• South African import
• Previously resprayed
• Tax and MOT exempt 
• Amazing paint and interior quality
• Rare factory cloth, and vinyl seat covers

The Ford Consul Corsair was manufactured by Ford UK between 1963 and 1970 where it would have two major variants, between 63-65 it was the Ford Consul Corsair and between 65-70, it was more simply known as the Ford Corsair V4. Over the six-year production run in the UK around 300,000 units were manufactured but there is only a handle left on the roads these days.

The Corsair was designed by the same team that had also designed the now infamous Cortina and was essentially a longer wheelbase Cortina with extra soundproofing and more comfortable seating. Ultimately making it a better variant of the Cortina.

Built-in Ford’s South African, Port Elizabeth factory this Corsair resided in the sunny climate of South Africa until it left for the UK in June of 2021.
Whilst over in South Africa this Corsair has lived a nice easy and quiet life. The previous owner, a businessman from Cape Town, found this car on a trip to Graaff-Reinet (some six hours away from Cape Town) to buy a different classic car, they were disappointed with the car they saw but were taken by this Corsair that sat in the corner of the garage. 

The owner at the time was adamant that the car was not for sale, but after some persistence, the Cape Town businessman was able to buy both the car he came to see and this Corsair. They took the car back to Guguletu near Cape Town and used it on Sundays, to drive to church.

The current owner ended up buying this car from the businessman and shipped it to a friend over here, in the UK. It landed a few months ago and has subsequently sailed through any checks or tests needed for it to come to the UK. All of the duties and taxes have been paid and there is official paperwork to prove this.

It has had a life that many UK variants haven’t experienced and it’s thanks to living in a hot climate that the condition of the car is as good as it is.

There is only a little bit of paperwork that comes with this car. Unlike the English culture of keeping every receipt for work done to your classic car, it is believed that South Africans may not be as meticulous in their receipt keeping.

You will however see that there is a modern V5, DVLA registration documents, the most recent MOT certificate, a receipt for 4 new whitewall tires and a new battery. Only a few bits of paperwork but this doesn’t matter that much when the car looks and drives, as well as this one, does.

The interior of this car is a great example of 60’s flamboyance, a combination of complementing greens and blues it is an interesting place to sit and enjoy the miles as Ford intended.

The cloth and vinyl interior are believed to be a very rare combination, it could be to do with the hotter climate over in South Africa where the vinyl would be more likely to crack or deteriorate quicker. These cloth and vinyl seats are in great condition with no major signs of wear and tear, there is a little mark on the driver’s seat, but it is only a very small mark.

All of the door cards are in great condition with the metal kick strips at the bottom also in great condition. They are finished in a lovely two-tone combination with lovely chrome handles for the door release and window winder.

The dashboard is in good condition, with no sign of cracking. The body-coloured steering wheel is as classic as they get with a lovely Corsair moniker in the centre of the wheel. Set in front of the wheel is a classic looking linear speedo, something that always denotes a proper classic car. The only issue that seems to be a part of the interior is there may be an issue with the odometer causing it to read more miles than is there. The new owner may need to look at this.

In the boot, you will find a spare wheel neatly stowed to the side and a box with a few spare parts, chrome door strips, lights and a little bit of touch up paint if needed.

Overall the interior of this car is a great place to be. The colours, if used alone, may have been too much, but with the different elements and aspects of the interior of the Corsair, these colours complement each other in a great fashion. It is a throwback to a time where car design was a combination of both simplistic post-war thinking matched with the start of the swinging sixties.

We should begin by saying what an excellent car this is to look at. With the sweeping chrome line that runs from the front, past the two-door handles, and onto the rear of the car, it is a timeless design that is somewhat more memorable than the boxier Cortina’s of the time.

Not only is the exterior design spot on but the colour is amazing too. It is rare to find a classic car in such a lovely blue. It is believed that at some point in South Africa it has had a respray, but it was resprayed in the original colour.

All of the chrome work that adorns the exterior of this Corsair is in good condition with no signs of pitting or rusting. It is thanks to this chrome and the amazing period correct white walls that this car looks so timeless.

With the limited paperwork it is hard to talk about the service history of this car, but when it arrived in the UK it was put through a full service with the fluids (including gearbox oil), plugs and filters changed. There has also been a new battery fitted and 4 new whitewall tires have been put on, it is thanks to this that the car now starts quickly and runs as smoothly as it does.

The current UK owner has put the car through an MOT, even though it doesn’t need one, this is just to make sure that the car was safe on the UK roads. You can search the number on gov.uk and see the advisories it had. No major faults were found but there are a few small jobs that the new owner may or may not want to get addressed.

When you get the car on the road this classic Corsair drives lovely, it pulls away nicely with no juddering and stops with no pulling to the left or the right. This car is a lovely clean example that has not been mucked about with over the past 56 years which is what you want to see.

The best part of this Corsair for the new owner is that they will be able to get in on the day of collection and drive it home as easily as a modern car.

Overall this Corsair is an excellent example of a classic offering from the blue oval. With such a timeless design language it is probably one of the most elegant looking classic Fords out there. The Corsair may have a family connection to many people as their dads, uncles, grandads, or other family members may have once owned a car very similar to this one.

With its life in the warmer climate of South Africa paired with the usage pattern over there, it is now presented in great condition and would only possibly need a little bit of work to bring it up to a show winning quality.

This is your opportunity to own a classic car that will be as much of an investment as it is a drivable classic car. The new owner should be able to create many happy memories with this Corsair at their side.

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