There once was a time when Cortinas were everywhere. Your dad had one, your uncle had one, your mate’s dad had one – you couldn’t turn a street corner without being met with the best-selling car of the 70s.

Five generations and 4.3million cars later, production finally ended in 1982 – but the British love affair with the Cortina still hasn’t gone away.

We’ve been exploring the history and cult status of the Cortina to find out just what has made it such an icon.

You can read our article over on the new Cult Classics website, along with articles about some of our other favourites from years gone by:

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/cult-classics/ford-cortina/

Did you or your family used to drive a Cortina? Do you still drive one today? Share your memories and pictures below!

I can still remember my late Father's MK1 Tina's reg : CYL 747C & his MK3 : DKX 215K

Odd how these numbers can stick in the mind for so long

My Dad used to own a old yellow one, back when I was very very young. As we all used to live in Lincoln and my Dad worked in Swindon, he used to drive up and down every weekend. With his long hair, moustache and crucifix ear-ring, he was forever getting pulled over by the police in it. He ended up getting rid of it and getting a Volvo 245DL off his father in law. I only have one image of it...

goodkat,

my 1st car was 1 of them,a n reg mk3 with a vinyl roof,but had a gutless 1100 in the MAHOOSIVE engine bay,im sure you could actually stand in the bay and work on the engine it was that small.

was my best m8's 1st car as well,i bought it off him and a few months later had a respray done on it.blimey it was bright lol.had it about 18mths and p'exd it.

a few years later when i met my missus,1 night i went round her house and sitting outside was my ole motor,her dad used to dable in scrapping cars and there she was waiting to be broken up for parts.

My uncle had 2 mk3 Cortina`s.

I had a mk4 2.3 litre. Gold with the vinyl roof, mk5 2.0 litre, Brown then I had an old mk3, that was a 1.6 but put a 2.0litre in it, that was purple velvet. That car was actually insured through the O P`s insurance company.

That was a project many years ago.

Plus my mate just bought a mk2 on Sunday night as a project over the winter which he is hoping to have ready for the Ford show at Silverstone next year.

Looks worse than it actually is.

When I was a spotty 17 year old, all I wanted was a Yamaha RD250 in Kenny Roberts yellow.

So I passed my bike test but my wise old mum said "take your car test it will come in handy if you get a company van".

So I reluctantly took my car test and after two of my mates getting wiped out on motorbikes I ended up with Cortina 2000E as my first car. It was 6 years old and cost me £800 in 1982. Most of my mates had Cortina's like the GXL 2ltr.

I travelled many a happy mile in this car.

that was a nice looking car Dave

Cortina`s are making strong money now. Think the Escorts are out of a lot of peoples budgets which is a good thing for cars like the Cortina Capri etc.

The more old Fords on the road the better

All i can remember was being a 10yr old 4th year junior and being in school excitedly telling my teacher we were getting a new (used) car. My dad came to pick me up in it, a dark blue 1.6 Cortina reg ACP 632Y. Ive no idea how i still remember that reg 28yrs later!:)

I think that yellow one was a 2 litre, apparently it used to shift! I keep trying to tempt the old man into getting another, but he is now used to the creature comforts of newer cars. It was a M reg, I will ask him more about it tomorrow as we are going on a road trip oop North.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP

Loving these stories guys!

We'll keep an eye out for your friends project at the shows next year then Dales, looks like a great project to keep him busy over the winter months!

Dan

in my younger days i owned 4 cortinas the last being a 2.3 which in its day really shifted espcially when you swapped the unreliable vv carb for a webber with a crossflow filter.

Think all my old Fords ended up with the webber on them.

Well hopefully it will be ready for then anyway Dan. He is confident it will be ready anyway. Iv booked the passenger seat anyway. Well we will share the drive down certainly. Was going to take the ST down but I think the way things are going its all old school stuff going down.

I can remember best our old 1969 mk2 1300 super in red the reg was OTE 684 G, funny after all that time I can still recall the model and reg..the times me and my brothers fought over who rides shotgun..while the loser usually me ended up sliding around on the black vinyl rear seats...no belt laws then..

It's telling why so many of us remember the registration numbers - the Tina was a true icon

Those vinyl seats were a killer in the hot summer months - yes we had real summers then ! 1976 especially :)

:)76 was the hottest I ever remember, me and my brothers all looked like little Indians that summer, my hair bleached white though!!

How the hell did grown ups deal without air con/climate in their motors back then I don't know.. I think were all spoilt!!:)

I was 17 in 1976 & the pubs served you back then . . :)

Tina 1600E 's & Yamaha FS-IE's everywhere :)

The roads were melting & there were water standpipes in the street - it was bliss ! :)

No mod cons in the cars back then, If I remember right I don't even think the seatbelts were on tensioners either. In lots of cases it would have been pointless wearing it as chances were it would have been far too big for you and you would have just slipped right through.

The window washers were down at your left foot as well was it not ?

Jings all the wee memories coming back now.

Then as the years went on you seen some amount of junk on the road as well. Don't think the M.O.T was as strict on bodywork. I remember all the Viva`s and Chevettes used to rot something terrible. especially around the wings.

Imagine trying to get away with that now.

If it had a radio & a rev counter it was a top spec car ! :)

I was 10 years old back in 76..tar bubbles must of played hell with my mams carpets..me and my four other bro's must of trodden in a ton of the s#+t!!!

and if you were really flash you had a Harry Moss cassette player bolted to the dash, along with the cb radio.

Here's a pic of the 2000E I had MANY years ago! I got this pic and a couple of others from a previous owner recently.

Just so cool looking,at one time I believe 1in 8 motors in england was the cortina...how's that for brand loyalty...... and severe lack of competition from abroad in the 70s I'll bet...I don't know if that numbers correct its either 1 in 8 was a ford or 1 in 8 was actually the mk 3 model or maybe some early mk 4s, now I remember the mk4 being everywhere..also heard there was a v6 mk 5 but very rare and defo collectable..can anyone correct me on this????

1977 MK 4 with the 2.3 Cologne V6 :)