Rally Preparation Services is pleased to offer this absolutely superb LHD 1966 Lotus Cortina resplendent in Ermine White and the signature Sherwood Green stripe.

Most petrol heads know the tales of Jim Clark’s exploits in the glorious Lotus Cortina but why did Ford treat us to this legend. Research Ford cars in the early ‘60s and you will soon find that Ford had a worthy but dull model range. The exciting new Cortina was coming soon though but even that had old fashioned mechanicals. There is however an adage in the motor industry, first attributed to Harvey Firestone (as in Firestone tyres) “Win on Sunday – sell on Monday”. The Ford management in Dearborn remembered the phrase and charged Walter Hayes from within their own PR team to develop a motorsport program in the UK. Walter called Colin Chapman at Lotus; it was the obvious thing to do. Lotus had already developed the Twin-Cam derivative of the Ford Kent engine for the Lotus Elite mated to a Ford gearbox. It would all easily fit into the new Cortina, so it wasn’t long before the “Consul Cortina developed by Lotus” was in production. Ford soon abandoned the Consul moniker but always referred to the car as the Cortina Lotus. In fact, trimmed body shells were dispatched from Dagenham to the tiny Lotus factory where final assembly took place and not surprisingly, we all know the car as the Lotus Cortina.

Early cars had some aluminium panels and lightweight casings as well as a complex if slightly fragile “A” frame rear suspension. Later cars were fitted with cheaper and more robust items and thankfully a conventional leaf spring axle much better suited to rallying.
This classic Lotus Cortina rally car has an authentic chassis plate confirming manufacture at Dagenham in April 1966 making it one of the last to be built. It was prepared in 1966 with all the right bits as a Historic spec rally car by renowned Ford rally specialists David Sutton’s Historic Motorsport for the 2000 London to Sydney Marathon. The car has been overhauled again by Historic Motorsport and subsequently completed Le Jog in 2002 and the Mintex Rally Yorkshire in 2019. Clearly maintained without regard to cost this is a wonderful example and ready to go.

The car is currently with RPS’ sister company, the SASCo storage facility and available for inspection.

All viewings and test drives welcomed by appointment at Rally Preparation Services.

All enquiries please contact us on mail@rpsrally.com or telephone +44(0)1993 358009

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