Class of 62: Ford Cortina
No one could have imagined that the Cortina introduced by Ford in 1962 would be such a huge success. The car was sold in large numbers and what was even better: Ford made good money from it.
This in contrast to the competitor, the previously described Morris 1100. That Morris was based on the Mini and that nice car was also a loss. Only when the Clubman came on the market with the angular front screens were black numbers written. The screens were cheaper to make and the selling price was increased because the model was "more luxurious". At the Cortina there was a good calculation by the management. The technology was not spectacular and rear-wheel drive was used. The car was extremely suitable for daily use and the car also proved its worth for so-called "driving schools".
The lady in the photo only struggled to find the forward because she accidentally reversed.
Whoops..The Cortina was later also fitted with a faster engine and was therefore even called Lotus Cortina. In that version you encountered him on all kinds of circuits and in the white color with the green trim, the car was a striking appearance. By the way, Ford called the car Cortina Lotus and not all of them were painted white and green.
Text and photos: Jacques van den Bergh www.jbfreelancejournalistiek.nl