Ford Cortina Mk1
Dagenham's family car for the new motorway age.
The story
Ford designed the Cortina to be bigger than a Mini-class car but no dearer to build, weighing every part to save metal. It became Britain's favourite car for most of the next twenty years. The Lotus Cortina of 1963 turned it into a 108 mph racer.
Inside
A wide strip speedometer, a front bench seat if you wanted one and a gear lever on the steering column or the floor. Aeroflow face-level ventilation arrived in 1964.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
It is named after Cortina d'Ampezzo, host of the 1956 Winter Olympics. The round rear lamps were nicknamed ban-the-bomb lights.
On screen
Carry On Cabby Film, 1963
A fleet of brand-new Cortinas plays the Glamcabs taxi firm that takes on the men.
Meanwhile, in 1962
The Beatles released Love Me Do, and the first James Bond film, Dr No, reached cinemas.
Best-selling single of 1962: I Remember You by Frank Ifield
Before you buy a 1960s car
- Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
- Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
- Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.