MK1 CORTINA
The Mk1 Cortina has been a firm favourite with Ford fans for years. With a successful racing heritage, drivers like Jim Clark firmly established the car’s potential in the minds of the public — and with the tuning houses, too.
As a result there have always been cheap and easy upgrades for the Mk1, and mixing and matching parts from other models has been the norm for Cortinas for decades. Not only were Mk1s a cheap and accessible way into the modifying scene, their classic looks accompanied with bucketloads of charm never fail to catch people’s attention.
The massive increase in popularity in recent years has led the Cortina to be a victim of its own success as prices have risen meaning they’re not the bargain they once were. That’s the downside — the upside is that as a result, there are now many more upgraded parts available off the shelf — and these are cheaper than ever.
Through decades of development work, we’ve seen Mk1 Cortinas progress and evolve in all manner of ways — and upgrading them has never been so easy. There are tried and thoroughly tested conversions and techniques to modernise or improve yours — and this guide will give you the lowdown on the best of them.
BODY
The Cortina shape was an instant classic when announced in 1962 that has gained many fans over the years. There are obvious American influences, but in a heavily scaled-down and typically English fashion that’s been proportioned exactly right — in fact, many would argue there isn’t a bad angle on the car.
In today’s times, it’s now a shape that possesses all the charm a true classic Ford should do, while still managing to not look too out of
