1966 Ford LOTUS CORTINA

With a genuine ‘BA74’ chassis number (per seller, as agreed by Lotus Cortina Register), the Lotus Cortina started life as a rally car, competing successfully for a number of years before taking on a new role as an Appendix K-compliant racing car - and those familiar with the demands of Appendix K will realise that the work required was not insignificant.

We’ll go into more detail later in the advertisement but in brief it comprised seam-welding and strengthened the bodyshell before it was prepared and painted. The car was then rebuilt from the ground up with a vast quantity of new components including a newly rebuilt engine, plus a brand new gearbox, suspension, and braking system.

Most of the glass was replaced with polycarbonate items, the fuel cell was been mounted as low as possible to lower the car’s centre of gravity, and the bolt-in roll-cage, Sparco seats and TRS harnesses are all FIA-compliant and in-date.

Having been recently only lightly raced, this lovely Lotus Cortina is being sold with a very sensible reserve and an unrivalled specification and condition; there are probably cheaper cars out there but almost certainly none that are more competitive. After all, if you’re buying a race car, you want to buy one that’s capable of winning, don’t you?

The bodyshell was completely stripped before being seam-welded and strengthened to Appendix K specification. It was then professionally prepared and resprayed in white with the traditional green stripe. The underside clearly received almost as much attention as the topside; it’s been painted but not undersealed and is beautifully detailed, including front and rear jacking points on either side.

The side and rear glass has been replaced with polycarbonate items to help reduce the car’s weight; the driver’s side front window incorporates a sliding ventilation panel, while the rear features fixed round ventilation holes. The windscreen is still made of glass, but the factory item has been replaced with one that incorporates a heating element to keep the ‘screen clear in inclement weather as the car’s internal heater has also been removed to save weight.

The bonnet scuttle features two handles: one for an electrical cut-out and one for the onboard OMP fire suppression system.

Thirteen-inch Minilite-style alloy wheels are shod with almost new Dunlop racing tyres. The car also comes with a spare set of Minilite-style wheels and tyres. The overall result is an impressively tidy car; while most racing cars are more about performance than aesthetics, this car is both beautiful, sharp and effective.

The interior specification and finish are as comprehensive as that on the exterior and the mechanical side. The Sparco racing seats (the passenger’s seat and harness are not currently fitted but do come with the vehicle) are FIA-compliant and in-date, as are the TRS six-point racing harnesses. The bolt-in roll-cage also meets the requirements laid down by the FIA.

The dashboard is rudimentary, featuring all the instruments and switches you need and nothing that you don’t, including a lovely Mota-Lita steering wheel, and an internal battery cut-off switch and fire suppression system.

The beautiful boot-mounted alloy fuel cell has been mounted as low as possible to help lower the car’s centre of gravity. This, along with the mounting for the rear-view mirror (go on, take a look for yourself!), are symbolic of the care and attention to detail that has been lavished on the car and we’d strongly encourage potential bidders to visit the car for themselves in order to properly appreciate it.

It is simple to say that there are race cars, and there are race cars, but it is very true in this case. A good car can be cheaper, but to have a car capable of reaching the front of the grid, the expenditure obviously racks up; firstly to build it, and also to purchase it.

The Lotus twin-cam engine was stripped and rebuilt by marque specialists Ridgeway Racing Engines in November 2016 to the correct specification. In brief, the work comprised a brand new cylinder head (costing more than £4,000 by itself and necessary because the old head had been fitted with over-size, and therefore illegal, valves), custom liners, new pistons, valves, springs camshafts and camshaft timing chain, a £2,000 crankshaft, and new fuel and water pumps.

The twin Weber carburettors were also completely overhauled before being carefully set-up. The exhaust gases vent via a side-exit exhaust system. Peak power is in the region of 190bhp, or almost twice what they had from the factory. In total, the bill for the engine work alone came to more than £16,000 and the car has only been used for one race since being fitted.

Other mechanical work to bring it to Appendix K specification includes fitting the existing gearbox casing with completely new internals (a £4,000 job all by itself…), a new limited-slip differential, upgraded rolled half-shafts, new front and rear suspension, a completely new braking system, and a lightweight battery. Jewel-like details abound including safety wired throttle cables adjuster nuts, Aeroquip brake and fuel hoses, an exposed, industrial-style gearchange, and an alloy oil catch tank in the engine bay.

The work is so comprehensive that it would be all but impossible to list here so we’d encourage you to look at the car for yourself and let the owner talk you through the details in person.

Eligible for a vast array of historic racing events, the car has been most recently raced in the Masters Historic Racing series at Silverstone in 2016. It comes with an MSA Historic Technical Passport.

It also has a number of documents and cuttings that detail its previous life as a competitive rally car, at which time it was issued with an Historic Rally Vehicle Identity Form. (This comes with the car.) It also has its original RAC Competition Car Log Book, which is a charmingly period item and wonderfully evocative.

It also comes with a number of old invoices, bills and receipts plus a number of expired MOT certificates and other paperwork. There are also some photographs of the car’s restoration and transformation into its current condition.

Please do visit the ‘Gallery’ section of this listing where you will find a number of documents to support the car’s originality, specification and historical importance.

The Ford Lotus Cortina is still something of an enigma; it has serious competition credentials and yet can still something of a wild card to price, particularly in race setup, with values ranging from the mid-twenties all the way to £60,000+ for the very best cars.

Which this one is; firstly it is a genuine Lotus Cortina (not something that can always be said of race cars), its specification is to die for and the care and attention to detail in the build is nothing short of stunning. So, given that this is one of the very best, if not the best, example being offered for sale today we expect this to go for £49-57,000. A not-inconsiderable sum, for sure, but worth every penny - and a fraction of the sum it cost the owner to buy and bring the car to the condition you see here. (Notes from The Market: three other race Cortinas with FIA HTP have sold at auction this year for over £50k)

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen near Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.