Description
Genuine original Lotus Cortina 1964. Two recorded owners from new. Last owner since 1990.
A car that is part of the original Lotus Cortina story and original itself. Inspected, confirmed, and documented by the Lotus Cortina register.
// Model History
The Lotus Cortina has a fascinating history and shaped Ford of Europe into a performance brand. Expertly aided by iconic F1 drivers Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and many more
showing its race winning pedigree on the racetracks of the world.
Sometime in the Spring of 1962, Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars had a meeting with Walter Hayes from Ford. Hayes had been charged by the US parent to develop a programme in the UK that
would promote the Ford product in motorsport over the coming five years, and he had heard about what Lotus were doing with their engine. The cash-strapped Lotus organisation and the
ever-optimistic Colin Chapman were delighted to enter into a deal whereby Lotus would modify the Cortina for fast road use and build sufficient numbers for it to be homologated for racing.
Ford would be responsible for producing the trimmed and painted bodyshell and for the sales and marketing of the car, whilst Lotus would assemble the cars.
The early cars produced in 1963/ 4 were Homologation specials and contained the ingredients that Colin Chapman and his team felt they needed to make them into a race winner in Saloon
Car racing events.
// Equipment - Homologation Cars
Homologation Cars complete aluminium bonnet and boot lid, aluminium door skins. Aluminium driveline components replacing cast iron bell housing, gear remote case, gear extension case, differential nose case. The steering box ratio was quickened, shorter front struts, shorter springs, altered dampers, thicker anti sway bar and bespoke cast straight steering arms fitted. A special torpedo tube prop shaft was connected to a Lotus designed A
frame coil suspension in the rear, with adjustable dampers and special chassis mounts for A frame location. The body shells built partially off line in Dagenham had special stress tubes often called king posts welded in from chassis rails up to top of rear shock towers then backwards to rear chassis rails in boot floor.
Additionally, bigger diff humps were put in floor to allow for lower ride height. Many other detail changes were made to shell such as inner front wing edges rolled to facilitate wider tyres, relocation of battery in special mounting in boot and altered spare wheel floor mount. The vast majority of above was only fitted to these early
Homologation cars. Later, cars reverted to mostly Cortina GT spec equipment as Ford endeavoured to make the venture profitable. Probably forgetting that winning races etc. had made an indelible impression and led to sales success and iconic positioning of a huge number of subsequent models. This Lotus Cortina was found laid up in a barn in Devon in the mid-1980s still in original one owner condition but requiring restoration. Whilst it passed through one pair of hands, one of the
West Country’s foremost bodywork men he lost interest in completion returning to his first love of bodywork restoration of early E type Jaguars. It was purchased from him bodywork completed but in a disassembled state by Mr. Terry Batchelor of the Lotus Cortina Spares Centre in Crewkerne Somerset.
Mr. Batchelor, an accomplished Automotive Engineer in his own right, had the V5 changed to his name and began the journey to completion. As is often the case with the (builder’s house) Terry
business was a busy and expanding enterprise credited by many as the reason many of these cars are still on the road as he engineered and had many unobtainable parts reproduced to a
high standard.
In fact, in the intervening years between 1990 and to last year progress although steady was slow. It was painted to a high standard and Terry’s love of mechanical work led to an engine
rebuilt to run like a fine sewing machine. All mechanicals were reworked to a very high standard. The writer became aware of the car around 2015 when visiting his premises to search for parts.
Seeing it stalled awaiting seat restoration and a few other details I arranged the seats to have frames powder coated and retrimmed by Aldridge Classic vehicle trimmers in Wolverhampton. After some more nudging of Terry and a final carburettor strip and clean by tuning guru Mr. Nick Stagg a close friend of Terry’s the car was ready to go to the Lotus Cortina 60th Anniversary gathering at British Motor Museum last year for its coming out.
This example features numbers matching Cyl Block & Cyl Head, original matched carburettors, and its original driveline. Interior wise, it still retains its original 3-piece rubber mats an unheard
of in other Lotus Cortinas of the era.
A car that is part of the original Lotus Cortina story and original itself. Inspected, confirmed, and documented by the Lotus Cortina register.
