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| Cortina MKII |
October 1966 gave buyers their first sight of a new Cortina. It offered a crisp, clean, almost timeless European styling appeal, and a more powerful 1300cc engine complimenting the 1500cc unit.. From February 1967 the 105mph Lotus saloon was added to the range.
The distinctive "kick up" style over the rear arches not only enhanced appearance but also significantly increased the boot size which, at 21 cubic feet was more than any other car in its class.
The MKII estate was also a class leader offering 70.8 cubic feet of capacity and a load floor length of 6 feet 4 inches. Safety at night had also been considered with wrap around lamp clusters so that, even from the side the rear of the car was clearly defined at night.
Other safety features included door handles, window winders, light switches and a windscreen wash/wiper control all designed to "break away" in an accident. Childproof locks were fitted to the rear doors and steering wheels were deeply dished for safety.
From August 1967 there was the new and soon to be famous cross flow engine. These more powerful engines were available in 1300cc and 1600cc sizes with an up-rated version of the engine for the GT.
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The 1600E
Apart from the charismatic Lotus Cortina which was discontinued in July 1970, the MKII range will probably be remembered for one particular model - the 1600E
Te E, which stood for Executive, brought the "feel" of big-car luxury motoring to a medium size family car. The E's matt black rear panel, body coachline and elegant "E" motif placed discreetly on the rear quarter pillars, and unique RoStyle sports road wheels, distinguished the car externally.
With the exception of the Lotus model, which featured a special 115bhp, twin overhead camshaft with twin-choke Weber DCOE carburettors, all later Cortina MKII engines had the Ford Crossflow cylinder head and bowl-in-piston combustion chamber arrangement.
Power was delivered to the road wheels through a four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox controlled by a fully-remote, floor-mounted gear lever. This transmission was standard across the entire range. However a special close-ratio gearbox was developed for the GT, 1600E and Lotus models. A column shift automatic transmission priced at £82 was a regular production option on most models.
Hydraulically operated front disc brakes and self adjusting rear drum brakes were also standard, with vacuum operated servo assistance included for the Lotus model. Front suspension was fully independent using MacPherson struts whilst rear suspension utilised longitudinal semi-elliptic springs. Rear axle location was further assisted on the 1600E and Lotus models by twin radius arms.
Price including purchase tax, for the Cortina MKII in 1970 ranged from £863 for the De Luxe 2-door saloon to £1613 for the Lotus Cortina. Production of the MKII had reached 1,027,869 by September 1970 and the arrival of the MKIII.
| September 1966 |
MKII Cortina De-Luxe/Super/GT 2- and 4-door introduced with new 1300 engine, 1500 optional on De Luxe, standard on Super and GT. Steering column and bench seat option. Different instrument binnacle on GT. |
| February 1967 | Estate car introduced, 1300 and 1500. |
| March 1967 | MKII Cortina Lotus introduced. |
| August 1967 |
1300 crossflow introduced, 1600 crossflow replaces 1500. GT uses 1600 GT engine. Super now has GT type remote gear lever and centre console clock. |
| September 1967 | 1600E announced. |
| October 1967 |
Interior changes to Cortina Lotus including clock on centre console and aeroflow ventilation changes. 1.3 and 1.6 crossflow engines fitted. 1600E launched. |
| October 1968 |
FORD in capitals on bonnet and boot. All models have remote change gear lever. Reclining seats optional. |
| July 1970 | MKII Cortina Lotus discontinued. |
| August 1970 | 1600E discontinued. |
| September 1970 | MKII Cortina discontinued. |
Specifications
| 1300 | 1300 Crossflow | 1500 | 1600 Crossflow | 1600 GT | Lotus Cortina | |
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Engine |
in-line 1297cc 4 cylinder ohv |
in-line 1297cc 4 cylinder ohv |
in-line 1498cc 4 cylinder ohv |
in-line 1599cc 4 cylinder ohv |
in-line 1599cc 4 cylinder ohv |
in-line 1558cc 4 cylinder dohc |
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Bore x Stroke |
80.97 x 62.99mm | 80.96 x 72.75mm | 80.98 x 72.62mm | 80.96 x 77.62mm | 80.96 x 77.62mm | 82.6 x 72.75mm |
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Maximum Power |
53.5bhp @ 4800 rpm | 58bhp @ 5000rpm | 59.5bhp @ 4600rpm | 71bhp @ 5000rpm | 88bhp @ 5400rpm | 109.5bhp @ 6000rpm |
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Transmission |
4 speed | |||||
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Wheelbase |
98 in (2490mm) | |||||
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Track |
52.5 in (1334mm) | |||||
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Length |
168 in (4267mm) | |||||
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Front Suspension |
independent MacPherson strut | |||||
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Rear Suspension |
semi elliptic | |||||
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Brakes |
Four wheel hydraulic (front disc/rear drum) | |||||
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Maximum Speed |
80mph (128kmh) | 81mph (130kph) | 83mph (134kmh) | 91mph (146kmh) | 100mph (161kmh) | 104mph (167kmh) |
Prices (May 1969)
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Model |
Price £ S D |
Purchase tax £ S D |
Total £ S D |
| Cortina De-Luxe Saloon (4 cylinder - 1300cc engine) |
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| 2 door | 620 0 0 | 189 8 11 | 809 8 11 |
| 4 door | 640 0 0 | 195 11 2 | 835 11 2 |
| Cortina Super Saloon (4 cylinder - 1600cc engine) |
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| 2 door | 670 0 0 | 204 14 6 | 874 14 6 |
| 4 door | 690 0 0 | 210 16 9 | 900 16 9 |
| Cortina GT (4 cylinder - 1600cc engine) |
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| 2 door | 735 0 0 | 224 11 9 | 959 11 9 |
| 4 door | 755 0 0 | 230 13 11 | 985 13 11 |
| Cortina 1600E (4 cylinder - 1600cc engine) |
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| 4 door | 840 0 0 | 266 13 5 | 1096 13 5 |
| Cortina Lotus (4 cylinder - 1558cc engine) |
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| 2 door | 945 0 0 | 288 15 1 | 1233 15 1 |
| Cortina De-Luxe Estate (4 cylinder - 1300cc engine) |
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| 4 door | 715 0 0 | 218 9 6 | 933 9 6 |
| Cortina Super Estate (4 cylinder - 1600cc engine) |
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| 4 door | 765 0 0 | 233 15 1 | 998 15 1 |
| Static Seat Belts | 6 10 0 | 1 19 9 | 8 9 9 |
Factory Fitted Options |
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| 1600cc engine (4 door De Luxe Saloon and De Luxe Estate Car) |
35 0 0 | 10 13 11 | 45 13 11 |
| Automatic Transmission (All models except GT, 1600E and Cortina Lotus) |
68 0 0 | 20 15 7 | 88 15 7 |
| Metallic Paint | 5 0 0 | 1 10 7 | 6 10 7 |
| 4.5" Wheels with Radial Ply Tyres (All models except GT, 1600E and Cortina Lotus) |
8 10 0 | 2 12 0 | 11 2 0 |
| Radial Ply Tyres (Super only) |
5 0 0 | 1 10 7 | 6 10 7 |
| Fully Reclining Bucket Seats | 20 0 0 | 6 2 3 | 26 2 3 |
| Bench Seat (Column Change) (Super Saloon and Estate Car) |
10 0 0 | 3 1 2 | 13 1 2 |
| Medium/Long Wave Radio (Manual) |
16 5 0 | 4 19 4 | 21 4 4 |
| Laminated Windshield (Cortina Lotus only) |
13 0 0 | 3 19 6 | 16 19 6 |
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