In the latest edition of The Smoking Tire‘s “One Take” YouTube series, host Matt Farah was afforded the chance to sit behind the wheel of a diminutive classic Ford with a proud racing heritage: a 1967 Ford Cortina Lotus.
The successor to the Ford Consul Cortina by Lotus, which had been based on the Mark 1 Ford Cortina, the Ford Cortina Lotus Mk2’s joie de vivre derived from its small footprint and a 1557-cc twin-cam inline-four. With 110 horsepower, the engine was plenty power-dense, affording the roughly-2,000-pound Cortina Lotus surprising quickness.
The Ford Cortina Lotus Mk2 campaigned in touring car racing, in the under-2,000-cc category; in America’s Trans Am series; and in rally racing. It’s not quite so well-remembered for its racing efforts as the European Ford Escort, but its rarity (just over 4,000 were built), uniqueness, and ties to the now-legendary Lotus firm have guaranteed it a spot in the history books.
The example driven by Matt Farah in the latest “One Take” episode is owned by rally-car collector John Champion, whose garage is mostly populated by famous rally racing machines from Italy and Europe – including a 1975 Lancia Stratos.
Is the 1967 Ford Cortina Lotus a fine enough machine to truly deserve such prestigious company? Watch the video above to see what Matt Farah thinks of the plucky little European Ford.
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And they apparently committed to that poor decision.
Owners have proven to be quite loyal so far.
According to the 2025 U.S. Transparency Awards from Labrador Transparency.
It plans to have those units production ready by 2029.
Though it has been in the same spot for nearly 70 years.
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