Introduced in autumn 1966, the Ford Cortina MKII was styled in-house by Roy Haynes.

Employing much the same floorpan as its predecessor complete with independent front suspension, a 'live' rear axle and disc / drum brakes, it nevertheless benefited from a wider track and revised steering geometry.

Unveiled at the October 1967 Paris Motor Show, the 1600E utilised the same lowered suspension settings and tuned four-cylinder Kent `crossflow' engine as its Lotus-Cortina and GT 1600 siblings respectively.

Visually distinguished by a black grille, front foglights and plated Rostyle wheels, the newcomer also boasted an upmarket interior complete with a woodgrain-trimmed dashboard and door cappings, bucket seating, sports steering wheel and extensive instrumentation.

Capable of nigh-on 100mph and brisk acceleration, the model was facelifted for 1969 but phased out the following August after some 55,833 four-door and 2,749 two-door (export only) cars had been built.

In 1970, not only had E...