Classic Tails
Andrew reckons that the Cortina became a much better car when it grew into the Mk4.
Why Ford’s Mk4 Cortina was the right car at the right time and place.
Last issue’s Buying Guide reminded me that it is now 45 years since one of Ford’s landmark models arrived in the shape of the Cortina Mk4. Ford were the absolute masters of repackaging old wine and selling it as a new vintage, and the Mk4 was a revised version of the Mk3, a car that in some ways wasn’t as good as the previous Mk2 had been. The Mk2 set a high benchmark though, as it was very simple and effective engineering with a leaf spring rear axle and McPherson front struts. With its simple boxy lines and neat dashboard, it was so inoffensive and easy to use that it became a default choice if you still didn’t trust Johnny Foreigner or a BLMC 1100. The 1600E was a classic pretty much as production ended .
The Mk3 had a tough start to life for a few reasons. Firstly there was the huge strike at Dagenham just as the car was launched, but so bad was the quality of early cars with atrocious panel fit and other issues that Ford used the strike as a breather to sort it out. Even then, many customers didn’t like the new swoopy dash, and although it was the same length as the Mk2, it was a fair bit heavier, and model for model both slower and heavier on fuel.
Then there was the ride and handling. A new double wishbone front suspension was alright, but the four link rear axle on coils was not. Such was the weird geometry and lack of effective sideways location that the rear axle could be felt moving side to side – the Cortina wiggle. But with the flash new look, more room inside, dazzling new colours and a new model hierarchy from Base to GXL, it made most other saloons look a bit dismal and the Mk3 gradually became a big hit.
Ford put right a lot of the faults in late 1973 with an excellent new facia, revised suspension settings and a 1600 Pinto OHC to replace the 1600 Crossflow on non-GT models. The Mk3 body style dated quickly though, and what was new in 1970 had already been seen from Vauxhall in the 1966 Viva and 1967 Victor. As any marketing man will tell you, a customer might buy the same car twice, but rarely three times, so it really was time for a new Cortina.
Ford could have afforded to build a much better car with Granada-style independent rear suspension, but instead cleverly restyled the existing car and made just enough improvements for it to be a worthy contender. Retaining the existing facia with its clear instrumentation and neat three stalk column switches, they did all kinds of tweaks to the interior such as raising and reshaping the front seats so you could see the corners of the bonnet better. They also lowered the front suspension slightly.
The windscreen was the same as it had been on the Mk3, but the rear screen and rear side windows were bigger to create a much lighter interior. Engine mountings and position were altered slightly to improve NVH, and a full rear panel added between the tail lights – whilst you now had to lift suitcases over a higher boot lip, the rear end of the body was much stiffer and this improved refinement further.
The suspension was refined yet further with revised antiroll bars, bushes, geometry and rear springs whose rate varied depending on load and compression. Elsewhere, the Cortina was massaged and improved in various other ways such as the new lift-up door handles replacing the old trigger type, and a general improvement in body quality – compare a Mk4 to the older car and you’d notice that all the doors and bootlid closed much better.
Topping all this was a new styling job by Uwe Bahnsen with the brief to make the Cortina look less American and more German. Whilst it was very different to the Mk3 Cortina, it looked remarkably similar to the 1970 Taunus from the side with its distinct scallop around the wheelarches and the swage line down the side. But the C-pillars were restyled for a distinct Mercedes look, and both front and rear ends tidied up. It was a good looking car that suddenly became very desirable indeed as a Ghia – just as the first Cavalier arrived and was beginning to get some traction in the market, the new Cortina was here and took the reins again.
As a car for the first owner, the Mk4 was ideal, being solidly built and very easy to drive. Cars like the Citroën GS and Princess were more advanced and better in some ways, but you only have to see what’s on the road today to realise that most buyers want the easy ownership experience and a car that just does its job and doesn’t lose too much value. The more avant garde sections of the motoring press mocked the Cortina, but Ford had the last laugh, all the way to the bank. They’re probably still laughing now when they see what a clean one is worth!