Lot details
Registration No: HVK939C
Chassis No: CM77ER14409
Mot Expiry: Nov 2019

- RHD Rhodesian-built GT previously resident in South Africa prior to recent import to UK

- Extremely well presented and unmolested example

- UK registered with current MoT to 25 November 2019

- White with twin chrome stripes and Black interior

With Cortinas a rare sight these days, it's hard to believe that the model was by far the Britain's best-selling car throughout the 1970s - available in two and four-door Saloon or Estate versions. Five generations were produced between 1962 and 1982, each of which notched up over a million sales. At introduction the car was powered by an 1193cc three-bearing version of the four-cylinder, OHV 'Kent' engine, though the option of a five-bearing 1500cc unit followed within months. Initially the mechanical specification echoed that of the Anglia with four-speed manual gearbox, drum brakes all-round, MacPherson strut front suspension, live axle mounted on leaf springs at the rear, and recirculating ball steering. The GT was a halfway house between the standard 1500cc models and the twin-cam engined Cortina Lotus. Something of a wolf in sheep's clothing, its tuned engine complete with twin-choke Weber carburettor gave about 30 percent more power. It also sported lower, stiffer suspension and disc brakes in place of drums at the front. Though the Lotus became one of Ford's all-time great competition cars, the GT was no mean performer and examples notched up memorable wins on the track and in the forest.

As verified by the Cortina MKI club, the very tidy-looking two-door 1500 GT now offered was built in Rhodesia in 1965 and resided for most of its time in South Africa before being imported to the UK recently by the vendor. Finished in White matched to a Black vinyl interior, 'HVK 939C' looks remarkably original aside of its attractive Minilite-style road wheels, period door mirrors, woodrim steering wheel and chrome rocker cover. The vendor presently grades the fast Ford's bodywork as 'excellent' and its paintwork, upholstery, 'Kent' engine and manual gearbox as 'very good'. A nice and increasingly rare opportunity for Cortina aficionados everywhere.