Being a sales leader is not an easy achievement to maintain. Ford aware that customers expected improvements and fresh approaches to design to encourage them to remain faithful to a manufacturer's product, made yet more improvements.

The revisions of 1980 changed the appearance sufficiently for the trade and public to dub the new car the "MKV", although this was not officially a Ford marque. It gave Ford a family design image as it provided Cortina with an appearance closely resembling that of the larger Granada range.

Glass area was again increased, larger wrap around bumpers gave more protection to the bodyshell and a new aerofoil grille further improved both appearance and delivery of cooling air to the engine bay. Viscous-coupled fans were also fitted to all engines.

Four Million Cortinas

On July 22, 1980, the four millionth Cortina, a 2 litre Ghia model, was driven off the production line at Dagenham. Ford planners were however already well advanced with plans for the launch of a new and exciting replacement - Sierra - which was just two years away.

Cortina prices in 1982 started at £4515.10 for the 2 door 1300L. The top of the range 2.3 Ghia saloon was priced at £4694.53 of which £1123.53 was VAT and £576.17 was car tax.

Keeping Cortina at the top of the sales charts became a dedication epitomised by Ford's "Added Value Program" which offered improved equipment levels, often at no cost to the customer.

The Last Cortinas

As competitors and motoring press learned of revolutionary changes that Sierra would bring to the Cortina-size sector, Ford kept a firm grip on to its valuable market share with special edition models. The first was Carousel, launched in June 1981 with 1.3 and 1.6 litre engines. It had attractive two tone paint schemes as well as additional equipment such as sports road wheels, remote-control door mirrors and a fitted radio and console.

The last special edition was the Cortina Crusader based on 1.3, 1.6 and 2 litre saloons and estates. Crusader offered two tone paint options, sports wheels, a remote control drivers door mirror, locking fuel cap, push button radio with console, Ghia style seats and additional sound deadening.

Between 1976 and 1982, Dagenham produced 1,131,850 Cortina MKIVs as well as 1,333,993 Taunus models from Ford's Cologne and Belgium lines for sale in left hand drive European markets.

A Place in Motoring History

Throughout two decades, oil crises, world trade recessions and three day working weeks, Cortina had carried Ford through with its much coveted "best seller" image. Poets and pop stars had even written and sung of the Cortina's importance as part of the country's social history.

A generation had relied on the Cortina which had found favour with a wide range of people from the high mileage taxi driver, commuters and even competition drivers. It also became the work horse of the business man and Britain's army of sales representatives.

The Cortina had been exported to almost every corner of the world including even Japan, where high tax penalties for cars above a certain size meant that the width of the car had to be reduced by a few centimetres. With the onset of the 1980s Ford had anticipated the need for more technically advanced and aerodynamic, fuel efficient cars for the next decade with the Sierra design.

The long surviving Cortina and Taunus  ranges were replaced by Sierra in September 1982, exactly 20 years to the day that the first Cortina was launched.