Little Wheels Shop Search Site Home Contact Little Wheels EBay
  Ford Cortina MkIII  

The Mark III Cortina was inspired by the contemporary coke bottle design language coming out of Detroit – the car had similar fluted bonnet and beltline design elements to the contemporary North American Mercury Montego and Ford LTD. It replaced both the Mark II Cortina and the larger, more expensive Ford Corsair, offering more trim levels and the option of larger engines. It marked the convergence of the German Taunus and British Cortina platforms with only minor differences between the two the Taunus was subtly different in appearance, with longer front indicators, different door skins, and rear-wing pressings that toned down the coke-bottle style of the Cortina.

The MkIII went on sale on 23 October 1970, but sales got off to a particularly slow start because of production difficulties that culminated with a 10-week strike at Ford's plant between April and June 1971, which was at the time reported to have cost production of 100,000 vehicles, equivalent to almost a quarter of the output for a full year. Volumes eventually recovered, and with the ageing Austin/Morris 1100/1300 now losing out to various newer models, the Cortina replaced it as Britain's top-selling car in 1972, closely followed by the Escort. It remained the UK's top-selling car until 1976, when it was overtaken by the Mk2 Escort. The Mk III continued in production until the Mk IV Cortina was launched in September 1976.

Vanguards VA10300; Ford Cortina MkIII; Sapphire Blue Vanguards VA10301; Ford Cortina MkIII; Lancashire Constabulary Vanguards VA10302; Ford Cortina MkIII; Maize Yellow Vanguards VA10303; Ford Cortina MkIII; 1600L; Fern Green Vanguards VA10304; Ford Cortina MkIII; GT; Hampshire Police
Vanguards VA10300; Ford Cortina MkIII 1.6L; Sapphire Blue Vanguards VA10301; Ford Cortina MkIII GT; Lancashire Constabulary Vanguards VA10302; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Maize Yellow Vanguards VA10303; Ford Cortina MkIII 1600L; Fern Green Vanguards VA10304; Ford Cortina MkIII GT; Hampshire Police
Vanguards VA10305; Ford Cortina MkIII GT, Thames Valley Police Vanguards VA10306; Ford Cortina MkIII; 2.0 GXL; Copper Brown Vanguards VA10307; Ford Cortina MkIII; 2.0 GXL, Evergreen Metallic, White Top Vanguards VA10308; Ford Cortina MkIII; Galway Patrol Car, Garda Vanguards VA10309; Ford Cortina MkIII; 1.6 GXL, Flame Red, Black Roof
Vanguards VA10305; Ford Cortina MkIII GT, Thames Valley Police Vanguards VA10306; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Copper Brown Vanguards VA10307; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL, Evergreen Metallic Vanguards VA10308; Ford Cortina MkIII 1.6; Galway Patrol Car, Garda Vanguards VA10309; Ford Cortina MkIII 1.6 GXL, Flame Red
Vanguards VA10310; Ford Cortina MkIII; 2000E, Modena Green Vanguards VA10311; Ford Cortina MkIII; Sapphire Blue, Swampy Vanguards VA10312; Ford Cortina MkIII; 2000E Automatic, Sahara Beige Vanguards VA10313; Ford Cortina MkIII; 2000E; Purple Velvet Not Issued
Vanguards VA10310; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000E, Modena Green Vanguards VA10311; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Sapphire Blue, Swampy Vanguards VA10312; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000E Automatic, Sahara Beige Vanguards VA10313; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000E; Purple Velvet Vanguards VA10314; Ford Cortina MkIII
Not Issued Not Issued Vanguards VA10317; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000E; Black Vanguards VA10318; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000GT; Marine Blue Vanguards VA10319; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Onyx Green
Vanguards VA10315; Ford Cortina MkIII Vanguards VA10316; Ford Cortina MkIII Vanguards VA10317; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000E; Black Vanguards VA10318; Ford Cortina MkIII 2000GT; Marine Blue Vanguards VA10319; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Onyx Green
Still Looking       Still Looking
Vanguards VA10320; Ford Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL; Daytona Yellow       Vanguards VA10399; Ford Cortina MkIII; Raw Casting

Contact Vanguards Home Site Home
Last Edit: 12/06/2024   Page Added 17/12/2022