The Last of the Ford Cortinas

It is 1982 and the words of the year are “The Falklands”, “Margaret Thatcher”, and “Sanyo Music Centre”. Meanwhile, the 22nd of July saw a momentous event in automotive history. On that day, the last Cortina left the Dagenham factory, marking the end of nearly two decades of Ford GB’s perfect car for the nation’s sales representatives. Andrew Roberts explores the last of the Ford Cortinas…

By then, the Cortina was in its fifth generation, and the brand had topped the UK’s sales charts for nine years. Ford sold 56,956 units in the first four months of 1982 when their Escort Mk. III displaced it as the country’s best-selling car. Such impressive figures were also achieved in the face of rivalry from the recently launched Vauxhall Cavalier Mk. II. . The continued popularity of the Mk. V was also due to the innate conservatism of the nation’s fleet managers, who still would not countenance placing an order for “foreign cars”, and the fact that neither BL nor Talbot had a strong contender in this market sector. The Morris Ital was not an unappealing vehicle, but Leyland could not hope to offer Ford’s trade discounts, while the Solara never seemed to establish itself with British motorists.

Equally importantly, the Cortina was straightforward and possessed a genuine presence. The last incarnation debuted in late 1979 and was a very clever facelift of the Mk. IV, with a deeper front valance, a new grille, a larger glass area, and a higher roofline Such modifications, together with enhanced equipment levels, helped to ensure a high profile in the nation’s high streets and car parks. However, by early 1982 there was much talk across the country of the Cortina’s successor – a strange ‘jelly mould’ shaped vehicle known as the Sierra. So, as if to mark the end of the road, Ford introduced the Crusader. It was a well-planned combination of the 1.3/1.6L fitted with ‘Sports Wheels’, Ghia style seats and wooden door cappings, the centre console from the GL, plus - to make your colleagues envious – “Ford’s own high quality push-button radio” and twin door mirrors. The one on the driver’s side even featured a remote control!

“The Cortina Crusader is way ahead of anything in its price range and reinforces the Cortina’s unparalleled value for money. Just look at the list of features (many from our top of the range Ghia). Then come in and take a look at the sumptuous interior”, claimed the sales copy, and the Crusader proved so popular that they made 30,000 units. A starting price of just £5,160 was one inducement, but another was the sense that the latest Cortina represented the end of an era. Fittingly, it was a Crusader, finished in silver, that was the last of 4,279,079 Cortinas to leave the production line; it now resides in the Ford Heritage Centre.

And today, it is a sign of how distant 1982 seems that map pockets, a locking fuel cap, and a boot mat were once regarded as prominent sales features.