Ford Designs 2012 Cortina...

[Nikked]

...For Auto Express.

In a world exclusive, Auto Express asked Ford to recreate the iconic Cortina for the 21st century

It’s the 50th anniversary of the iconic Ford Cortina this year, and a lot has changed in the world of car design since it was launched. So Auto Express was curious to know how the car would look if it was built now – would it have been such a hit if it had to pass the strict guidelines applied to modern cars?

To find out, we asked Ford Europe’s design manager, Paul Wraith, to design a Ford Cortina for 2012, exclusively for Auto Express.

We told him we weren’t looking for a new take on the original, but wanted him to stay as true to the design of the original as possible, but with every modern constraint limiting his design. We effectively wanted a hi-tech, Euro NCAP five-star-rated, pedestrian-friendly Cortina of the sixties. Not much to ask!

Click on the gallery to see the final design, and read the full feature in this week's Auto Express magazine (out 19 September 2012).

Want to own our exclusive 2012 Cortina sketches? Visit http://win.autoexpress.co.uk for a chance to win them

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Personally, it think is would be good to see it make a come back, even if it was lumped with Fiesta FWD architecture, would make a nice cheap, entry level niche model.

[Marquis]

Gross. Should have been a evolution not a re creation.

[Moby Vic]

Looks like an evolution to me. It has the current corporate grille, headlights, side sculpturing, and wheels.

Make it on a bigger scale and it would be an interesting two-door Fusion or even Taurus.

And it's obviously not intended for production.

But would Gene Hunt drive one?

[Nic85]

Looks like a Ford Fusion at the front, and a Daihatsu Copen from the back.

[Wretched]

I was excited until i saw the pics, i know it is a sketch but please no. New face with old rear doesn't work.

Do something new Ford, forget the retro.

[Burnout]

Looks like a squashed BMW Mini.

[BAFrod]

Two-door Fusion will be the next Mustang (in terms of looks).
A cortina would need to be differentiated, either in something new, or an adaptation of the focus or fiesta front, although the latter is getting a tad long in the tooth.

[mike_nofx]

Gt86 competitor? Only if RWD.

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

But would Gene Hunt drive one?

Cobblers, Bolly!

[DJM83]

Whilst its only a render, im not a fan. Was excited when i seen the thread title.

[05_ENFORCER]

Looks like a Jag from the rear.

European design from Ford Europe, give it to the Aussie designers and see what they come up with


.

[outback_ute]

Looks more like an Anglia to me with the ratio of cabin to overall size. But the thing that spoils it for me is the inconsistency between the position of the front wheel between the two drawings, the distance between wheel arch and door opening is hugely different.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I was excited until i saw the pics, i know it is a sketch but please no. New face with old rear doesn't work.

Do something new Ford, forget the retro.

+1...thats pox

[Franco Cozzo]

Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles like it.

[jpd80]

A modern Cortina would look more like a RWD Focus sedan with the front wheels moved forward like a 3 series.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I was excited until i saw the pics, i know it is a sketch but please no. New face with old rear doesn't work.

Do something new Ford, forget the retro.

+2

Autoexpress! lol. There were more Cortinas than the Mark 1 you clowns!

[Nikked]

The rendering is certently not the best, obviously rushed...and it looks like a 4WD


That front though, looks quite nice.

[2011G6E]

There's a lot of Lotus Cortina about the whole rear end...looks good!
Keep it high as well...original Cortinas were known as rally cars or track cars, not belly-scrapers that don't dare venture near a speed hump or pothole...

[blackf6]

Why not model it on the td cortina. Might look better than that . Good idea though bring back some retro rides! xy,xb

[Marquis]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Looks like an evolution to me. It has the current corporate grille, headlights, side sculpturing, and wheels.

Make it on a bigger scale and it would be an interesting two-door Fusion or even Taurus.

And it's obviously not intended for production.

But would Gene Hunt drive one?

It looks like an evolution of a fusion ect not a Corty.
Well except for the tail lights

[Bossxr8]

The taillights and boot were the only bits I could recognise as Cortina.

[DANNO178]

I think I would take the old xle and put the fg xr6 turbo motor in. You would then have a car that looks much better and goes much faster

[Nic85]

Originally Posted by DANNO178

I think I would take the old xle and put the fg xr6 turbo motor in. You would then have a car that looks much better and goes much faster

But won't steer, stop or be safe.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Nic85

But won't steer, stop or be safe.

Minor technicalities.

[H.G]

WTF!!!! why are these people trying to recreate everything
they have all failed over the years..

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Nic85

But won't steer, stop or be safe.

Oh god yes...I used to own a 1979 TE Corty Rally Pack with the 4.1 x-flow and a four speed. The engine only had a shaved head, 350 Holley on a Cain manifold, extractors, mild cam, and exhaust, but jesus it was a handful sometimes. It had suspension done up all around as well with good springs, nolathane bushes throughout, and gas shocks with bigger sway bars.
Just cruising around it was great, but give it a boot full and it would break traction easily. Go too hard into a corner and you could feel all that extra mass as well up front where, in the original design, only a 2ltr was supposed to be at most.
A friend of mine had a TE Ghia that had an absolutely wild 4.1 x-flow...really hot cam, 500 Holley jetted to suit, ported and polished head, higher compression pistons, bigger valves, lightened flywheel, the works from top to bottom. The damn thing was all but uncontrollable in the wet, but was OK if you werre just driving around normally. It was even more of a handful in the twisty stuff.
Both of us learned all about plough understeer at the limit...

There'sa reason that they called those things "lead tipped arrows"...and while I too look back fondly and wonder what the old girl would have been like with, say, even a standard 4ltr like is fitted to our FG G6E (which probably puts out way more power than either me or my mates "worked" 4.1's back then), I also know that it would probably be absolutely dangerous.

Another one of my friends at the time had a TE wagon fitted with all the suspension mods, but had a 2ltr and four speed. The two liter was pretty well worked...hot cam, extractors, done up cylinder head, and amazingly a set of twin sidedraft Webers he sourced from god knew where. That thing also went like a cut snake, but was must more controllable and driveable because of the lower weight over the front end...it felt much more balanced and, probably, just as quick point to point as mine or my friends six cylinder versions.

There is such a thing as "too much power"...

Here's the old girl with the bonnet off (being painted)...I still miss that car, and would probably still have it if the rear chassis rails hadn't been rusted out to buggery...

[Nic85]

Sweet rig man. I remember as a kid my parents has a Cortina model just like the one you posted, but the wagon version and it had big "Ghia" writing down the sides in black paint/sticker.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Burnout

Looks like a squashed BMW Mini.

I was going to say... I see lots of mini in it.

If it were a small RWD coupe, offering 3cyl and 4cyl engines. That'd be one cool lil ride.