Registration - DAP 509B

Chassis No. - 451500

M.O.T. - Exempt

Odometer - 67,964

With wasp-like colour scheme, this example of Ford’s Cortina MkI is a South African import and offered at no reserve. Under the bonnet of ‘DAP 509B’ sits Ford’s 1.6-litre straight four engine, here fitted with twin 40 Weber carburettors and matched to a four-speed manual gearbox. Presented in striking yellow with tapered black side stripe and accents at the rear, this example of Ford’s four-door saloon features an interior with an inverse colour scheme, and has been restored and modified by the present owner in the couple of years since first registered in the UK.

Equipped with a removable Sparco steering wheel as part of an upgraded dashboard – featuring elements such as a push-button starter and media system – the cabin is trimmed in black with yellow stitching, matching door cards, and body-coloured dashboard. Under the surface, the present owner has spent more than £3,000 on restoration, including adding Minilite-style alloy wheels – fitted with new tyres that have now only covered a short number of miles – and brake discs have been fitted at the front with a brake servo added. Displaying an indicated 67,964 miles, ‘DAP 509B’ is reckoned to be in good overall condition by the vendor, with the paintwork and interior described as ‘average’ and the engine, transmission, electrics, and bodywork considered ‘good’.

· Offered at no reserve

· Imported from South Africa, benefitting from a drier climate

· Extensive restoration with enhancements added

Ford’s Mark I Cortina was introduced in 1962, replacing the Consul as the manufacturer’s family car. Offered either as a two- or four-door saloon, and a five-door estate, the Cortina was designed by Roy Brown Jr, and named after the famous Italian ski resort, Cortina d’Ampezzo. In fact, the launch saw a publicity stunt where Ford put drove several Cortinas down the resort’s bobsleigh run, with a number of famous drivers such as Jim Clark and Vic Elford tackling a different sort of track. Although Ford of Germany’s Taunus used a front-wheel drive configuration, Ford of Britain stuck with a rear-wheel drive system for the Cortina. At launch, 1.2- and 1.5-litre four cylinder Kent engines were available, as well as a 1.6-litre twin cam unit, driving those rear wheels through either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission. Production lasted until 1966, when the Mk II arrived late in the year.