DECODING THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION PLATE

 

 

PRODUCTION NUMBERS

Lotus Cortinas (From Graham Robson book)

                        Domestic     Export        Total

1967                1048              331           1379

1968                1192              292           1484

1969                  839              197           1036

1970                  152                42             194

Total                3231              862           4093

Total Mk2 S1 – 2863

Total Mk2 S2 –  1230

Total Mk2 LHD – 622

Mk2 Lotus Cortina announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1967.

4 x 4 door Lotus Cortinas built for Police.

 

Note for above.

The statistics for Lotus Cortina production were obtained by Graham Robson from the Ford archivist, who had access to the production records at the time. There is an anomaly around the production of cars in November / December 1968, as several cars are known with a date code of November 1968.

It seems most likely that these cars were made at the end of October 1968, as far as the production system was concerned, but not allocated a chassis number / strut top stamp until November, which may only have been a couple of days later.

The identification of the cars by allocating a chassis number was only made once the cars were complete, running and had passed their quality checks, hence it was quite normal for completed cars made in one month to have the next month’s date code applied.

 

Total Mk 2 Production Numbers

This is the total number of Mk2 Cortinas built, showing the body type (number), the model name and the number made. These numbers are taken from the Russell Hayes book ‘Ford Cortina – The Complete History’.

 

Type 80 Cortina Saloon (4 door standard)                             4914

Type 90 Cortina Saloon (2 door standard)                            14324

Type 91 Cortina Saloon (2 door Lotus)                                  4032

Type 92 Cortina Saloon (2 door De Luxe)                           251537

Type 93 Cortina Saloon (4 door De Luxe)                           347462

Type 94 Cortina Saloon (2 door Super)                                18950

Type 95 Cortina Saloon (4 door Super)                               116143

Type 96 Cortina Saloon (2 door GT)                                     62592

Type 96 Cortina Saloon (2 door 1600E)                                  2563

Type 97 Cortina Saloon (4 door GT)                                     54538

Type 97 Cortina Saloon (4 door 1600E)                                57524

Type 98  & 99 Cortina Estate (De Luxe, Super and GT)          90290

(877 GT Estates built, with approximately 50% being exported)

(All GT Estates were body Type 99, Super)

 

Total                                                                             1024869

Note. Again, some of these figures vary slightly from previously published numbers. Until a definitive set of numbers is produced, we will have to take these as indicative only, but they are the best available.

FORD TIMES MAGAZINE COVER

Ford seemed to be pleased with their range of colours for 1969: