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stanchfi · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 12:11 pm Post subject: Ford Racing Lotus Cortinas

I just ran across this on the Motor Tend site

http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/c12_0612_ford_racing/photo_37.html

-James

IFHP · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 12:39 am Post subject:

I wonder why Ford bothered to put those GT badges on these shells and painted them red, before they shipped them to Lotus?
_________________
European Ford Collector

peteleo · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:19 am Post subject:

Good eye. I didn't notice that before. Now I'm thinking that this maybe the Boreham motorsport factory where Cortina GT and Lotus Cortinas are set-up for rally.
Some rally Lotus Cortinas were actually factory red. Graham Robson wrote a book about the 40 year history of the Boreham factory which I would like to read someday.

105epaul · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 207 Location: London England

That is the Ford Competition shop and they are actually Cortina GTs which Ford used for rallying prior to the Lotus Cortina. Ford thought that the early Lotus Cortinas with the A-frame rear end would be too fragile for rallying and decided to use the conventional leaf sprung GTs instead. It was a wise move and the GTs did pretty well includng winning the very tough and famous East African Safari Rally outright in 1964. They used the Lotus more when they gave up on the A-frame and reverted to a leaf spring rear.

Paul

peteleo · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:59 am Post subject:

Thanks, 105epaul for clarifing that. Is that picture taken around 1964 ?
These Cortinas seem to be pre-airflow models. Was this Ford competition shop in Dagenham or Boreham ?
Cheers,
Pete

105epaul · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 207 Location: London England

Yes it would be around 1964. There wasn't a competition shop at Dagenham so I'm pretty sure it is Boreham. Boreham is of course in the county of Essex as is Dagenham so there was a logic to have the Competition Department near the factory. Boreham was also an airfield and at one stage was used for motor racing so it was an ideal test track as well. Prior to that the works rally cars would have been prepared at the workshop at Lincoln Cars in West London which is where imported Fords (mainly from the USA/Canada and Germany) would be prepared for sale.

Paul

Gungebucket · Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Cornwall

[quote="105epaul"]Yes it would be around 1964. There wasn't a competition shop at Dagenham so I'm pretty sure it is Boreham. Boreham is of course in the county of Essex as is Dagenham so there was a logic to have the Competition Department near the factory. Boreham was also an airfield and at one stage was used for motor racing so it was an ideal test track as well. Prior to that the works rally cars would have been prepared at the workshop at Lincoln Cars in West London which is where imported Fords (mainly from the USA/Canada and Germany) would be prepared for sale.

Paul[/quote]

Yes, definately Ford Competitions Dept Boreham Airfield. I joined in 1967 and it all looked pretty much the same then. The stores is visible to the front right of the cars, the engine test bed was to the left, out of shot.