1965 Lotus Cortina

We should start this off by pointing out that the Lotus Cortina has been re-shelled at some point around 1990 by Graham Lepley and Ian Corkill Garages, Isle of Man, using a Mk1 Cortina GT bodyshell; this was then registered as MAN 675C as a Lotus Cortina.

The car was sold on 4th September 1992 to author and motorsport enthusiast Peter Robinson who brought the car back to the UK. The application form shows the car as a Lotus Cortina, but the V5 issued on the 30th September 1992 with registration number CYC 612C lists it as a Cortina Saloon. Since 1992 the car has had matching numbers and has continued to be successful in numerous events. There is some detailed information about the car in the book written by Peter Robinson titled “Memory Lanes….. Rally Tales 3”.

It was used in several competitions by Peter until 1999, when it was sold to the late Bob White, who was also successful in historic rally events, finishing with numerous top twenty and class wins. When Bob retired, Stacey Vickers took over the car's ownership in 2006, where it went on to receive a complete and extensive restoration to get it to the super high standard you see here today.

The restoration included a conversion to “A” frame suspension, and all new alloy body panels were fitted, which are all documented in the mammoth history files. Repainted in red and white, the car was unused and remained with Stacey until our vendor purchased it in 2016. He gave the Cortina a no-expense-spared mechanical rebuild to full FIA specification before using it with great success, including winning its class of the 2018 Gold Cup at Oulton Park. Since then, the car has only been used in 2022 at the Liverpool Motor Club Speed Championship, which consisted of three sprints at Aintree and one hillclimb at Barbon.

The Lotus Cortina has current FIA papers (HTP), valid until 31st December 2029.

It's clear to see just how well the Cortina has been treated since its restoration. Although it has been used competitively, the body shell is in extremely good condition inside and out.

At the front end, the grille is in good order, with just a few small age-related marks and some minor tarnishing. The lights are free from any damage, and the bonnet aligns well, held in place with two quick-release bonnet pins.

There is a small dent at the front edge of the offside wheel arch after an unfortunate incident setting up the caster/camber, and a small ding on the top edge of the rear quarter panel caused by a flyaway awning at an event. The shut lines are straight and even for the doors and boot and everything opens and closes as it should.

The windows, apart from the windscreen, are plastic; these are in good condition with just a few light age-related scratches picked up from cleaning, and the seals are in good condition with no real signs of perishing.

The wheels are Performance Minilite style wheels which are 13 x 5.5J. Finished in silver, these are in good order, with just a small amount of corrosion creeping in under the paint from the back of the spokes. The tyres are Dunlop Racing CR65s, which are just nicely scrubbed in. The car comes with a spare set of rims and tyres.

Inside the Cortina is as you would expect from a race car. A Corbeau Revolution racing seat has been fitted, which is in excellent condition showing no signs of excessive wear to the bolsters or base. An OMP racing harness holds you tightly in place, which is where you are faced with the three-spoke steering wheel complete with a Lotus centre badge and mounted to a Lifeline quick-release boss.

The dashboard is free from splits or cracks; the fascia has been made from aluminium to hold the gauges, which include volt, oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature, fuel pressure, tachometer and speedometer, which are all working as they should. To the right of the steering wheel is a brake bias adjuster for easy tweaking whilst on track.

The roll cage has the FIA-approved hologram sticker attached, and as you can see inside, the floor is nice and straight, with minimal scuffing to the driver's side. Two fire extinguishers are fitted; one is handheld, and the other is a Lifeline plumbed in and attached to the relevant scuttle panel mounted lever. The gearknob is a wooden Lotus item with no real signs of age.

Inside the boot, the fuel cell is mounted centrally and low, together with fuel pumps, swirl pot and a Varley 12v Lithium Motorsport Battery.

This is where the Lotus Cortina comes into its own; the Twin Cam engine is a Nick Stagg-built engine that had a new block and head. This was purchased new by a friend of the vendor as a spare engine, then sold unused to the vendor and fitted to the Lotus in 2018 - the V5 has not yet been updated to reflect the new engine number. Also, Nick Stagg would be happy to discuss the engine in detail with any prospective buyer of the Cortina. This engine has only raced twice in 2018, and been used for three sprints and one hill climb in 2022. It is a good, strong, quick and reliable engine, winning its class at the 2018 Oulton Park Gold Cup.

The gearbox in the car is a 2.5 first gear straight cut close ratio Quaife unit mounted to a 4.7 limited slip differential. These have been rebuilt by Nigel Wills-Brown of Roscoe Engineering. Driving the rear wheels, the axle has been specially built by Alan Henderson with uprated driveshafts and seals to cope with the extra stress from running the A-frame set-up.

The braking system features an Alan Henderson Racing adjustable pedal box and special discs, and the vendor has done extensive development work finding out which pad material works the best. The steering box is a rare high-ratio unit giving excellent feedback and precise control.

On the suspension, Koni adjustable dampers have been used, which have been set up with a specific bump/rebound to suit the A-frame rear suspension. This is totally adjustable for ride height and different spring rates, enabling the perfect set-up.

The vendor has consulted some of the best people in the business - Mike Jordan, Andy Middlehurst, Richard Dutton and Alan Henderson - during the build and combined their knowledge while using the finest parts available. As a result, the car starts, drives and runs as it should. It has been prepped ready for the 2023 Liverpool Motor Club Speed Championship in May and is ready to go.

Looking at the racing history of the Cortina, it has been very successful in most of the events it has competed in since the car was restored in 1990. One of the most famous is Ian Corkhill in 1991, winning the Manx Historic, for which there are photographs included in the vast history file. Other successes have included:

• 1st in class 1994 National Brittania
• 1st in class 1995 Ypres 24 Hours Historic
• 10th overall 1996 Ypres 24 Hours Historic
• Plus, many more European rallies covered with class wins
• And as mentioned earlier, 1st in class of the 2018 Gold Cup at Oulton Park
• 1st in class at Liverpool Motor Club Speed Championship in 2022

Aside from these wins, a tremendous amount of paperwork covers the history and parts invoices, which add up to thousands of pounds spent getting the car to this standard. There is also a large folder full of set-up notes and tweaks for the car, worth its weight in gold when it comes to racing.

Ready to race? This successful 1965 Lotus Cortina is prepped and ready to go. After having thousands spent on it over several years, the Cortina is in excellent condition both cosmetically and mechanically. It has the relevant FIA paperwork, which is valid until 31st December 2029.

This just leaves one thing to say…. Drivers, start your engines!

We estimate this stunning, well-built 1965 Lotus Cortina will bring in the region of £40,000- £60,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Liverpool. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.