1970 Ford Cortina

The Ford Cortina Mk III was a four- or five-seat, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two- or four-door saloon, or five-door estate. Introduced in 1970 and remaining in production for six years, it became known as the ‘Coke bottle’ Cortina due to its distinctive profile.

The Earls Court Motor Show in October 1970 saw the debut of the Ford Cortina Mk III where it was immediately noted for its aggressive appearance of its unitary body. The Mk III Cortina was four inches wider than the Cortina Mk II but, somewhat surprisingly, of the same length.

The suspension was independent double A-arms at the front with coil springs and telescopic dampers with a live axle with four-link location, coil springs and telescopic dampers at the rear. There were front disc and rear drum brakes, steering was by rack-and-pinion – a first for the Cortina – and the choices of engine were 1300, 1600 and 2000. The various permutations of Ford Cortina Mk III power plant, saloon and estate body shells, combined with a choice of the base, L, XL, GT and GXL trim levels resulted in an initial model line-up of 35 versions. The GT and GXL were distinguished by their four headlamps, 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre SOHC engines, anti-roll bar and boasted servo assisted brakes – this last-named was an extra on the cheaper Cortinas. The GXL also offered an extremely high level of standard equipment.

Ford modified the suspension in 1971 and the line-up received a facelift in late 1973 with the distinctive sloping dashboard replaced by a more ergonomic layout and a new radiator grille, with the XL and GT gaining rectangular headlights. The GXL was replaced as the flagship Cortina by the 2000E with an interior decorated with genuine wood and seats upholstered in Savannah cloth – it was available in both four-door saloon and estate forms.

The Ford Cortina Mk III was replaced by the Mk IV in September 1976.

The 1300 engine was a 1,297cc S4 OHV plant with a single Ford carburettor and the early 1600 base, L and XL were fitted with a 1,599cc S4 OHV unit with an Autolite carburettor. The the 1600GT and GXL came with a 1,593cc SOHC S4 unit with a Weber carb and this engine was subsequently fitted to other Cortina 1600s from 1973 onwards. The 2000 engine was a 1,993cc SOHC S4 unit with a Weber carburettor. The standard transmission for all models was a four-speed manual box with Borg Warner automatic available on the 1600 and 2000 models.

The Cortina Mk IIII does feel more softly sprung and Transatlantic than the earlier incarnations of the Ford Cortina and as the 1.3-litre versions advance from 0–60 in 20 seconds, enthusiastic drivers would be better suited to the 2.0-litre plant. The base model and all 1300s are now seldom found and estates are less common than the saloon. The 2000 GXL and 2000E do offer high levels of equipment with the ability to cruise at reasonably high speeds.

Inspect the front of the Ford Cortina Mk III, in addition to the sills, the bulkhead, the boot floor, footwells and windscreen surrounds for corrosion. The engines are known to suffer from the master cylinder, timing chain and valve gear issues while original body panels and the exterior trim can be very hard to source.

Rivals to the Ford Cortina Mk III included the Hillman Hunter and Humber Sceptre, the Morris Marina, the Vauxhall FD and FE Victor, the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk 1, the Fiat 131 Miafiori, the Opel Ascona A, the Datsun Bluebird 610 Series, the Mazda 616 and the Toyota Carina A10 Series.