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Meanwhile in England, the options were held by the Zephyr, Zodiac, Anglia, Popular and Consul. The idea that haunted the halls of Detroit, was that there should be an integrated Ford of Europe and which initially was due to join to reduce the amount of superimposed models such the Ford Popular and the Taunus 12M.
This is how you begin to work togheter between the parent and two subsidiaries on a prject of a midsize car, Ford under the name Cardinal.
The design would be undertaken mainly by German engineers, with their desire for continued progress, achieved a mechanically advanced vehicle at the time.
In late '61, I was ready... FWD, V4 engine 1200cm3 and 1500cm3, and a very appropriate size for a car show as a prototype pan-European final. At the last moment, the English quite resentful about the lack of participation in the project, decided not to abide by the German model as it was presented.
The Cardinal then made his debut in Germany as the new Taunus 12M P4 in 1962 as it had been conceived. A year ago, first with the Consul name and immediately after the Cortina, debuts in England but with some changes such as old engine design, rear wheel drive and more comfortable aesthetic changes in their market. So the Cortina, it was just a taste Taunus English, in 1963 began its independent life, but end up merging into its forms, and would not be more than a Taunus right hand drive.
Cortina's name is taken from a
mountain range in northern Italy called Cortina D 'Ampezzo. The use of
geographical names was very common at the time.
Other cases were Capri (Italian island), Granada (Spanish Region), Anglia (southeast area of the UK), Fair Lane... Fairlane (grandfather's hometown in H. Ford), Taunus (highland German) etc, etc.
The following photos correspond to variants Australian MK4 and MK5 models, known in that market as TE and TF respectively. The most notable feature on the European, was that the Australians brought much wider fenders and engines were different.
The Cortina had 5 generations of
models that start from 1963 to 1983. They are called MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4 and
MK5, being the last two, in the UK just like the last Taunus Germany. However,
they were manufactured in Australia, South Africa , Ireland and assembled in
New Zealand, Korea and Hong Kong.
In South Africa, was developed pickup version, which was then exported to England until 1988, called P100, and I include in its more affluent the V6 versions 3000cm3 and 4x4 wheel drive.
He was also there with the legendary exponents V6 Cortina Interceptor 3000cm3 and special variations such as Cortina Xocet 3 simultaneous carburetors which produced only 250 units.
Production in Australia joined the Falcon and came to be equipped with the same engine of 3300cm3 such as this, the 3600 cm3 and 4100 cm3 were our acquaintances 6 online.
Here it is Argentina, many parts of our Taunus, were not really Taunus, but of Cortinas (Early 80s). A clear example of the compatibility of both models absolute brothers.
The Cortina was never able to
enjoy fastback version, yet its performance in rally racing, went through
countless models MK1 and MK2 Lotus Lotus that even once had a DOHC engine with
16V motor and 150 hp with only 1500cm3. Such was the commercial success of the Cortina, which was the number one selling car in Britain for many years, and was only surpassed in its category, the same day they stopped making ... (sic).
Today he is considered a true classic Ford of the sixties and seventies in the UK and all Commonwealth countries which have succeeded.
In South Africa the Cortinas were identical to the English, except for the MK5 that brought all of the bumper plate, in contrast to the leading European plastics. Moreover, a moulding chrome framed front and rear lights giving it a more luxurious.
The P100 was a pickup version of the vehicle you joy of success and was even exported to many European countries.
Buenos Aires - Argentina © 2002 Club Taunus Argentina
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