Crayford coachbuilders had hardly got into their stride with the Mk.

I convertible with only around fifty being built on C and D registrations when Ford told Crayford there would be an 'all new' Cortina for the October 1966 Motor Show.

Crayford did not want to wait up to a year to develop a Mk.

II Cortina so they asked Ford if they could supply a car now for development work but were told that no pre-production cars where available and, in any case, the car was top secret until press day.

They did however agree to ship, in great secrecy, a Mk.

II two-door shell and all the parts in kit form.

Crayford's directors and staff then began building the car at the Westerham factory and with only two weeks to go Director Jeff Smith set about converting the car into a Crayford convertible, virtually single-handed, working night and day on the project.

The result was, that when the show opened on press day, The Ford Motor Company had on their stand No.143, an entire range of six, all new, ...