1965 Ford Lotus Cortina

In 1961, Colin Chapman was commissioned by Harry Mundy to design a twin-cam version of the Ford Kent engine and its first appearance was at the Nürburgring in a Lotus 23 driven by Jim Clark. Soon after, the engine appeared in the Lotus Elan. During the engine's development, Walter Hayes at Ford asked Colin Chapman to fit the twin-cam into 1,000 Ford saloons for Group 2 racing homologation. Chapman accepted the contract and the Type 28, or Lotus Cortina as it became known, was born. Whilst Ford supplied the two-door body shells and took care of the marketing, Lotus engineered the mechanical and cosmetic changes which included the 1,558cc engine along with the Elan's close-ratio gearbox, front quarter bumpers and Lotus badges. They also made changes to the interior with a new centre console to accommodate the revised gear lever position, different seats and a later styled dashboard that incorporated a tachometer, odometer, oil pressure, water temperature and fuel gauges. A wood-rimmed steering wheel was the finishing touch.

AYJ 888C was first registered on 1st of March 1965 making this example 58 years young. This is a super genuine car that's known to the Lotus Register and has been verified by the Chairman confirming its authenticity, offering peace of mind for any potential buyer. For the last two years the Lotus has been in a private collection and has barely turned a wheel prompting the decision to let it go. During those two years, however, the engine has been fully rebuilt by a classic specialist in Long Marston near Stratford-upon-Avon, the carburettors refreshed and the rear axle refurbished. Prior to our vendor, it was owned from 2006 by a Mr Roger Payne and it's believed that during his ownership the car was bodily restored, and you can see from underneath the car that it has not been used much since with the underside still showing white paint and looking relatively fresh. The engine bay, although very tidy, would benefit from further detailing and the steering wheel, as seen in the photos, is showing its age and will be restored prior to the sale in May. The Lotus has had just six previous keepers and a full list is in the car's history file.