KIWIS AND CORTINAS

(Bateman Books)

Gordon Campbell ISBN 978 1 77689 078 1

Local publishers, Bateman Books, are slowly building up a great collection of Kiwi motoring and motorsport titles and this new entry is a welcome addition to their stable.

Gordon Campbell – author of excellent books on Bruce Wilson, Chris Amon’s first motor racing mechanic, and Ray Stone – is also a regular contributor to NZ Classic Driver and he gave readers a brief taste of his new book with his feature on Cortinas in the January/February 2023 edition of this magazine.

As a vital part of New Zealand’s motoring scene since the first MkIs arrived on our shores in the early ’60, Ford’s evergreen Cortina makes for a great subject and with its wide swathe of models – from those early Consul Cortinas right out to the final MkV cars and, of course, not forgetting the fabulous Lotus-Cortina - these iconic Fords have captured the hearts of many generations of Kiwis.

In order to capture a contemporary snapshot of the Cortina – and their enthusiastic owners – Gordon travelled all around New Zealand in order to gather a collection of stories that are as much about their owners’ passion for the Cortinas, as the cars themselves.

And the owners are just as diverse a bunch as the Cortinas they own, with ages ranging through all generations – a further example of how this Ford has touched the lives of so many Kiwis. In amongst the stock models, this book also includes a few rarer and more unusual examples, such as a Crayford convertible and a ‘woody’ MkI estate. There’s also a sprinkling of famous cars like the late Possum Bourne’s V8-powered MkI rally car and the Lotus-Cortina driven to win the 1964 Wills Six Hour race by Paul and Jim Fahey.

Passion for these iconic Fords seems to be contagious as Gordon recently acquired a MkII GT, further proof that the Cortina continues to hold a special place within New Zealand’s motoring heritage.

$49.99 | Review by Allan Walton