Vehicle Description
1978 Ford Cortina Mark IV Saloon 2.0 Ghia ?Seldom-seen car in the
United States ?Showing only 22,945 miles ?Ford?s version of the
Fairmont in top-of-the-line Ghia trim ?Right-hand drive ?2.0L OHC
four-cylinder engine (code NE) ?Four-speed manual transmission
(code B) and 3.07 gearing (code B) ?Red exterior (code 78) with
full black vinyl roof and tan cloth interior (code W1) ?Power
brakes and driver?s side remote sideview mirror ?Rear defroster and
mud flaps Ford?s perennially popular European compact, the Cortina
is a virtual unknown in the United States, but we have one yet
again at MotoeXotica Classic Cars. This is a Ghia model, the
top-of-the-line trim. The car has been featured in, among others,
the 1990s British situation comedy, ?Keeping Up Appearances? and it
made a cameo in the 1977 James Bond film, ?The Spy Who Loved Me.?
Dressed in Red (code 78) with a full black vinyl roof, the car?s
paint and trim are in overall very good order. Made in Ford?s
Dagenham, Essex, England factory, (code B), the bodywork is
straight and solid. The engine bay is extremely tidy and the Super
Start battery appears new. The car?s chrome bumpers fit tightly to
the body and look great. This British Ford rolls on radial tires,
size 185/70SR13, at every corner. Each tire is mounted to a factory
wheel. While the wheels are in very good order, the tires are in
good shape. Under the hood is a 2.0L OHC four-cylinder engine (code
NE). It is mated to a four-speed manual transmission (code B) and a
3.07:1 final drive (code B). Driver convenience features include
power brakes and driver?s side remote sideview mirror. Inside, the
tan cloth interior (code W1) is in overall very good order. There
are bucket seats in front and a bench seat in back. The
complementing carpet and headliner look great. A four-spoke
steering wheel serves as a contrast to the rest of the interior.
The instrument panel is in very good order, has full
instrumentation and even a working clock. The inner door panels are
in similar condition. An AM/FM stereo with cassette deck and Matsui
rear deck speakers rounds out the interior. The fourth-generation
Cortina was a more conventional design than its predecessor, and
this was largely appreciated by fleet buyers. The most obvious
change was the new squarer body in line with contemporary ?folded
paper? fashion of the time, which achieved the marketing department
objective of larger windows giving a better view out and a brighter
feel to the cabin, but at the expense of body weight which was
increased. Ford claimed an overall increase in window area of some
15 percent, with 40 percent better visibility through the wider,
deeper back window. This series spawned the first Ghia
top-of-the-range model. The 2.0-litre Pinto was always by far the
most common engine option for Ghia models. Two-door and four-door
saloons and a five-door estate were offered with all other engines
being carried over. Despite its status as Britain's bestselling car
throughout its production run the Mark IV is now the rarest
Cortina, with poor rustproofing and the model's popularity with
banger racers cited as being the main reasons for its demise.
Particularly scarce are the 2.0 and 2.3S models, which were
discontinued when the Mark V was introduced in August 1979. For
Ford fanatics, Euro car collectors and anyone who can appreciate a
mid-70s stalwart compact, this is quite a find. Stop by MotoeXotica
Classic Cars today to look over this Cortina soon. VIN:
BABFUL11691? This car is currently located at our facility in St.
Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 36,926
kilometers or 22,945 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean
and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
