In autumn 1966 we all bade farewell to the Mk.I Cortina GT, because the Mk.II Cortina GT was ready to roll. The body was, of course, completely restyled, along with the entire rest of the Cortina lineup, but initially the car was still using most of the Mk.I GT drivetrain. The same 78 bhp engine was used, and the same gearbox with the big gap between 2nd and 3rd, albeit with a new diaphragm-spring clutch, and a new three-rail remote gearchange. The final drive ratio also remained the same at 3.90:1. The fuel tank was enlarged to 10 gallons, while 4.5" wheels became optional, and radial tyres became an option. Some suspension modifications were made, but mainly because the new body required it.

As well as the new body, the car also had a new dash, which took a lot of its design cues from the last of the Mk.I GT dashes. The speedo and tacho were still behind the driver's wheel, and the Aeroflow vents, toggle switches, and under-dash parking brake handle were still in evidence, but the auxiliary instruments had moved to a binnacle on top of the middle of the dash, their old location occupied by the heater controls.

"With four people on board the car feels better than with only one or two, but we feel that a few drivers will complain about the riding qualities."

So, it was the old car in a new skin, but the mechanical changes were on their way. From January 1967, the '2000E' gearbox ratios, as used in the Corsair 2000E, and also the Lotus-Cortina, was fitted. Like the 'uprated second' kit from Boreham, these ratios increased the top speed in second, and made a dramatic difference in how sporty the car felt. Then in August 1967 what is now commonly called the 'crossflow' version of the Kent engine was introduced, and the Weber could now be found sitting on a cast-alloy inlet manifold on the opposite side of the engine to the exhaust manifold. With an increased capacity of 1599 cc (nominally 1600), output went up from 78 bhp at 5200 rpm, to 88 bhp at 5400 rpm. Also introduced with the crossflow engine was 4.5" wheel rims and radial tyres as standard, and a new centre console featuring a clock.

Next up on the timetable was the removal of the locating radius arms on the rear suspension in January 1968, on all the UK models and on a lot of export cars as well. Why? I dunno. Later in the year in October the cars received a bit of a facelift, with new grilles, new badges, and new seats, plus the option of reclining seats on two-doors. The instruments were moved from above the dash and into it again (make your mind up, Ford), and the handbrake was moved to the transmission tunnel. Also introduced were a new gearchange mechanism, a new gearbox casing, an internal bonnet release, and a fully fused electrical system. For the US market a polished wood veneer was added to the dash, as used in the 1600E.

About 80,000 Mk.II GTs were sold. When first released, they were selling even better than the Mk.I GTs, but when the 1600E was introduced, the sales rate was cut in half, but they still sold respectably, with the sales for the 1600E easily making up the difference.

There's not much to the rallying history of the Mk.II GT, because by then it had been superceded as a rally weapon by the now just-as-reliable Lotus-Cortina. There was one opportunity for the Mk.II GT to strut its stuff, however. Ford wanted to enter the East African Safari of 1967, and the Mk.I Lotus-Cortina had gone out of production, but not enough Mk.IIs had been produced for homologation - enter the GT. Bengt Soderstrom led for many hours until he crashed, a was passed by Jack Simonian in another GT, but he then came a cropper with an animal. GTs still finished 2nd and 3rd, and that gave Ford the Manufacturer's Team Prize.

"That got it the attention of the real car buffs. Suddenly, people who had never even looked at a Ford decided this was their car."

'Fraid the update was all show and no go though, because Ford put all their performance efforts into the V8 GT Falcon, which was now their performance flagship and Bathurst weapon-of-choice, and had been since 1966. However, a number of performance bits and pieces were available for the Mk.II GT, including chrome wheels, Minilite wheels, high stress engine parts, LSDs, gearbox ratio kits, and camshafts. A basic GT was $2597. By 1971 a GT cost $2605, and a road test from the time records that a 89 bhp, 5500 rpm GT could pull an 18.3 quarter-mile.

"By the end of this year some 800 U.S. Ford dealers will be handling the Cortina line. This will include the 1600-cc two-door sedan and the Cortina GT, an 88-hp, high performance version."

What we see above is a 1967 GT for the US market. Differences between this model and the UK version include radial-ply tyres as standard (Pirelli Cinturatos here), wheel trim rings, stripes just above the sill, and bumper over-riders. After finishing the Mk.I series with only a two-door model available, the Mk.II GT was introduced in both two and four-door form. A two-door was $2172, a four-door $2291. During the model life of the Mk.II GT it picked up all the changes of the UK model, and one unique change, the addition of wood dash panelling for 1969, as used in the 1600E, which was not sold in the USA. In its final model year of 1970 a GT was $2358 in two-door form, and $2475 in four-door form (and also sported a nice collection of pollution gear).

David Alexander (Alberta, Canada) supplied the following information:

GT and Deluxe models in 69 and 70 had 'deep embossed' vinyl on central portions of seating surfaces, and switched to a locking steering wheel/long ignition key in 1970. The headliner switched from a stars design to spongy look around 69. GT models had full length console in 69 and 70 with shorter consoles on earlier units. Starting in 69, GTand Deluxe models sported the bright metal trim on window frames, wheel openings/rocker panels and the 2 horizontal strips on the rear with the matte black center. Radial tires became standard on GTs here around 1969. Any comments or corrections, feel free to e-mail me at chrisanddave@powersurfr.com