ways.
“The three-day week, disastrous industrial relations and Paper Lace at number one were all low points.
“So thank goodness for Ford’s Coke-bottle styled Mk3 Cortina, which helped brighten up the roads, if not the TV news or the UK weather.”
