Car, motor car

The Ford Cortina Mark 1 was a major success story in UK manufacturing in the 1960s. Over a million were made at Ford's flagship car plant in Dagenham between 1962 and 1966. Known as 'Detroit in Europe', the Dagenham works was a purpose-built facility opened by Henry Ford in 1931. The vertically integrated site on the banks of the Thames had its own docks, power station and a foundry for producing steel.

The Cortina design team was led by Ford's Executive Engineer for Light Cars, Fred Hart. Originally code-named 'Archbishop', designer Terry Beckett chose the name Cortina. This was a reference to the 1960 Winter Olympics held at Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Italian Alps. The name, Beckett felt, gave the car both a continental flavour and a sporty image. The Cortina was unveiled to half a million visitors at the 47th London Motor Show at Earl's Court in 1962. Priced at £639 in 1962, the Cortina went on to become Britain's best-selling saloon car. The car also enjoyed considerable success on the export market.

This car is the GT version of the Cortina and was manufactured in June 1965. GTs were usually painted white or red. It features the Aeroflow heating and ventilation system on its dashboard. GTs could reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour and were successfully used as rally cars. This one belonged to a doctor who lived at the Barbican in the City of London.