The Cortina Mk2 debuted at the 1966 London Motor Show, with Ford's marketing emphasising a Swinging London image. The 1600E evolved from Dagenham's logical desire to create a flagship version for the professional driver who demanded performance, comfort and a fair degree of verve in their car. Ford's management evidently thought such a driver would require less performance than the Cortina Lotus, but more social distinction than a Cortina Super could hope to offer. Since January 1965, the company had used the Executive brand for their flagship saloons, commencing with a lavishly appointed version of the Zodiac Mk3, followed in 1966 by the Zodiac Executive Mk4.
January 1967 saw the debut of the Corsair 2000E, which Ford GB hoped would appeal to drivers in the Rover P6/ Triumph 2000 income bracket, with the Cortina 1600E making its bow nine months later. Surprisingly, Walter Hayes, the company's head of public relations, was apparently not in favour of this new version. He initially believed it would debase the GT and the Cortina Lotus Mk2, which was also due for launch in 1967. According to the late Graham Robson in his indispensable book Cortina –
