The Lotus Cortina was a two door saloon with a 1.6 litre straight four engine launched in 1963. This high performance car was produced in the UK by the Ford motor company until 1970.

The Lotus Cortina was based on the Ford Cortina, however it was fitted with a superior 105 bhp engine, coupled with a close ratio gear box. The increased speed and better transmission aided in the performance of the car. The interior of the car was also modified to differentiate it from the Ford, with a revised dashboard and centre console. The biggest changes to the Lotus model were that of the suspension, which improved the weight distribution of the car.

The first race featuring the Lotus Cortina was in 1963 at the Oulton Park Gold Cup where the team finished a very respectable 3rd and 4th place. The biggest triumph from the race was in beating the 3.8 litre Jaguar's who were the favourites going into the race due to their saloon racing dominance.

The mark two models underwent a number of changes to make the build easier. It was decided by Ford that the production of the Lotus should take place alongside its own Cortina's, hence the review of the build in order to ensure it could be managed by Ford. It was also deemed that by bringing it in house the overall build would be more cost effective.

Cosmetic changes to the mark two were minimal, to ensure that the cars aesthetics remained similar to its successful predecessor. Only the front grille was altered in the design of the car, along with the introduction of 13 inch steel wheels.

The Lotus remained competitive on the race course, with only the Ford Galaxies being the toughest opponent, mainly due to their 7 litre V8 engine. In the latter years the dominance shifted towards the Ford Mustang, again due to its engine and performance.

The racing car had a unique setup, featuring a hard front suspension and soft rear suspension. This imbalance typically saw the Cortina's front wheels getting air time on fast corners, which would ultimately slow it down.

The Lotus Cortina featured in the World Rally Championships. Whilst it performed reasonably well it was the Ford Escort which stole the show at the time. The first race for the Cortina to be featured in was in 1963 which involved a 4,000 mile course spread over 4 days. The Cortina finished 4th overall which was very impressive.