A concise, illustrated history of the classic British car.When launched in 1962, the Ford Cortina was an entirely new type of British car. Compared with its rivals – and with earlier Fords – it was light yet strong, inexpensive yet roomy, mechanically simple and cheap to maintain. It quickly established a totally new class of car and once it was seen to be a success there was a rush to emulate it. More than a million of the original-style cars were made, and after twenty years well over four million Cortinas had been produced. There were saloons, estate cars, sporty models, and even special machines ready for motor racing – something for everyone, everywhere.This book tells the story of the impact of the innovative Cortina design, how it developed through to the 1980s and its success in the world of motorsport.