Lotus’s Cortina competition car is up for grabs

A 1966 Ford Lotus Cortina with an incredible race pedigree will be offered for sale by Silverstone Auctions in its debut appearance at Autosport International at the Birmingham NEC on January 12.

As one of only three ‘Group 5’ works cars built by Lotus for the 1966 British Saloon Car Championship, the competition car, was driven by some of the world’s most successful racing drivers, including Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jacky Ickx.

It will be offered at auction with an estimate of £180,000 to £200,000.

The Ford Lotus Cortina was built in March 1966 and immediately assigned to Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark for use at a rain-disrupted Oulton Park.

It was raced throughout the

1966 season by fellow Formula 1 drivers Peter Arundell and Jacky Ickx, who took the car to second in class in finishes at Snetterton, Goodwood and Silverstone.

In June 1966, the car underwent an engine conversion by BRM to fuel injection before racing at the Grand Prix support race at Brands Hatch, where Sir John Whitmore

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