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CORTINA
GETS FOUR DOORS |
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One of the models planned to get the full Australian treatment is the four door version which has just been introduced to supplement the two door car. However, the engine remains as the 1200 cc, oversquare, three main bearing unit fitted to the now familiar two-door Cortina. In England of course, a full 1500 cc, five bearing engine is offered as optional equipment at extra cost. Four door body work has transformed the Cortina from a useful and lively car into one which is an immensely practical family wagon, only slightly smaller than the popular sixes and costing considerably less. To make the best use of the body width, a bench seat has been fitted in the front, along with a steering column gearchange and a rather old fashioned looking umbrella-type handbrake under the dash. Four doors have created a weight penalty of only 16 lb. As the performance figures indicate, there is little difference between the two models. From the styling viewpoint, the four door body is better looking and gives a much truer impression of the car's actual size. Access to the interior is good, although the front doors are smaller than they are on the two-door car. On a couple of occasions I fouled the pillar while lowering my bulk on to the seat, but encountered no such difficulty when emerging. Zero-torque locks are fitted, so it makes no difference whether the doors are slammed or closed gently. Push-button handles are fitted externally and normal levers internally. Window winders are light to use, but rather low geared. The front ventilation panels are hinged, but the rear door quarter lights are fixed and merely provide the glass extension necessary to enable the windows to be fully lowered. If the front ventilation panels are opened during rain, water enters. Some kind of draining system is needed. To shut the panels dooms the interior of the car to misting problems unless the optional extra heating/demisting system is installed. Muddy water from the road surface will also enter the car if the rubber plugs which hold the floor covering are not in position in the bulkhead. Some of the plug holes penetrate the wheel arches, thus providing an excellent entrance for the water. It is this kind of detail deficiency that in some ways mars an otherwise excellent car. Basically, the interior of the Cortina is quite comfortable. The seats are upholstered in a durable-looking woven nylon material and there are armrests on all four doors. Generously dimensioned, the seats give unexpectedly good support and and are wide enough for three people to be carried in the back and two adults and a child in the front. The front bench has made it necessary to move the gearchange from the floor to the steering column. Although such a shift generally entails a sacrifice in efficiency, this is not the case with the Cortina. Changes of ratio can be made with little pressure on the lever, the actual shifting being being hydraulically actuated. On the two door cars, the handbrake is fitted between the seats, but has been moved to the laft hand side of the steering column on the new car. It falls to hand easily and works tolerably well, although it will not lock the back wheels. Horn, winker switch and light controls are arranged on a hefty extension on the right hand side of the steering column. Besides concentrating most of the electrics in one place, the arrangement is very easy for the driver to use. The wipers, screen washer, choke and ignition-starter are all dashboard mounted. Instrumentation consists only of a speedometer and a fuel gauge. Excessive engine temperatures, low oil pressure and generator discharge are all indicated by warning lights. Thin crashpadding is used along the entire width of the dashboard, but unfortunately it reflects on to the windscreen - a fault common to most Ford products. Forward visibility is good. The wide back window is an asset when parking, even though the rear extremities of the car are not easily seen. The one blind spot in the car is centred around the driver's side screen pillar which, when combined with the ventilation pane's frame, can be restrictive on right hand corners. Rubber, moulded to look vaguely like carpet, covers the floor of the Cortina. What it lacks in aesthetic appeal may be compensated for by durability. To the person who buys a Cortina, the interior size must be one of the deciding factors and it is complemented by a huge luggage compartment. It is possible to pile more luggage into it than into the Falcon boot, largely because it has more depth and spare wheel is stowed vertically. From the passenger and luggage aspect, the Cortina is by far the biggest car in the under £1000 class. The mechanicals that help this machine along the road are as normal and conventional as the car's external appearance would indicate. Both the engine and transmission are excellent. In spite of the rather large job it has to do, the engine is remarkably smooth, regardless of the revs. Its thirst is moderate and, although the performance is not startling, it is possible to make rapid point to point times if enterprising use is made of the gearbox. Its synchromesh is particularly effective and light. The ratios are well chosen and are meant to be used, for the combination of high final drive, limited torque and moderately high weight do not make for flexibility. In fact, top is ineffectual below 25 mph. For reasonably brisk town acceleration, I found that it was necessary to spin the engine to 15 mph in low, 30 in second and 35 in third. The latter gear will haul the car away from about 25 mph with comparative ease, but the technique is to keep the motor spinning briskly. Suspension is very normal - and verging on being outdated on a car of this type. Coils suspend the front wheels independently and long, narrow semi-elliptics hold the live rear axle. Handling on good bitumen is quite satisfactory. The basic tendancy is to understeer, changing to a gentle oversteer when the car is pressed beyond the limit. Rough corners throw the car off line to some extent as the rear axle shifts about. More positive location of the axle could make a big difference to this car. The fault, by the way, is common to the two-door Cortina and the Anglia. Riding comfort on all surfaces is good, although some tail hop on corrugated surfaces can be annoying. Around town the drum brakes are quite efficient. Fade can be induced in extreme circumstances in the mountains, but recovery is rapid and complete. At a time when the trend is more and more towards the consolidation of mechanical components in one end of the car or the other, it is surprising that Ford has had such enormous success with the Cortina. It is one of the world's best selling small cars and is second only to the Morris 850 in England. Now, with the four door optional body, and selling for less than £1000, it becomes real opposition for the Morris Major, Hillman, Simca and Volkswagen. |
| Technical Details of the 1500 Cortina | |
Specifications |
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Transmission: Ratios: Suspension: Steering: Brakes: Dimensions: Tyres: Weight:
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Maximum
speed in gears: Acceleration: Go-to-whoa: Speedo error: Fuel consumption: Test car
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