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105-658: The T-REX has been commercially available since the early 1990s. The Campagna T-REX was designed and styled by Deutschman Design. In 1976, 1977 and 1979, Daniel Campagna was a Formula Ford racer in Quebec . He made some significant motoring inventions, including the Voodoo in 1982. As part of the technical team for Formula 1 racer Gilles Villeneuve , he handcrafted his first model of the T-REX and subsequently founded his own company, Campagna Moto Sport Inc. in 1990. He brought together

210-591: A DeLuxe wagon. The Lotus Cortina was also available, albeit in limited numbers. Ford in the United States imported both the Mark I and Mark II Cortina models. The Mark II was sold in the United States from 1967, achieving 16,193 cars sold in its first year. Sales of the Mark II in 1968 were 22,983. Sales in 1969 reached 21,496. Sales slumped in 1970, to almost half their 1969 peak, at 10,216 units. Ford USA dropped

315-461: A Formula Ford chassis. As the production Ford Cortina engine evolved to a new 1600cc crossflow unit, so did the Formula Ford regulations. Increasing costs forced them to relax the £1,000 price ceiling on Formula Ford as Blueprinting of the engine was now allowed. Belgium hosted the first race outside England, in 1967. Formula Ford racing quickly spread across Europe and North America, with

420-462: A Formula One car for Frank Williams . Emerson Fittipaldi impressed during the 1970 Formula One Grand Prix season after a short stint in Formula Ford. In 1970, he became the first Formula Ford graduate to win a Formula One Grand Prix. In 1972, he became the first Formula Ford graduate to win the Formula One world championship. In the United States, starting with a 1983 debut race and victory at

525-676: A brushed aluminum and black boot lid panel on the GXLs, while the GT had a black-painted section of the boot with a chrome trim at either side of it. All prefacelift models featured a downward-sloping dashboard with deeply recessed dials, and coil suspension all round. In general styling and technical make up, the Mark III Cortina aped the Vauxhall Victor FD of 1967. The Cortina went on sale on 23 October 1970, but sales got off to

630-612: A different radiator grille), and rear-wing pressings that toned down the drooping beltline, lessening the "coke-bottle" appearance of the Cortina. Also, the dual round headlights fitted to the upmarket version of the Cortina Mark III were not available on the Taunus TC1. The MacPherson strut front suspension was replaced with more conventional double A-arm suspension (also known as double wishbone suspension), which gave

735-482: A five-door estate. Although no longer than its predecessor, the Mark III was a heavier car, reflecting a trend towards improving secondary safety by making car bodies more substantial. Weight was also increased by the stout cross-member incorporated into the new simplified front suspension set-up, and by the inclusion of far more sound-deadening material, which insulated the cabin from engine and exhaust noise, making

840-613: A fully adjustable aerodynamic package which includes front and rear wings previously never used in the British championship. Another change for the 2013 season was Duratec class cars being ineligible for the championship, leaving only the EcoBoost class. The series also moved back to supporting the BTCC . In the 2015 the championship was renamed MSA Formula . In 2016, it was rebranded as F4 British Championship . Several former drivers of

945-499: A mainly amateur, club-racing series attracting serious enthusiasts using the now rejuvenated 1600 Kent engine with which the formula ran from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s, as Ford restarted production of the Kent engine in 2009 for motorsport reasons. Whatever the engine of the Formula Ford car, it has long provided a relatively inexpensive way for drivers to race purpose-built racecars. There are many Formula Ford 1600 series for drivers of

1050-403: A particularly slow start because of production difficulties that culminated with a 10-week strike at Ford's plant between April and June 1971, which was at the time reported to have cost production of 100,000 vehicles, equivalent to almost a quarter of the output for a full year. During 1971, the spring rates and damper settings were altered along with the front suspension bushings, which reduced

1155-585: A production team and the prototype vehicle was finalized a few years later. From 1994 to 2000, the T-REX was only available in Quebec, but since the early 2000s it has been sold in the rest of Canada and the United States . In June 2004, the company was facing financial difficulties, and it granted an exclusive worldwide licence to manufacture and sell the T-Rex to T-Rex Vehicles Inc. Due to this arrangement,

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1260-488: A race series. They felt if they called it “Formula Ford" they could get backing from Ford itself. Webb was on the phone the next day to Ford competition manager Henry Taylor , who agreed to provide Clarke and MRS with 54 Cortina GT engines at £50 each (£15 below retail). Webb also approached the Royal Automobile Club 's competition director, to establish rules for this new class. Late in 1967, Ford announced

1365-404: A standard 1498cc Ford "Kent" pushrod engine as featured in the recently introduced Cortina GT saloon . The 1500 Cortina, with its reliability and horsepower output fairly close to “F3 proper” proved a resounding success in the school. The earliest experiments with radial tires bore fruit as well: the students of the day did not care that these were not the racing engines or racing tires, just that

1470-600: A staple of the Capri and Granada ranges. However, 2.3-litre Cortinas never sold particularly well in the UK. The Cologne V6 was much smoother and delivered more refined power than the Pinto, but the V6 models were more expensive to fuel and insure, and were only slightly faster, being about 0.5 seconds faster from 0–60 and having a top speed of about 109 mph compared to the 104 mph of

1575-445: A subtle 'Coke-bottle' waistline as a reference to its predecessor - along with a lowered boot lid height which achieved the marketing department objective of larger windows giving a better view out and a brighter feel to the cabin, but at the expense of body weight, which was increased, albeit only marginally, by about 30 lb (14 kg). Ford claimed an overall increase in window area of some 15%, with "40% better visibility" through

1680-470: A tendency to self-destruct. All these factors contributed to a steep maintenance and upkeep cost of the schools. In 1963, Geoff Clarke; the owner of Motor Racing Stables, moved his racing school to the Brands Hatch circuit. This brought him in contact with John Webb; managing director of developments at Brands Hatch. At about this time, two of the school's Lotus Formula Junior chassis were fitted with

1785-432: A very obvious afterthought" on the 1964 Mark I Cortina was felt to have aged much less well than the car's ventilation system. Also in 1964, front disc brakes became standard across the range. Ford Cortina Lotus was offered only as a two-door saloon all in white with a contrasting green side flash down each flank. It had a unique 1558 cc twin-cam engine by Lotus , but based on the Cortina's Kent OHV engine. Aluminium

1890-736: A wooden dash, a vinyl roof, a blacked out tail panel, semi-high back front seats, centre console with floor shifter and clock, Australian Capri full wheel trims plus special stripes and badging. A 3.0 L Essex V6 engined variant was developed privately in South Africa by Basil Green Motors , and was sold through the Grosvenor Ford network of dealers as the Cortina Perana; two similar models (fitted with 3.0 L and 2.5 L Essex respectively) appeared later in Britain and were known as

1995-585: Is also a popular choice in the US and Canada. The class provides a venue for Formula Ford 2000 as well as the earlier Formula C (1100 cc pure racing engine) and Formula Super Vee (production-based VW engines) cars. Formula Continental cars employ aerodynamic effects (front and rear wings). In the United States, used Formula Ford racing chassis are also proving to be a popular source of conversion into Formula 1000 cars and their closely related sports car bodied cousins D Sport Racing . Ford Motorsport administers some of

2100-546: Is no overarching point score to declare a series champion. The Australian Formula Ford Series is an Australian motor racing competition for Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series and from 1993 to 2013 as the Australian Formula Ford Championship. The control engine was changed from the first-generation Kent engine to the third-generation Mazda-sourced Ford Duratec engine in 2006. In 2014

2205-458: Is the current incarnation of a pan-European championship for Formula Ford competitors, last held previously in 2001. The 2011 series was aimed at giving drivers experience at European race circuits. Three national Formula Ford championships are involved in the revived championship, these being the British , Benelux and Scandinavian championships. While individual events nominate a winner, there

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2310-542: The Cortina Savage and Cortina Cheetah , which were available with 1600E trim in all three body styles, while their South African stablemate was offered only as a four-door saloon initially with GT and later E trim. The Cortina was Canada's second-most popular imported car during the 1960s, second only to the Volkswagen Beetle . Canada had two- and four-door sedans, the higher-performance GT sedan, and

2415-404: The W Series , prior to the series folding. Formula Ford is not a one-make championship. It allows freedom of chassis design, engine build and numerous technical items of specification on the car. This opens the door to many chassis manufacturers, large and small. Many other single-seater formula series impose fixed specifications. Only two other professional single-seater racing formula series in

2520-520: The "pre-crossflow" version, as both inlet and exhaust ports were located on the same side of the head. The most powerful version of this engine (used in the GT Cortina) was 1498 cc (1500) and produced 78 bhp (58 kW). This engine contained a different camshaft profile, a different cylinder-head casting featuring larger ports, tubular exhaust headers, and a Weber 28/36 DCD twin-choke carburettor made under licence by Ford. Advertising of

2625-556: The 1.6 OHC replacement for the base 1.6 engine and during the run, a specially trimmed base 1.3 OHV “economy" version was reintroduced, but actually achieved worse fuel economy than larger engine models. A 2.0XL sedan version was also added around the same time. The Kiwi 2000E sedan initially lacked the cloth seats and never had the factory sunroof of the UK version and a radio was never standard, wagons were only ever offered in base or L trim. Ford Lio Ho in Taiwan began local production of

2730-477: The 1300 received a new crossflow cylinder head design, making it more efficient, while a crossflow 1600 replaced the 1500. The new models carried additional "1300" or "1600" designations at the rear. An 1100 cc crossflow engine from the Escort was also offered for markets such as Greece, where higher capacities were taxed heavily. The Cortina Lotus continued with its own unique engine, although for this generation it

2835-410: The 1970s to use a Pinto engine and, although it used basically Formula Ford chassis, permitted use of slicks and wings; it was seen as a natural step up from the 1600cc formula and a stepping stone to categories such as Formula Three . Formula Ford 2000 engines and transmissions were married to sports-racing chassis to produce Sports 2000 . Older Formula Fords, with outboard shock absorbers, race in

2940-550: The 1983 SCCA Runoffs the Swift DB-1 became the dominant chassis in North America Formula Ford racing with ten championships between 1983 and 1996. The DB-6 evolution of the chassis won an additional six championships through 2008. During this time Formula Ford was on the decline in the US for several reasons. The rising cost of competition, SCCA's introduction of a spec sports racer, Sports Renault, and

3045-658: The 2.0 and 2.3S models, which were discontinued when the Mark V was introduced in August 1979. Ford Australia built its own version, known as the TE, with the 2.0-litre Inline-four engine Pinto unit and the Falcon's 3.3-litre and 4.1-litre straight-six engine. The six-cylinder versions were rather nose heavy and did not handle as well as the fours or the European V6 models. Interior door hardware and steering columns were shared with

3150-434: The 2.0-litre Pinto was always by far the most common engine option for Ghia models. Two-door and four-door saloons and a five-door estate were offered with all other engines being carried over. At launch, though, only 1.3-litre-engined cars could be ordered in the UK with the two-door body, and then only with "standard" or "L" equipment packages. In practice, relatively few two-door Mark IV Cortinas were sold. In some markets,

3255-426: The 2.0-litre models. The 2.0-litre Cologne V6 engine continued to be offered on Taunus-badged cars in parallel with the Pinto unit, and offers here an interesting comparison with the similarly sized in-line four-cylinder Pinto engine. The V6 with a lower compression ratio offered less power and less performance, needing over an extra second to reach 50 mph (80 km/h). It did, however, consume 12½% less fuel and

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3360-767: The 2010 season. It is sanctioned by the United States Auto Club , and is a part of Road to Indy . The F1600 Championship Series was created by the SCCA in 2011. The series is organized by Formula Race Promotions, the same organization which organizes the F2000 Championship Series . The class operates under the same rules as the SCCA Formula F, with both the Ford Kent and Honda L15A7 engines permitted. Therefore, many drivers from

3465-776: The Alexis car and a deal was struck to jointly produce the Russell-Alexis. This car had a Hewland racing gearbox which made the car more expensive (£999), but was more reliable and allowed interchangeable ratios. The first standalone Formula Ford race took place at Brands Hatch on July 2, 1967. Of the 20 cars that competed, 10 were MRS Lotus 51s, including the eventual winner, Ray Allen. The Russell-Alexis car won its debut race in August 1967, and by 1968 54 Russell-Alexis had been sold. Based on this success Russell opened two more racing schools in Britain, another in Canada, and another in

3570-650: The Australian-built Spectrum , but smaller manufacturers such as Ray Race Cars and Vector have had some success. Historical designers who have made a mark on the series have included: Titan, Lotus , Merlyn, Hawke, Citation, Swift , Euroswift, Elden , Reynard , Crosslé , Lola , Zink, Bowin , Royale, and Cooper Racing . Top speeds in the National Class are easily as high as in the other junior formulae of BMW and Renault , but cornering speeds tend to be lower as Formula Ford cars lack

3675-468: The Bomb' taillight clusters. Standard, Deluxe, Super, and GT trims were offered, but not across all body styles. Early Standard models featured a simple body-coloured front grille, earning it the nickname 'Ironbar'. Since this version cost almost the same as the better-equipped Deluxe, it sold poorly and is very rare today. Options included heater and bench seat with column gearchange (shifter). Super versions of

3780-543: The British championship have become successful in Formula One, including Eddie Irvine and Anthony Davidson , while Formula Ford champions Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button also went on to win the Formula One Drivers' Championship . For many years the highlight of the Formula Ford season was the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch , England. Entries of several hundred cars from all over

3885-499: The Cortina GT, which appeared in spring 1963 with lowered suspension and engine tuned to give a claimed output of 78 bhp (58 kW; 79 PS) ahead of the 60 bhp (45 kW; 61 PS) claimed for the Cortina 1500 Super. The engines used across the Mark I range were of identical design, differing only in displacement and setup. The formula used was a four-cylinder pushrod (overhead valve) design that came to be known as

3990-472: The Cortina Mark III in undiminished numbers in the UK until they were ready to launch its successor as the Dagenham -built Cortina Mark IV, which went on sale on 29 September 1976. Many parts were carried over, most notably the running gear. The raised driving position and the new dashboard had, along with some of the suspension upgrades, had already appeared in the 1974 model year Cortina MkIII, so that from

4095-573: The Cortina in March 1973. For Japan, the cars were narrowed by a few millimetres on arrival in the country to fit into a lower tax bracket determined by exterior dimensions which impose a maximum width of 1,695 mm (66.7 in). The Cortina was joined by the Ford Capri in Japan and was imported by Kintetsu Motors, an exclusive retailer of Ford products. The Mark IV Cortina (or TC2 , as it

4200-515: The Formula Ford world were common into the 1990s, with racers competing in knockout heats to decide the grid for a grand final. Entries later declined, and later festivals struggled to attract more than 40-50 cars, enough for two heats and a final. More "historic" FF1600 cars had been turning up for the supporting races than contemporary Zetecs, however in 2006 the Festival saw the Duratec engine for

4305-518: The Mark II Cortinas, except for the 1600 cc GXL. These engines are known as the Kent, crossflow engine or overhead valve (OHV) engine. Also, the 2000 cc engine, the single overhead cam engine, now known as the Pinto engine, was introduced. The OHV Kent ' unit was fitted with a single-choke carburetor and was used for the early models up to GT trim, the SOHC twin-choke carburetor Pinto engine

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4410-402: The Mark III a much softer ride on the road, but did give cars fitted with the larger, heavier engines distinct understeer. Trim levels for the Mark III Cortina were Base , L (Luxury), XL (Xtra Luxury), XLE (Xtra Luxury Edition - Australia and South Africa only), GT (Grand Touring), and GXL (Grand Xtra Luxury). The early Mark III Cortinas came with the same 1300 and 1600 cc engines as

4515-494: The Mark III was given a facelift, and was redesignated TD. The biggest change was the new dashboard, which dispensed with the steeply sloped and somewhat "overstyled" original. The new fascia was much flatter in appearance featuring the instruments under a glass hood with improved ergonomics which would be carried over to the later Mark IV and Mark V Cortinas with only detail modifications, as well as upgraded trim levels, revised front grilles and rear lights, rectangular headlights for

4620-469: The Mk2's run. Initially, the 1.3 OHV engine came with base trim, the 1.6 as the Cortina L, and the 2.0 OHC as a GT (sedan only). Later base models were upgraded to the 1.6 OHV and a 2.0 L specification was added, set to become the default "rep's spec" until the Cortina's Kiwi demise in 1984. A 1973 update brought new paint colours and black, rather than colour-matched, dashboards and carpet. Facelifted Mk3s received

4725-560: The UK four-cylinder engines (1.6 and 2.0) and locally made inline six-cylinder engines (3.3- and 4.1-litre) from its Falcon line. Along with the engines, Australian built ' Cortys' (a common slang word Australians use for the Cortina ) featured many paint colours carried over from the Falcon line, some even from the Falcon GT. Ford New Zealand introduced the Mk3 as a four-door sedan and also reintroduced wagon versions not assembled during

4830-588: The United States as Club Formula Fords in SCCA and other club racing series. Formula F100 was an unsuccessful attempt in the late 1960s to create a sportscar category related to Formula Ford but using a 1300 cc Ford engine; the cars were heavy and slow. The proposed Formula Turbo Ford , an attempt to update FF2000, of the mid-1980s was limited to one Reynard that ran a few demonstration laps. Formula Ford remains popular in its 1600 cc form—the cars are widely raced , sprinted and hillclimbed. Formula Continental

4935-512: The United States. Chapman and his Lotus 51 did recover, replacing the troublesome Renault gearbox with the Hewland unit, even claiming Russell as a customer in 1968. Also in 1968, Meryln debuted as a Formula Ford constructor, dominating sales for that year. Other new manufactures included Crosslé Car Company , Dulon, Elden Racing Cars , Hawke Racing Cars and Royale Racing Cars, together with existing constructors such as Brabham choosing to build

5040-677: The XL, GT, and the new 2000E (the "E" standing for executive), which replaced the GXL. The 1.3-litre Kent engine continued, but 1.6-litre models now used the more modern 1.6-litre Pinto SOHC engine. Whilst the TD Cortina still had double A-arm suspension with coils at the front and a four-link system at the rear, handling was improved. The 2000E reverted to the classy treatment offered by the MkII 1600E (and carried over to later Mark IV/V Ghia) models instead of

5145-535: The biggest export market has been the Middle East. Examples of different engines employed in the Campagna T-Rex vehicle. Over the course of its production these are some of the different engines that have been used. Formula Ford Formula Ford , also known as F1600 and Formula F , is an entry-level class of single-seater , open-wheel formula racing . The various championships held across

5250-535: The bounciness of the ride and low-speed ride harshness, which had generated press criticism at the time of the Mark III's launch. Volumes recovered, and with the ageing Austin/Morris 1100/1300 now losing out to various newer models, the Cortina was Britain's top-selling car in 1972, closely followed by the Escort . It remained the UK's top-selling car until 1976, when overtaken by the Mk2 Escort. In late 1973,

5355-425: The car is its compliance with Formula Three safety standards, which involves mandatory crash structures, side-impact panels running the full height and length of the cockpit, an FIA -specified headrest and an extricable safety seat. In addition to the safety enhancements, some mandatory elements of bodywork shape have also been introduced. These will define the shape, size and orientation of the sidepod air intakes and

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5460-741: The car sported similar fluted bonnet and beltline design elements to the North American Mercury Montego and Ford LTD of the same era. It replaced both the Mark II Cortina and the larger, more expensive Ford Corsair , offering more trim levels and the option of larger engines than the Mark II Cortina. The Mark III's continental European sister car – the Taunus TC – was subtly different in appearance, with longer front indicators, different taillights, different door skins, different bonnet and boot lid pressings (and hence

5565-420: The car usefully quieter than its predecessor, though on many cars, the benefit was diminished by high levels of wind noise apparently resulting from poor door fit around the windows. Four-speed manual transmissions were by now almost universally offered in the UK for this class of car, and contemporary road tests commented on the rather large gap between second and third gear, and the resulting temptation to slip

5670-527: The cars were equal. At an informal meeting at the December 1966 racing car show day at Olympia, Webb and Clarke were discussing the possibility of building a fleet of identical open wheel race cars based on the success of combining the Ford power plant and road wheels, radial tires, and Formula Junior style chassis. Not only would they make ideal school cars, but would also provide a new entry level formula for

5775-467: The championship was downgraded to a national series with Duratec-engined cars and Kent-engined cars both eligible to compete alongside each other. Currently, the winner wins a ticket to a scouting combine for INDYCAR at the end of the calendar year. The USF2000 Championship is an American racing series using the American variation of the Formula Ford formula, Formula Ford 2000, that resumed operation for

5880-406: The clutch when accelerating through the gears in the smaller-engined cars: it was presumably in tacit acknowledgment of the car's marginal power-to-weight ratio that Ford no longer offered the automatic transmission option with the smallest 1298 cc-engined Cortina. Four headlights and Rostyle wheels marked out the GT and GXL versions. The GXL also had bodyside rub strips, a vinyl roof, and

5985-469: The company claims that production costs have been reduced by 20% without much difficulty. In 2001, the T-REX entered the U.S. market, including California CARB certification by 2002. Since July 2009, the company has 23 employees producing two to three T-REX vehicles per week. As of 2016, the T-REX was still in production, and since 2011 the company also offered the V13R. Most sales are in Quebec, Canada, and

6090-549: The dominance of the Swift chassis helped to collapse the class in the US. Currently, Formula Ford racing exists in two main forms in Europe: National Series for aspiring 'career' drivers run around the world which have used the 1600 Duratec engine , (which replaced the heavier but not significantly more powerful Zetec engine in 2006), and for 2012 are beginning to adopt the new EcoBoost 1600 turbo engine; and

6195-677: The downforce-producing aerodynamic aids on the other cars; handling is therefore entirely down to mechanical grip, and the lack of wings ensures that cars following another are not aerodynamically disadvantaged, allowing some of the closest racing with plenty of overtaking. Series' rules may permit slick or treaded tires, generally supplied either by Dunlop or Avon . As the rules limit engine modifications, all cars are relatively equal and racing results tend to be close. Formula Fords allow suspension, damping, gearing and braking bias changes, but not aerodynamic options such as winged cars. In 2012, new specifications and regulations were introduced, allowing

6300-400: The driving position, the new car looked much more familiar to owners of recent existing Cortinas than from the outside. Cinema audiences saw the new Cortina (or Taunus ) chasing James Bond in his Lotus Esprit in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me . The most obvious change was the new, squarer body in line with contemporary "folded paper" fashion of the time - although it still featured

6405-451: The estates offered the option of simulated wood side and tailgate trim. In an early example of product placement , many examples of the new Cortina featured as "Glamcabs" in the comedy film Carry On Cabby . Two main variations of the Mark 1 were produced. The Mark 1a possessed elliptical front side-lights, whereas the Mark 1b had a redesigned front grille incorporating the more rectangular side-light and indicator units. A notable variant

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6510-478: The faux woodgrain trim of the GXL. The 2000E was also available as an estate version. The Mark III was sold in Canada until 1973. For South Africa, the Mark III was available as the 'Big Six' L and GL with the Essex V6 2.5-litre engine and Perana, GT, and XLE with the Essex V6 3.0-litre engine. A pick-up truck version also was available. In addition to the 1.6-litre inline-four, a version unique to South Africa

6615-512: The first Cortina recognized as a classic. For 1969, the Mark II range was given subtle revisions, with separate "FORD" block letters mounted on the bonnet and boot lids, a blacked-out grille and chrome strips on top and below the taillights running the full width of the tail panel marking them out. Ford New Zealand developed its own variant of this model called the GTE, since the GT and Lotus Cortinas were not assembled there. The four-door only GTE had

6720-462: The first official Formula Ford race in the United States on March 23, 1969, and was included in the SCCA Runoffs that same year. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Formula Ford had established itself as a direct path to a seat on a Formula One car, the highest level in open wheel motorsport. Australian Tim Schenken won over two dozen Formula Ford races in 1968, two years later he was driving

6825-401: The first time thereby having a final for all three marques at one meeting for the first time. The Walter Hayes Trophy now recognises the continuing interest in 1600cc 'Kent' Formula Ford and attracted over 150 entries in 2006, including several drivers who more commonly compete in much more senior formulae. The Formula Ford EuroCup, known originally as the "European Formula Ford Championship",

6930-403: The high-tune GT 1600 Kent engine and luxury trim featuring a burr walnut woodgrain-trimmed dashboard and door cappings, bucket seating, leather-clad aluminium sports steering wheel, and full instrumentation inside, while a black grille, tail panel, front fog lights, and plated Rostyle wheels on radial tyres featured outside. According to author and Cortina expert Graham Robson, the 1600E would be

7035-563: The hope of learning the craft and also looking the part. However, although there was no shortage of aspiring drivers, these schools had much trouble avoiding bankruptcy. The 1-litre Formula Three engines, the 1.1-litre Coventry Climax FJ and later the "Kent" engine from the Ford Anglia 105E , cost around £3,000 at the time in addition to the Dunlop racing tires which cost £80 a set. Furthermore, these engines were incredibly fragile and had

7140-655: The introduction of the saloon versions, a four-door estate was launched, released on the UK market on 15 February 1967: much was made at the time of its class-topping load capacity. The four-door Cortina 1600E, a higher-trim version, was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1967, a year after the arrival of the Cortina Mark II. It combined the lowered suspension of the Cortina Lotus with

7245-404: The launch was accompanied by the slogan "New Cortina is more Cortina", the car, at 168 in (427 cm) long, was fractionally shorter than before. Its 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (6.4 cm) of extra width and curved side panels provided more interior space. Its other improvements included a smaller turning circle, softer suspension, self-adjusting brakes and clutch, and the availability on

7350-414: The local club racing scene make their appearance in the national series. The Southern Formula 1600 Championship was created by Right Turn Promotions and Primus Racing Parts for 2018. The series races on SCCA event weekends, alongside the Southern Formula 2000 Championship. The class operates under the same rules as the SCCA Formula F. Racing at traditional road race tracks in the southern United States,

7455-402: The main entry level class in the mid-2000s; the demise of Formula BMW in Europe after only a few years of operation caused somewhat of a resurgence in support for the Ford grids. In the UK there are many club-level regional series aimed at the amateur enthusiast, as well as championships for older Fords. Since 2009, Ford officials in the United States has begun active production of Kent engines in

7560-505: The model in 1970 and was effectively replaced with the introduction of the US-produced 1971 Ford Pinto subcompact. Ford sold 352,402 Ford Pintos for model year 1971 and no more English Fords were sold in the United States thereafter. In the late 1960s, Ford set about developing the third-generation Cortina, the Mark III, which would be produced in higher volumes than before following the merger of Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany into

7665-508: The modern-day Ford of Europe. The car marked the convergence of the German Taunus and British Cortina platforms with only minor differences between the two, hence the car's internal name TC1, standing for Taunus-Cortina. It was also the last European car engineered by Harley Copp as vice president of engineering and head of Brentwood, before he returned to Detroit. Ford UK originally wanted to call it something other than Cortina, but

7770-582: The name of the Italian ski resort Cortina d'Ampezzo , site of the 1956 Winter Olympics . Several Cortinas were driven down the Cortina Olympic bobsled run at that resort, a publicity stunt which Ford called "Cortina Auto-Bobbing." Using the project name of "Archbishop", management at Ford of Britain in Dagenham created a family-sized car that they could sell in large numbers. The chief designer

7875-439: The name stuck. Although the Mark III looked significantly larger than the boxier Mark II Cortina, it was actually the same overall length, but 4 inches (100 mm) wider. Within the overall length, a wheelbase lengthened by more than 3 inches (76 mm) also contributed to the slightly more spacious interior. The Mark III Cortina was inspired by the contemporary "coke bottle" design language which had emanated from Detroit –

7980-431: The national Formula Ford championships around the world, and continue to control the technical regulations for all cars globally. The older Kent-engined cars are very popular with club racers, providing the ground for several organizations to run their own series. Many racing schools offer driver training in Formula Ford cars. However, in many countries, Formula BMW and Formula Renault Campus had superseded Formula Ford as

8085-616: The new Ford Taunus P4 , a similar-sized model, was rejected in favour of traditional rear-wheel drive layout. Originally to be called Ford Consul 225, the car was launched as the Consul Cortina until a modest facelift in 1964, after which it was sold simply as the Cortina. The Cortina was available with 1200 cc and (from early 1963 ) 1500 cc four-cylinder engines with all synchromesh gearbox, in two-door and four-door saloon , as well as in five-door estate (from March 1963) forms. The saloon models featured large, round, 'Ban

8190-520: The new Formula Ford class to the world. Clarke then set about approaching existing race car constructors to build the first Formula Fords. Both Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham turned down the idea; Colin Chapman however dusted off the obsolete Lotus 31 Chassis and reinvented it as the Lotus 51 . He agreed to provide the first of two 25 car batches at £850 per car. The only stipulation Chapman had

8295-479: The older Kent-powered cars. A Formula Ford car is one of the more distinctive-looking open-wheel race cars because it does not have wings to create aerodynamic downforce. In order to reduce cost and allow smaller manufacturers to produce their own design of chassis without prohibitive tooling costs, chassis are steel space frame , unlike the monocoques found in other types of single-seater racing. The more popular marques as of 2012 were Van Diemen , Mygale and

8400-473: The revised version, which appeared at the London Motor Show in October 1964, made much of the newly introduced "Aeroflow" through-flow ventilation, evidenced by the extractor vents on the rear pillars. A subsequent test on a warm day involving the four different Cortina models manufactured between 1964 and 1979 determined that the air delivery from the simple eyeball outlets on the 1964 Mark I Cortina

8505-605: The roll-hoop cover. By mandating these the frontal areas will be equalised between different manufacturers, removing the potential for significant aerodynamic advantage, making driving ability and the skills of engineers and designers in car set-up the major factors. In the United States Formula Ford continues to use the earlier Ford Kent engines. For 2010 the Honda L15A7 engine used in the Honda Fit

8610-482: The same rules and regulations, with minor variations for local conditions. The British series is the main Formula Ford championship in the world . Created in 1976, the championship has run to all four generations of regulations and specifications. In 2013, the series adopted the Formula Ford EcoBoost 200 specification, which include an increase in the EcoBoost engine's power, along with the addition of

8715-479: The series attracts drivers from across all forms of club and pro racing. The SCCA National Championship Runoffs is the end-of-year championship race meeting for Sports Car Club of America Club Racing competitors. Divisional champions and other top drivers from the SCCA's 116 regions are invited to participate at the Runoffs. National championships are awarded to the winners of each class. Formula Ford (now Formula F)

8820-536: The smaller-engined models, for the UK and some other markets, of a new five-bearing 1300 cc engine. A stripped-out, 1200 cc version running the engine of the Ford Anglia Super was also available for certain markets, where the 1300 cc engine attracted a higher tax rate. The 1500 cc engines were at first carried over, but were discontinued in July 1967, as a new engine was on its way. A month later, in August,

8925-583: The two-door saloon was marketed as a coupe, but this was not the case in Britain. Ford already competed in the coupe sector in Europe with the Capri , which was particularly successful on the British market. A choice of base, L, GL, S (for Sport) and Ghia trims was available, again not universal to all engines and body styles . Rostyle wheels were fitted as standard to all Mark IV GL, S, and Ghia models, with alloy wheels available as an extra-cost option. The dashboard

9030-490: The use of the new Ford EcoBoost engine along with improvements in chassis design. Unlike its predecessors, that used naturally aspirated engines and manual gearboxes, the EcoBoost car utilises power from a turbocharged engine and a sequential gearbox . The new car has 121 kW (165 PS; 162 hp), with identical engine calibration for every competitor's car. The chassis remains a steel spaceframe construction, with free chassis design open to all manufacturers. New to

9135-553: The wake of the United States rules allowing Honda engines. Ford officials have noted the US-made Kent blocks are based on modern stamping, and shows how well-established the formula has become. Championships for Formula Fords are run in many countries around the world. The major series is the British Formula Ford Championship , however there are many other thriving series. Each run to essentially

9240-425: The wider, deeper back window. Regardless of how these figures were computed, substantial weight-saving gains must have been made through reduced steel usage in the design, given the unavoidable extra weight of glass. This series spawned the first Ghia top-of-the-range model, which replaced the 2000E. The 2.3-litre Ford Cologne V6 engine was introduced in 1977 as an engine above the 2.0-litre Pinto engine, already

9345-459: The world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula Ford has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone into formula racing after karting . The series typically sees career-minded drivers enter alongside amateurs and enthusiasts. Success in Formula Ford can lead directly to other junior formula series such as a Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Three , or F1 Academy for female drivers, and previously

9450-488: The world offer the same freedom of chassis and engine build: Formula Three and Formula One . The origins of Formula Ford began in the early 1960s, where motor racing schools such as the Jim Russell school and Motor Racing Stables featured single-seat Formula Junior and Formula Three -like machines from world-class constructors like Cooper and Lotus . Many aspiring Formula One stars looked to these schools in

9555-708: Was Roy Brown Jr. , the designer of the Edsel , who had been banished to Dagenham following the failure of that car. The Cortina, aimed at buyers of the Morris Oxford Farina and Vauxhall Victor , was launched on 20 September 1962. Also from 1962, it was manufactured in other countries such as at the Ford factory in Lower Hutt , New Zealand. The car was designed to be economical to buy, cheap to run, and easy and inexpensive to produce in Britain. The front-wheel drive configuration used by Ford of Germany for

9660-431: Was a locally built version of the 2.0-litre Essex V4 . The Cortina 2000 V4 arrived during 1972, and also became available as a station wagon and pick-up later in the year. Maximum power was 76.6 kW SAE (104 PS; 103 hp). The shorter engine required a radiator shroud to compensate. The Cortina GT, however, received an OHC inline-four in South Africa, as well. Ford Australia built its own versions using both

9765-428: Was actually greater than that on the Mark II, Mark III, or Mark IV. The dashboard, instruments, and controls were revised, for the second time, having already been reworked in October 1963, when round instruments replaced the oblong speedometer with which the car had been launched. Twelve years later, however, the painted steel dashboard, its "knobs scattered all over the place and its heater controls stuck underneath as

9870-565: Was almost identical to the German-market Ford Taunus (being built on the same platform), which was originally a different car model. This was part of Ford's attempt to unify its European operations. By 1976, when the revised Taunus was launched, the Cortina was identical. The new Taunus/Cortina used the doors and some panels from the 1970 Taunus. It was replaced in 1982 by the Ford Sierra . In Asia and Australasia , it

9975-563: Was built in-house by Ford. The Cortina was Britain's most popular new car in 1967, achieving the goal that Ford had been trying to achieve since it set out to create the original Cortina back in 1962. This interrupted the long run of BMC's 1100/1300 range as Britain's best-selling car. Period reviews were favourable concerning both the styling and performance. Again, two- and four-door saloons were offered with base, Deluxe, Super, GT, and later, 1600E trims available, but again, not across all body styles and engine options. A few months after

10080-533: Was carried over intact from the last of the Mark III Cortinas, while the estate used the rear body pressings of the previous 1970-release Taunus. Despite its status as Britain's best-selling car throughout its production run, the Mark IV is now the rarest Cortina, with poor rustproofing and the model's popularity with banger racers cited as being the main reasons for its demise. Particularly scarce are

10185-464: Was considered by motor journalists to be a far quieter and smoother unit. The 2.3-litre was available to the GL, S, and Ghia variants. A 1.6-litre Ghia option was also introduced at the same time as the 2.3-litre V6 models in response to private and fleet buyers who wanted Ghia refinements with the improved fuel economy of the smaller 1.6-litre Pinto engine. Few cars were sold with the 1.6-litre engine, though;

10290-547: Was first included in the Runoffs in 1969. Ford Cortina The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car manufactured in various body styles from 1962 to 1984. It was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s. The Cortina was produced in five generations (Mark I through to Mark V, although officially the last one was only the Cortina 80 facelift of the Mk IV) from 1962 until 1984. From 1970 onward, it

10395-504: Was introduced as an alternative engine. The Honda engine was developed in partnership with Quicksilver RacEngines with the intent of providing power similar to the existing Kent motor. Honda developed an install kit around the Swift DB-1 chassis. With the introduction of the Honda motor SCCA changed the class name from Formula Ford to Formula F. Formula Ford has given birth to several other categories of racing: Formula Ford 2000 evolved in

10500-575: Was replaced by the Mazda 626 -based Ford Telstar , though Ford New Zealand , which built the sedan until 1983 and the estate car until 1984, did import British-made complete knock-down kits of the Sierra estate for local assembly from 1984. Cortinas were also assembled in South Africa until 1984, with the pick-up version remaining in production in that country until 1987. The name was inspired by

10605-503: Was that a Renault gearbox was used. This proved to be fundamental weak point in the drive train. Difficulty with the Renault transmission resulted in a failure to continue with the second batch of cars for MRS. Russell approached Chapman to supply Formula Ford cars for his own school. Chapman insisted Russell match Clarke's 50 car order; Russell would only commit to 10 cars so the deal fell through. Russell then approached Taylor who built

10710-683: Was the Ford Cortina Lotus . The Cortina was launched a few weeks before the London Motor Show of October 1962 with a 1198 cc, three-bearing engine, which was an enlarged version of the 997 cc engine then fitted in the Ford Anglia . A few months later, in January 1963, the Cortina Super was announced with a five-bearing, 1498 cc engine. Versions of the larger engine found their way into subsequent variations, including

10815-532: Was the second generation of the unified Taunus-Cortina platform) was a more conservative design than its predecessor, and this was largely appreciated by fleet buyers. Generally, it was a rebody of the Mark III/TC with little mechanical change as an integration of Ford's model range, and as a result, the Cortina and Taunus now differed only in badging. Although the updated Taunus was introduced to Continental Europe in January 1976, Ford were able to continue selling

10920-429: Was used for some body panels. For a certain time, it also had a unique A-frame rear suspension, but this proved fragile, so the model soon reverted to the standard Cortina semielliptical rear end. The second incarnation of the Cortina, designed by Roy Haynes , was launched on 18 October 1966, four years after the original Cortina. It had some styling elements in common with the third-generation US Ford Falcon . Although

11025-536: Was used for the GT and GXL models. The GXL was also offered in 1600 in the later Cortina Mark IIIs. In left-hand drive markets, the 1600 OHC was replaced by a twin-carb OHV (Kent) unit not offered in the home market, to distinguish it from the competing Taunus, which only came with the OHC Pinto engine. The 2.0-litre variants used a larger version of the 1600 cc Pinto unit and were available in all trim levels except base. Base, L, and XL versions were available as

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