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: