1967 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk. II Twin Cam | The Summer Serenade Auction | 18th July

• Single family ownership since new
• Garaged for many years• Recent mechanical work

Following on from the enormous success of the Lotus Cortina Mk. I, Ford was keen to capitalise on its collaboration with Colin Chapman’s enterprise. The Mk. I had achieved everything and more than they could expect in motorsport, but the public linked its competition success with Lotus and its negative points with Ford. Ford was enthusiastic to build a Mk. II Lotus and compete with it, but Lotus was moving from Cheshunt to Hethel and was therefore unable to build the new car themselves. Ford executives decided they would make the car at Dagenham themselves alongside the other Cortinas. This would also make the car more cost effective, and because of the change Ford renamed the Lotus version the Cortina-Lotus. The key updates for the new model were the Lotus twin cam engine now giving 109bhp, a larger fuel tank, the spare wheel could now be mounted in its wheel well, and the battery remained in the boot to aid weight distribution.

This remarkably original example has remained in the same family since rolling out of Dagenham in 1967. Purchased new by our vendor’s father, it was his pride and joy until his passing in 1970, when ownership transferred to his son. The Cortina continued in regular use as a daily driver for the next fifteen years before being carefully garaged. During the 1980s, it underwent a refurbishment by George Robinson's Vegantune of Spalding, a highly respected specialist renowned for its work on Lotus Elans and Lotus Twin Cam engines.

Since then, the car has seen only occasional use and has spent the majority of its time in storage. The last substantial drive undertaken by our vendor was in 2017, after which the Cortina remained garaged until being recommissioned just a few months ago and returned to roadworthy condition. Combining single-family ownership, documented refurbishment, and impressive originality, this charming Cortina presents a rare opportunity to acquire a well-preserved classic with genuine provenance and excellent value appeal. Consigned by Charlie McCreery