1964 Ford Cortina

Anyone who knows me well, probably knows that I've always preferred smaller cars. And going back to Car #1 (a 1967 Sunbeam Imp), I've been known to show a soft spot for the off-beat every now and then. So why not drive this 1964 Ford Cortina Mk.1 into the Lotto Garage? It's British Ford at its best — some of these were converted into highly desirable Lotus Cortinas by famed race car developer Colin Chapman; but I've never been one for the glamor, high-speed cars. Give me the Plain Janes any day, like the Lotuses (Loti?) which were available as two- and four-door sedans (saloons) and a four-door wagon (estate). The Mk.1 debuted as the Ford Consul Cortina for 1962 (the Consul name was dropped for 1964), and gave way to the completely redesigned (and in my opinion, duller-looking) Mk.2 for the '67 model year. The Cortina disappeared from the American market with the birth of the Pinto in 1971, and in Canada two years later. — jc