1966 Ford Cortina GT (Mk1) Four-door Rally Car

For those car collectors who really want to own a piece of automotive history, getting your hands on a genuine racing vehicle is a great place to start and this 1966 Ford Cortina GT (Mk1) Four-door Rally Car from Silverstone Auctions is definitely one of the coolest ones we’ve encountered in some time here at The Coolector.

This 1966 Ford Cortina GT (Mk1) Four-door Rally Car was fully restored in 2002 and recently refreshed to make this a truly delightful example of a rare race model. It was originally sold directly to Switzerland in 1966 found itself back in the UK in 2016. The nut and bolt restoration was carried out in France by Cedric Masier around 2002 and it is presented in remarkable condition for this Silverstone Auction.

Fantastic Ford

Ford’s Cortina was a mid-sized family car originally launched back in 1963. Released to fill a gap between the smaller Anglia and executive Zephyr/Zodiac models, it has an enduring popularity with Ford fans. With its lightweight shell and decent handling, Ford’s engineers soon realised that the Cortina had genuine potential as a performance model and thus created the GT, by adding a Cosworth-tuned 1.5-litre version of the Kent four-cylinder engine, and upgrading the transmission, brakes and suspension, installing a rev-counter to the steering column and extra dials in the centre console.

This delightful 1966 Cortina GT from Silverstone Auctions is a four-door example, and it has been finished in left-hand drive and exported to Switzerland where it has spent the majority of its time and adventures. It found itself back in the UK in 2016 and the registration number, UCA 487D was awarded by the DVLA in September of that year.

The engine is a GT pre-X-Flow with a big valve head, blueprinted, lightened and balanced with a Kent 244 cam fuelled by twin 45 Webers which ensures it offers an excellent performance out on the road. Originally made by Burton Racing, there is an invoice in the file from Coltec Racing dated 22-12-2014 totalling £1,606 relating to a full engine strip, inspection, and rebuild including a new Kent 244 cam and followers and a repaint of the block in Holbay Green.

Incredible Condition

This not a weary, rally-rashed, Forest Ford but a wonderfully well presented Sixties sporting saloon which has certainly been lovingly looked after during its fifty years in Switzerland and definitely since it returned here in 2016. Only 59 Mk1 GTs are believed to be still current in the UK, and very few will be left-hand drive with four-doors, so this is a one of the rarest race cars on the market.

Perfectly equipped for road rallies, stage rallies, regularity runs or just chasing other Cortinas about on an Owner’s Club day out, this majestic looking 1966 Ford Cortina GT (Mk1) Four-door Rally Car from Silverstone Auctions will be an excellent addition into the gently competitive word of classic rallying.