Myth Buster
Ford Cortina MkIII
1 A TAUNUS BY ANY OTHER NAME…
At first glance, the Ford Cortina MkIII looks like the contemporary Taunus from Ford’s German arm. It’s actually very different. Most of the outer panels are unique, the engine ranges are largely different (including V6 units for top-of-therange Taunuses) and there was a coupé variant for Deutschland too. It’s what was beneath the surface and inside the cabins that was practically identical. Although Ford of Europe had been created at the end of the 1960s, there was still a fierce rivalry between the British and German sides of the Blue Oval, which led to the divergent models.
2 FAKE WOOD!
…as Donald Trump might have tweeted about the MkIII. Fords – and indeed many cars of the Seventies – weren’t bestknown for their sophisticated levels of taste, and higher-spec ‘ Tinas like the GXL became somewhat infamous for their garish plastic ‘wood’-clad interiors. However, not all MkIIIs resorted to fake timber. The 2000E of 1973 did return to the real thing, with actual teak used for its dashboard and door cappings. As good as it looks though, many people still believe it’s not genuine.
3 IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?
Or rather, what is the Life on Mars Cortina, the most famous of all MkIIIs thanks to the time-travelling detective TV series? The show is set in 1973 and Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt’s metallic brown love is meant to be a 1972 GXL. However, it’s actually a 1974 vinyl roof-clad 2000E, disguised with a GXL grille and quadheadlamps and dashboard from an early 1974 model. A genuine 1972 GXL would have had an even earlier dash with deep-dished instruments.