The Ford Cortina was manufactured as a 4-door sedan/wagon and a 2-door coupe and sold in several parts of the world from 1962 to 1982. It drew its name from the Cortina d’Ampezzo (a ski resort that hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics), became especially famous in the UK, and ended up becoming the region’s best-selling car in the 70s (having sold over 2 million units). It also experienced its fair share of racing glory, having taking part in several races in North America, the UK, and Australia (it won the 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship) in the 1960s and 1970s. It survived five generations in Australia until the Ford Telstar eventually replaced it.
Mark I (1962-1966)
Cortina’s appeal to Australian buyers can be credited to the fact that it was designed to be fuel-efficient, cheap to maintain, and inexpensive. The Australian Cortina was manufactured and sold as a four-door sedan, and it initially came in two trims, the Consul MK 1 and the GT.
- The Consul MK I came with a 1,198 cc 1.2 L petrol engine that produced a maximum power of 40 kW and a torque of 90 Nm.
- The GT trim came with a 1,498cc 1.5L petrol engine that was more powerful (62 kW) and produced a torque of 131 Nm.
Mark II (1966-1970)
The second-generation Cortina was designed four years after the unveiling of Mark I. It was, however, shorter but more spacious than its predecessor. To mitigate some of the issues that the MK I had, Ford made some improvements, such as enhancing its suspension, smaller turning circle, and installing self-adjusting brakes, among other changes. In 1966, Ford introduced the Coupe 220, 240, and GT500 (fitted with the Mark I GT engine) and the Sedan 440. The Coupe 220, 240, and Sedan 440 used a 1,298cc 1.3L petrol engine (43kW, 100 Nm) and a 4-speed manual transmission.
Later on, in 1967, all the trim models sold in Australia came with a 1,499cc 1.5L petrol engine, which produced 48 kW in power and a torque of 119 N.m. The available transmissions were 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic. In 1968, additional engine choices for the 440 Sedan and 240L Coupe included a 1.6L (56 kW, 131Nm) and a 1.3L (43 kW, 100Nm) engines paired with 4-speed manual transmission.
Mark III
Interesting fact: The inspiration behind the design of the Mark III Cortina was the Coke bottle. The trim levels for the Mark III available in Australia were the Base, L (luxury), XLE, GT, and GXL. Mark III was heavier than its predecessor, which was Ford's way of improving secondary safety, a trend that was gaining traction at the time.
The power trains that were available for the Mark III were:
- 2.0L inline-four petrol engine that attained peak power of 83kW and a torque of 165 Nm
- 4.1L inline-six petrol engine that could attain up to 116kW and 324 Nm of torque
- 3.3L inline-six petrol engine that produced 83kW of peak power and a maximum torque of 256 Nm
You’d get one with either a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission.
Note: From 1971, Ford went with 4-door sedans and wagons, and the coupes were not available in Australia.
Mark IV (1976-1979)
Mark IV's design was more conventional and was much lighter (because Ford used less steel on it) than its predecessors, and it appealed more to fleet buyers than individual buyers. Most of the improvements made on the Mark III were carried forward to the Mark IV, such as the improved suspension, the new instrument panel, and the raised driving position. There were five trim models to choose from - Base, L, S (the sports variant), GL, and Ghia.
The powertrains used (including the 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission) were the same ones used for the Mark III, namely:
- 2.0L inline-four petrol engine (83kW, 165 Nm)
- 4.1L inline-six petrol engine (116kW, 324 Nm)
- 3.3L inline-six petrol engine (83kW, 256 Nm)
Interesting trivia: Mark IV featured in the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
Mark V (1979-1982)
The Mark V had its debut in August 1979 with four variants, i.e., Base, Gl, L and Ghia. It was primarily an update of its predecessor with a wider grille, revised headlights, larger turn indicators, flat roof, larger slated tail lights, S badge on the boot, bumper overriders (both front and rear), and a sports gear lever knob among other improvements.
The Mark V retained the powertrains used in Mark IV. Its production was halted in 1982, ending its 20-year stint in the Australian market.
After five generations and more than half a century since Ford rolled out Mark I, the Cortinas are still around to this day. If you happen to have this classic sitting in your garage right now – whether you’re looking to sell it (or its parts) or you’re restoring one and need auto parts – you should visit us at Carpart.com.au. We’re the go-to website for buyers and sellers of car parts and accessories in Australia. We can even help you search for complete vehicles! Check us out now!
Author: Eric Anyega