Page "Lotus Cortina" Paragraph 12

To homologate the car for Group 2, 1000 were required to be built in 1963, and the car was duly homologated in September 1963.

In the same month, in the car's first outing, in the Oulton Park Gold Cup, the car finished 3rd and 4th behind two Ford Galaxies, but beat the 3. 8 litre Jaguars which had been dominant in saloon car racing for so long.

Soon Ford were running cars in Britain, Europe, and the USA, with Team Lotus running cars in Britain for Ford, and Alan Mann Racing running cars in Europe, also on behalf of Ford.

Lotus-Cortinas were able to beat almost anything except the 7 litre V8 Ford Galaxies, and later, Ford Mustangs.