Friday 30th September 2011

Pic Of The Week: Lotus Cortina

Jim Clark with his best three-wheel cornering antics. Lovely...

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As POTW regulars will know, we usually try to come up with a topical link (however tenuous) for our weekly pictorial wallpaper.

Well, this week the link is about as tenuous as you're going to get - because we've basically run our virtual fingers down yesterday's list of '100 greatest cars of all time' until someone shouted stop, and that car we've chosen as Pic of the Week.

Fortunately, the point at which our virtual finger came to rest was not on number 90 (Renault Espace), number 47 (Black Cab), or number 36 (Citroen 2CV). Because we wouldn't have been able to find an interesting image of any of those particularly easily.

The original Lotus Cortina, however, (in at number 79, all you automotive pop-pickers) is a rather easier win, because it immediately conjures up mental images of this, Jim Clark three-wheel drifting his Lotus-Ford back in them-there sixties. Which is more exciting than an image of an FX4 negotiating Elephant and Castle...

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[C2james]

i love cortinas, this is quite a cool picture. makes me really want to get one next year.

[soad]

Looks like he's giving car an extensive workout - a wheel is up

[Joehow12]

Brands Hatch - Graham Hill bend yes?

[NHK244V]

Sweet
top car, top pic
AND you didn't call it a Cortina Lotus, extra point for that

[Riggers]

Joehow12 said:

Brands Hatch - Graham Hill bend yes?

I thought so - didn't want to make the call, though...

[Nick Young]

Not sure why you couldn't have found an interesting photo of a 2cv....

[thewheelman]

Jim Clark + Lotus Cortina = Perfection

[new_bloke]

The only 'interesting' pic of a black cab that I can find...


Why yes, it will drift...

[Turbobanana]

I love the way there's a tax disc and no roll cage.

Doesn't appear to be any seat belts either: I guess you just hang on to the wheel...

Graham Hill Bend now (since Hill's death in 1975): probably called Bottom Bend in the sixties. Oo err missus...

Edited by Turbobanana on Friday 30th September 13:24

[Fetchez la vache]

Top pic. Loving these B&W oldies, PH!

[Bish]

Some footage of similar motoring at Crystal Palace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWp-0TuY4Sk

[thewheelman]

Bish said:

Some footage of similar motoring at Crystal Palace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWp-0TuY4Sk

Great footage, the music & voiceover made me laugh, it doesn't get much more 60's British than that.

[BSC]

IIRC Sir John Whitmore did similar antics in his Cortina on race-tracks all over Europe. Epic battles against Alfas.

[School boy]

[666 SVT]

That car must still be alive somewhere according to the DVLA its a 1965 but
not registered until 1984 but is still taxed untill August 2012

[MX7]

666 SVT said:

That car must still be alive somewhere according to the DVLA its a 1965 but
not registered until 1984 but is still taxed untill August 2012

It is.

[Caulkhead]

Great photo back when cars had less grip and handling mattered far more.

[GroundEffect]

Jimmy is one of my heroes

[thewheelman]

666 SVT said:

That car must still be alive somewhere according to the DVLA its a 1965 but
not registered until 1984 but is still taxed untill August 2012

What section of the DVLA website did you find that information? I wouldn't mind seeingif some of my old cars are around, & even more so, some of the great cars my dad has owned.

TIA.

[666 SVT]

http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/

Click the vehicle enquiry tab and enter reg number and make.