27th May, 2020 14:00

A|B|C Live Auction Online

 
  Lot 317
 

1965 Ford Lotus Cortina
A 'matching numbers' car with its original chassis plate and Lotus build plate

Sold for £47,000

(including buyers premium)


Lot details

Registration No: BJC149C
Chassis No: BA74EP59177

Motor Car Location: West Midlands

  • A 'matching numbers' car that pleasingly retains its original chassis plate and Lotus build plate
  • Authenticated by Andy Morrell of the Lotus Cortina Register
  • The subject of 'a full bare shell, nut and bolt restoration to at least A1+ standard'
  • Factory-fitted SE specification engine complete with C-Type cams and cylinder head thoroughly overhauled by Don Loughlin Engineering
  • First registered on 30th June 1965 to Jones Bros garage in Llanwryst, near Betws-y-coed
  • History traced back to the second owner who bought it in 1970 by which time it had already been fitted with an Ian Walker suspension kit
  • Valued at £65,000

H&H are indebted to the vendor for the following description:

"I purchased this matching numbers car some ten years ago after months of searching for a genuine Lotus Cortina with correct original chassis plate and Lotus build plate both of which are on ‘BJC 149C’. The car has received a full bare shell, ‘nut and bolt’ restoration to at least A1+ standard and with minimum effort could be classified as concours. Original Ford wings were fitted and wherever possible genuine Ford repair panels were utilised during the refurbishment. The shell was professionally painted with low bake enamel and the underside treated with fine anti-chip body protection prior to being sprayed body colour.

The engine has been fully overhauled by Don Loughlin Engineering who built and maintained my Mini Cooper S and Lotus Twin-Cam engines over some twenty-five years of circuit racing. The original engine is fitted with C Type cams and cylinder head having been ordered to SE specification. Hence cam cover colour.

The gearbox fitted is the latest Lotus Elan specification with the improved larger blocker bars giving improved strength and enhanced synchromesh. The original gearbox is available and included in the sale.

The differential has been professionally reconditioned and the original Lotus machined driveshafts have been maintained. Wheels are freshly powder coated 5.5J x 13 shod with new Dunlop Aquajet 165HR x 13 tyres.

All running components have been totally reconditioned or renewed. These include: front discs, conifer brake pipes, servo, master brake and clutch cylinders, brake linings, slave cylinders, front and rear wheel bearings etc etc

New chrome bumpers and irons were fitted but the car retains its original front grille

Research of the car’s history confirms its authenticity with original DVLA and local authority records obtained. It was first registered on 30th June 1965 to Jones Bros garage in Llanwryst, near Betws-y-coed. Attempts to contact the first owner were to no avail but a brief chat with the second owner who bought it in 1970 confirmed that it had rear leaf springs installed then. It is fitted with a well-known conversion kit from Ian Walker, a famous Lotus competition driver. It seems possible that the conversion was done by the first owner.

It therefore has not been possible to establish that the car left the factory with the notorious A-frame rear suspension or not! It does have all the original brackets and mounting points so fitment would be easy (available as a kit for circa £900). The tell-tale red painted ‘Lotus 3A’ marking exists on the rear parcel shelf under the trim.

The interior was fully retrimmed by Simon Aldridge of Wolverhampton with the exception of the original Lotus seats which are as purchased. They are the correct seats as used just prior to the fitting of the later GT type.

It has a new old stock instrument panel with all the original instruments reconditioned by Lotus Cortina Spares Ltd

I have a box file of notes, receipts etc to go with the car which I purchased upon its return from Germany where it had lived for many years as a support road vehicle to a Lotus Cortina racing team. One photo shows it in paddock at Nurburgring with the racing vehicle.

All in all a rare original Lotus Cortina MKI, absolutely rust free and restored to a high standard which has yet to be run in!"

Model Background:

Mindful that the Harry Mundy and Keith Duckworth-developed Lotus Twin-Cam engine was based on his firm's 116E four-cylinder unit, Ford's boss of public relations Walter Hayes asked Colin Chapman to build 1,000 Lotus-powered Ford saloons for Group 2 homologation purposes. The savvy Hayes knew that winning on Sunday would sell cars on the Monday. The resultant Type 28 Lotus (or Cortina-Lotus in Ford speak) used a heavily revised suspension set-up, lightweight body panels and servo-assisted disc / drum brakes. Producing 105bhp and 108lbft, its 1558cc powerplant was allied to a close ratio four-speed manual gearbox and drove the rear wheels via an alloy-cased differential. Taking to the tracks in September 1963, its maiden outing at the Oulton Gold Cup was rewarded with third and fourth places behind two Ford 7-litre Galaxies. After the rear axle proved leak and failure-prone due to the loads put on it by the redesigned A-bracket / twin trailing arm rear suspension, the rear suspension was changed to leaf springs like Cortina GTs, the beginning of a progressive reworking in the interests of reliability and ease of maintenance that included a two-piece propshaft, steel panels, Airflow styling (complete with full-width grille), a stronger leaf-sprung rear axle and wider-spaced gear ratios. Highly sought after as a road car thanks to its class-leading performance and handling, the MkI Lotus-Cortina remained in production until 1966 by which time 3,301 are thought to have been made.

 

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Auction: A|B|C Live Auction Online, 27th May, 2020

AUCTION VIEWING
By appointment only. 

AUTOMOBILIA - from Lot 101
BIKES - from Lot 201
CARS - from Lot 301

BUYERS PREMIUM
12.5% (plus VAT @ 20%) for Motor Cars & Motorcycles
15% (plus VAT @ 20%) for Automobilia

COVID-19 BUSINESS UPDATE
Click here for our FAQ

H&H has to rely on information as to the date, condition and authenticity provided by the Seller and does not provide its own description, and does not and cannot undertake its own inspection of vehicles or other Lot.

It is the responsibility of the Buyer to ensure that the Lot conforms to the description in the catalogue, H&H strongly recommend viewing the lot prior to bidding as all bids are subject to standard terms and conditions.

View all lots in this sale

Do you have an item to sell?

If so, contact one of our friendly specialists for your free valuation by completing the form below and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to speak to humans, don't hesitate to call our office on +44 (0)1925 210035

Contact Us Today!

 

Images

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Turning the Page: A New Chapter for H&H Classics
Goon, Goon, Gone: Unique Peter Sellers 1960 Bentley heads to auction
Eclectic 150-plus classic car auction helps round out H&H’s milestone 30th year celebrations
One of the UK’s best driving Aston Martin DB5s heads to auction
Mid-century sports car icons race to Buxton auction
Former front cover ‘star’ heads to auction
Classic British motorcycles shine as 230 lots head to the National Motorcycle Museum auction
Racing legend Patsy Burt's Jaguar XK120 speeds to Buxton auction
22-strong single owner classic motorcycle collection heads to auction
Norton's racing heritage set to ignite the auction stage
Rare Frazer-Nash BMW with rich racing history to be auctioned
“The Rolls-Royce” of the motorcycle world, heads to      auction
Martini inspired Porsche 911 ‘RSR’ Tribute to head under the hammer
Rare ‘Car on Two Wheels’ heads to auction for the first time in 30 years
More than 100 classics sold in H&H’s 30th anniversary sale
Stunning classics worth more than £9 million offered in 30th anniversary auction
Rare Aston Martin DB1 heads to anniversary auction from long-term ownership
Rare Bentleys to star in 30th celebration auction
H&H Classics 30th Anniversary Auction
H&H unveils details of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Classic car owners handed ULEZ lifeline
H&H Classics auction Hurricane X-75 Prototype to National Motorcycle Museum
Vintage and modern classics lead the way at latest H&H sale
H&H offers exceptional range of vehicles spanning 11 individual decades
Pavilion Gardens. Wednesday 26th July 2023
A whimsical blast from the past: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang recreation heads to auction
From Italy with love: auction showcasing the essence of Italian design and sprezzatura
250 Motorcycles & Vintage Scooters Set To Go Under The Hammer!
March of the Mods: Lambretta owned by Paul Weller heads to auction
Lawbreakers to law enforcers: historic scooters with infamous connections up for sale
Jaguar SS100 among £2¼  million worth of classics sold at the Imperial War Museum
British classics to shine at H&H Classics’ sale
Historic Guinness Collection heads to auction
Browse The Catalogue Now! 135 Classic & Performance Cars To Go Under The Hammer.
Robbie Savage’s Ferrari F430 to be sold at H&H Classics
RAC Rally winning ‘Jaguar’ to be sold at auction
Former MP’s Bentley and Facel Vega ‘garage find’ among £1.3m worth of classics hammered away by H&H
Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Auction Preview Video
Genuine ‘matching numbers’ 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback among 89 strong classic car auction
Rare Facel Vega ‘garage find’ heads to auction
Indian 4 and Lambretta DL200
Golden opportunity to acquire famous limited edition Italjet scooter
H&H Classics commences landmark year with sale of 121 cars
‘Brand new’ Porsche 911 heading to auction after 21 years
Brooklands race winning Bentley to go under the hammer
Actor, Sir Michael Caine’s first car, heads to auction. £100,000 - £150,000
A Very Rare Survivor. A 1936 Indian Four. £50,000 - £60,000
A Car that will Unite Romantics and Cynics Alike. A 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine