50 years is an important anniversary in anyone's books. Look at the recent upsurge in interest, and values, of the likes of the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911 and it's clear the big five-oh can have a significant effect. In the case of the Lotus Cortina, its half century fell in 2013. Meaning we missed it by a year.
Most definitely raced AND rallied by Clark
OK, it may be 51 years since Ford launched the Lotus Cortina, but it's bang on 50 years since Jim Clark immortalised the car by winning the British Saloon Car Championship (BSCC) in 1964. The forerunner of the modern British Touring Car Championship, the BSCC was a hotbed of big name drivers and fast cars, so it seemed entirely fitting to mark the occasion in some way.
Short of offers to drive a race-prepped Lotus Cortina, Ford very kindly proffered its own 1965 car from the heritage collection based in Dagenham. With the car sorted, it was up to us to find a suitable event and which better than the Bo'ness Hill Climb Revival?
Bo'ness is 20 miles outside of Edinburgh and the oldest motorsport venue in Scotland. It also happens to be where a young Jim Clark honed his skills and started to notch up victories. Put car, driver and location together and we had the bones of a great road trip.
Takes quite a lot to make the schlep up the A1 fun...
It was made all the more special when organisers of the Bo'ness Revival got wind of our plans and asked if we'd like to run the Lotus Cortina up the hill for some demo runs throughout the weekend. Given Anthony Reid, John Cleland and Bill Dryden were also slated to run demos, it was more than enough incentive.
Crunch numbers, not bodywork
As the world of classic cars is rapidly turning into a calculator-driven spiral of auction prices, it's good to take part in an event run on such gentlemanly lines as Bo'ness. Goodwood and Cholmondeley may be the headline acts for this hark back to the auric era of motorsport, but Bo'ness exudes a genuine clubman feel thanks to its laid back approach and simple paddock.
That's not to say it's run in anything but a professional manner, it just offers competitors and public alike the chance to mix, chat and generally revel in the pre-1980 mix of cars. There's everything here from a 1904 Brasier Gordon Bennett to single-seaters and even a millimetre perfect hand-crafted recreation of a Porsche 904.
Jim Clark in the Lotus Cortina at Crystal Palace...
To get to Bo'ness involved collecting the Lotus Cortina from Ford in Dagenham. No need for trailers we were told, just turn up and drive off. There's confidence for you and it was rewarded with a brilliant drive to Scotland. Of course, we took the Great North Road, better known as the A1 these days, before turning off on to the A68 and its rolling route over the border on roads Jim Clark would be only too familiar with.
During our drive up, we were amazed at the attention the Lotus Cortina garnered. For a 50 year-old car with a modest 105hp from its 1,558cc four-cylinder engine it sure makes a big impression on all who see it. Performance is modest by modern standards and we were respectful of this car's engine being due a major overhaul, but it still revved keenly and overtook slower traffic with ease.
In on the act
The thin-rimmed wooden steering wheel feels almost too fragile on first acquaintance, but the directness of unassisted steering and narrow tyres soon lets you place the Lotus Cortina with precision and drift the rear end through corners and roundabouts. What the Lotus Cortina lacks in outright pace, it more than makes up for with driver involvement.
...and in the rough with it in the 1966 RAC rally
Arriving home on Friday night, we were surprisingly fresh, so an early start on Saturday was no problem. With the Lotus Cortina parked up at Bo'ness and scrutineered, it was time to settle into an enjoyable rhythm of answering questions about the car and listening to many reminiscences involving Lotus Cortinas. It seems the model has played a huge part in many lives over the years, which explains its popularity with all who come to say hello.
As for the demo runs, it was a fairly gentle canter up Bo'ness' short but demanding course in deference to the car's age, immaculate condition and Ford's understandable insistence on it not being used for a competitive excursion. Even so, the steering's accuracy and the light weight of the Lotus-Cortina compared to most modern cars allowed it to feel nimble.
Repeat after me: "It's only a demo run..."
As for the engine, it creates all sorts of delightful noises, from the intake noise of the twin Weber 40DCOE carbs to the rasp of the exhaust. It makes it a much more intimate experience than many modern cars and you don't need to bother with the rev counter in the Lotus Cortina to know how hard it's working at any given moment, it lets you know simply through sound.
As well as the crisp feel of the engine responses and steering, the gear shift is also pleasingly direct, though it pays not to hurry it and downshifts sometimes required a double-declutch for a smooth change. Then there's the ride quality that makes this 50-year old saloon much more capable of covering long distances than you might first expect. Given the car had a 400-mile return trip to Dagenham straight after the Bo'ness Hill Climb Revival, this was a welcome asset.
Al gets stuck into the historic Bo'ness hillclimb
While that return trip would instil a weary sense of duty in many cars notching up their half century, the Lotus Cortina had us gee'd up for the run back down the A68 and past Duns, where the Jim Clark Museum celebrates the life and achievements of one of the greatest race drivers ever. 50 years on from Jim Clark's victory in the British Saloon Car Championship, the Lotus Cortina remains a high point in Ford's performance catalogue and worth celebrating regardless of any anniversary.