Drive MileOne

In 1945, young Henry Ford II was handed the keys to the empire that his grandfather built (and nearly ran out of business, twice). With the help of a handful of Ivy Leaguers known as the “Whiz Kids,” Henry the Deuce spent the better part of the 1950s restoring the rickety Ford Motor Company to health. But as the 1960s began, he was seeking to expand its footprint by moving the once staid family business into the glamorous world of international motorsports. While muscle would largely define Ford’s efforts in America, among the unlikely confections that would spring from its “Total Performance” marketing directive was a landmark machine launched by Ford of England: the 1963 Cortina-Lotus.

Photo Gallery: 1963-1966 Ford Lotus Cortina – Ford Classic Cars – Automobile Magazine