Property of a deceased's estate; one owner from new
1971 Ford Cortina III 1600L Saloon
Registration no. KLT 375K
Chassis no. BABFCJ38376

Ford first applied the 'Cortina' name to its medium-sized family saloon in 1962, sticking with the tried and tested mechanical formula of front engine/rear-wheel drive, McPherson Strut independent front suspension, and a live rear axle from the Mark I to the Mark V. The Cortina's conventional specification did it no harm whatsoever, the model dominating its market sector for 20 years.

In September 1970 the Cortina Mark III range was introduced, featuring wishbone front suspension and an American-inspired 'Coke bottle' body, while the top-flight 1600 GT and 2000 models came with new overhead-cam Pinto engines. Built as a two- and four-door saloon and an estate, the Mark III boasted a wide choice of engines and trim levels, enabling Ford to claim that no fewer than 35 basic versions were available. Over 1.1 million Mark III Cortinas had been built by the time production ceased in 1976.

This Cortina Mark III was purchased new in 1971 by the late owner from Dagenham Motors Ltd. The original sales invoice may be found within the substantial history file, which also contains sundry invoices, technical information, a V5C Registration Certificate, and a quantity of MoTs (most recent expired July 2016).