"Understeer?... The Cortina in a very tight 300-degree hairpin, with the weight transfer to the offside front wheel causing extreme tyre distortion, with the inside rear wheel still on the ground; the picture is a tribute to its stability and ultimate faithfulness." Huh?

If, as seems evident, someone in the Ford Motor Company has discovered the power of positive thinking, then more strength to his arm - he has enough apparent influence to persuade the company to offer the 1.5 litre, five-bearing crankshaft engine as optional equipment for the Consul Cortina.

Ford's hasten-slowly piece in the neat game of chess that is the under-£1000 market, the Cortina is now a formidable weapon for a company that recently suffered a slight recession in sales of its big-volume Falcon. With the 1500 engine now on offer, one feels that Ford has stolen a march on several other companies who have delayed introduction of equivalent new models to the Australian market long after they have been available overseas.

Most of our staff felt that the 1500 cc engine was very probably the best 1.5 litre production unit they had ever driven. Certainly, it completely alters the character of the Cortina, and it does seem doubtful whether the company will find much market for the 1200 cc engine once people start finding out the truth about the bigger one.

The larger unit has the same bore dimensions as the 1200, but has been stroked to raise capacity from 1198 cc to 1498 cc. At the same time, the compression ratio was lowered from 8.7 to 8.3:1, so that the larger engine is slightly less stressed. Nevertheless, both units are so efficient that they thoroughly deserve a diet of higher-octane mix. The 1.5 litre engine produces 59.5 bhp (net) at 4600 rpm, compared with 48.5 at 4800 rpm for the smaller plant; torque comparison is 8.45 ft/lb at 2300 rpm with 63 ft/lb at 2700 rpm. The most obvious immediate effect is that despite a higher final drive ratio (3.90 against 4.12) the 1.5 litre car has vastly more torque and "lugging ability" low down in all gears.

Unfortunately, because of unassailably awkward time factors, the WHEELS test of the 1.5 litre car had to be done with a vehicle that was still vibrating from the hammers of the body assemblers. We snatched the car so rapidly from the clutches of the factory that for some time we were careful not to brush against the paint in case it was still wet. The car had done just over 1000 miles and was not quite in tune. For instance, Ford has gathered figures - probably from a Firth-tuned car - of 10 seconds for a standstill to 50 acceleration time, and a standing quarter mile of 19 seconds. The test car could not remotely approach that, certainly because a crankshaft with five bearing surfaces to compound frictional problems would take longer than normal to free up.

The test car was the four-door version, for which equipment is standardised at bench front seat and steering-column shift. One is by now quite familiar with Cortina interiors - the full-width ribbed bright metal across the underside of the dashboard, the high-mounted wheel with its peculiar boss shape and grenellated spokes, and the dimpled rubber floor covering with heavy-duty insets in the front floor either side of the slight transmission tunnel.

Again: Four armrests, padded sun visors that (thankfully) are movable to cover side windows, and the squaring-off of the rear quarter of the roof-line to give bonus head-room to rear passengers but which simultaneously gives the Cortina what one or two of our drivers felt was a slightly lean and hungry look. The test car had the woven fabric trim that does tend to get grubby, but pvc is available on order. The finish was adequate without being remarkable - one felt the most tasteless thing about the interior was the way mastic filling in the quarter-lights wandered on to the glass, and the use of patent and ugly aluminium fasteners to pin the door and window frame binding.

The rear-vision mirror does not quite take advantage of the large rear window, and in any case one always turns on that foolishly positioned interior light under the mirror when trying to adjust the view. The glovebox, above average size, slopes faintly to the rear to keep objects off one's lap, and the rear parcels shelf is thoughtfully recessed below the lip of the squab to ditto ditto ditto.

The wheel proved a little close to the chest for our taller staff men, although it is well known among manufacturers that all motoring writers are the wrong size for their particular cars, and leg room in the rear seat is restricted when the front seat is right back on the runners. Vision is good, although the two door car, with larger glass area, is more airy and light than the four-door. Nevertheless, one can always see the extremities quite plainly.

The umbrella-type handbrake is under the dash to the left of the steering column, but works remarkably well for this type. The choke control os too far from the driver in its position on the facia above the passenger's right knee, but the other controls are very well placed.

Particularly good in Cortinas, one feels, is the assembly of all light and indicator controls in a bunch on the right side of the steering column. The only instruments are a speedometer, a tenths odometer, and fuel gauge; excessive engine temperature, low oil pressure and generator discharge are all warned by aperture lights of varying colours.

One of the strongest points of the Cortina is the boot, which is very large for a car in this class. The boot lid is counter-balanced, but the bonnet, opened by an exterior lock, is supported by one of the flimsy rods which prop up one side of the bonnet and allow the other side to bow slightly.

Pedal locations are good, and there is a place for the left foot to rest beside, instead of under, the clutch pedal. The bench seat supports the spine and shoulders well, but is slighly too shallow under the thighs; one found the rear seat cushion to be a trifle low for those ill-shaped motoring writers' legs.

But somehow the slight nuances in detail finish and equipment disappear once one "lights the wick" of this exceptional engine. It spins very readily and remarkably quietly. In fact, coupled with the extremely silent suspensional ride, this accounts for a marked absence of noise. Thus we found the 1500 Cortina's first fine feature; it cruises in the high 60's and 70's with no apparent effort and hardly any interior noise. In its ability to cover ground in this way it approaches the Peugeots 403 and 404.

Brake lining area remains the same as the 1200 at 81.68 square inches swept, and I feel this is inadequate for such an excellent, long-striding fast touring car like the 1500. Under test the brakes - although probably out of adjustment becasue of the rush - faded noticeably under medium-hard downhill conditions, and locked up on one wheel or another under harsh stopping. This is a pity, because the Cortina's outstanding ability to cover long distances at great pace in such quiet means that the unfeeling driver might be going deceptively faster than he should; and he may need his brakes more often. In Britain the 1500 cc option includes enlarged front brakes.

The Cortina is now the second-best selling car in Britain in all its multifarious variations and experience suggests it will do well here. The 1500 engine literally demands this. The car has no new or revolutionary features, being almost painfully orthodox, but its orthodoxy is refined to such an extent that it does the right things unobtrusively. One takes a lot for granted with a Cortina becasue it has so few of the obvious deficiencies of most cars of its type, apart from the unsatisfactory live rear axle,and - in this class - the lack of a heater/demister.

With good interior and boot room, above-average performance, and common-sense design, the Cortina is assured of a bright future.

Engine:
Cylinders: four, in line
Bore and stroke: 80.94 mm by 72.64 mm
Cubic capacity: 1498 cc
Compression ratio: 8.3:1
Valves: pushrod, overhead
Carburettor: Solex, downdraught
Power at rpm: 59.5 (nett) at 4600 rpm
Maximum torque: 84.5 ft/lb (nett) at 2300 rpm

Transmission:
Type: manual, all-synchromesh

Ratios:
First: 15.81
Second: 9.34
Third: 5.50
Top: 3.90
Rear axle: 3.90

Suspension:
Front: independent coil
Rear: semi-elliptic
Dampers: telescopic

Steering:
Type: recirculating ball
Turns, 1 to 1: 4
Circle: 36 ft

Brakes:
Type: drum

Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 8 ft 2 in
Track, front: 4 ft 1 1/2 in
Track, rear: 4 ft 1 1/2 in
Length: 14 ft 2 1/2 in
Width: 5 ft 3 in
Height: 4 t 9 in

Tyres:
Size: 5.20 by 13

Weight:
Dry: 16.2 cwt

Top speed:
Fastest run: 81.1 mph
Average of all runs: 80.8 mph

Maximum speed in gears:
First: 32.0 mph
Second: 47.5 mph
Third: 70.2 mph
Top: 80.8 mph

Acceleration:
Standing Quarter mile:
Fastest run: 21.2 secs
Average of all runs: 21.4 secs
0 to 30 mph: 4.8 secs
0 to 40 mph: 9.0 secs
0 to 50 mph: 13.9 secs
0 to 60 mph: 21.4 secs
0 to 70 mph: 26.5 secs
0 to 80 mph: NA
20 to 40 mph: 8.8 secs
30 to 50 mph: 10.0 secs
40 to 60 mph: 11.7 secs

Go-to-whoa:
0-60-0 mph: 24.5 secs

Speedo error:
Indicated / Actual:
30 mph / 27.1 mph
40 mph / 36.4 mph
50 mph / 46.3 mph
60 mph / 56.3 mph
70 mph / 66.2 mph
80 mph / NA
90 mph / NA

Fuel consumption:
Cruising speeds: NA
Overall for test: NA

Test car from:
Ford Motor Company, Sydney