If you thought the days of putting a Lotus-tuned engine in a two-door Ford sedan and calling it a sports car were over, you're pretty much spot on. Still, back in 1963, the Lotus Cortina was UK Ford's anteceedent to the Shelby Mustang — proving the interoffice phones between US Ford's Total Performance department and the UK's Fordies worked, even back then. Ford took one of its frumpy Cortina saloons, got Lotus's Colin Chapman to trick out the four banger, tweak the suspension and and a few racing gew-gaws, and called it a performance car. We're still waiting for the Aston Martin Ford Focus.
'60S Screamer: The Lotus Cortina was England's answer to the Shelby Mustang [Sport Compact Car]
Related:
Caterham Seven CSR: An Updated Legend [internal]