Vehicle Description
1966 Lotus Cortina MK1 "Type 28"
• VIN BA74FM59709
• One of 200 US Imported Type 28 Cortinas
• Legendary Allan Mann Exterior Livery
One of 200 left-hand drives delivered to the United States, Type 28
Cortina is finished in a very rare exterior color combination of
Red with Gold with Black leatherette upholstery. The exterior
paintwork presents very well with excellent gaps, original
brightwork, original glass, Marchal headlight, and Carello driving
lights. The black vinyl upholstery is in excellent condition with
matching door panels and polished aluminum trim. A 3-spoke
leather-wrapped Lotus steering wheel sits ahead of factory Smiths
140 mph odometer and an 8000 rpm tachometer with a 6500rpm redline.
Additional Smiths instrumentation are positioned above the radio
with a fuel level, amperage, water temperature, and oil pressure
gauge along with two, Galco by Racine, Swiss stopwatches.
Factory-painted wheels are fitted to Kelly Metric Radial
steel-belted 175/70 R15 tires. Also included in the sale are four
(4) Panasport wheels Z-Light 1570 20mm fitted to Kumho Ecsta AST
205/50 R15 tires. The undercarriage is in exceptional condition
with no signs of rust.
While its early history is not documented, it may have been
delivered to the West Coast when new, as it was discovered in
Northern California by its previous owner in 2006. Upon discovery,
the decision was made to restore the Cortina in the legendary red
and gold livery of Alan Mann racing, one of Ford's most successful
factory-backed teams of the 1960s. When stripped for paint, the
body was determined to be very solid, with no obvious evidence of
accident damage. The original bumpers were re-chromed, while other
brightwork was left original. All the weatherstripping was
replaced, and rally stop-watches and Carello driving lights were
installed for a sporting period appearance. Inside, the seats and
headliner were restored to original specification, as were all the
instruments, carpeting, and the heater. The door panels and center
console remain original as found, with a period AM/FM radio.
Many mechanical aspects of the car have been carefully restored or
refurbished. The engine, a proper Lotus L-type block, was rebuilt,
standard bore and fitted with forged pistons, and additionally
features fuel injection in place of the original carburetors (The
original carburetors are included in the sale). The cylinder head
has big valves with Sprint cams. The transmission has the correct
semi-close-ratio 4-speed and was also rebuilt with all new bearings
and seals. The suspension bushings were replaced for a tight
driving experience, while the rear axle, braking, and steering
systems were refurbished. All the fluids including the engine,
transmission, and brakes were replaced in March of 2021.
Mechanically powered by a 1,558cc DOHC inline 4-Cylinder engine
with fuel injection capable of outputting approximately 120 bhp at
5,500 rpm paired to a smooth-shifting manual 4-speed transmission.
The braking system has front disc brakes with rear drums and a
front independent suspension with rear leaf springs. Complete with
service records from 2015-2016, an additional set of wheels, and
original carburetion. A very rare opportunity to acquire a genuine
Lotus Cortina and would make an excellent addition to any
collection.
History
The immortal Lotus Cortina by Ford of Dagenham, in England, is one
of the most charismatic, best-loved, and universally successful
high-performance cars ever to represent the great globalized
American company's famous blue-oval badge. The two-door Ford
Cortina GT had already been proven in rallies and circuit racing
when Ford executive Walter Hayes approached Colin Chapman to
produce a world-beating racing saloon, following up a series of
successful Ford-powered Lotus Formula Junior single-seaters. The
plan called for Lotus to assemble 1000 cars to homologate the model
for FIA Group 2 racing. Engineer Harry Mundy - who had previously
helped design the Formula 1 World Championship-winning Coventry
Climax engines - had been commissioned by Chapman to design a
twin-overhead camshaft cylinder head to top the Ford 1500 Kent
engine's "unburstable bottom end".
