A classic Ford Cortina belonging to British legends is up for auction at a jaw-dropping price | Rare Techy

A FORD Cortina owned by British racing and music legends has sold at auction for an incredible sum.

The 1963 Ford Lotus Cortina was driven by famous racers Jim Clark, Jack Sears and Sir John Whitmore and owned by musician Chris Rea.

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Ford teamed up with Lotos to build this multiple race-winning engine, and bidders went wild for it at the Collecting Cars auction.

Bidding ended at £114,000 (€132,500) as the money went to a private seller in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The car was first raced in the 1963 Oulton Park Gold Cup where it took the class win driven by Jack Sears.

A week later it won its class at Snetterton in the final round of the British Saloon Car Championship in the hands of the legendary Jim Clark.

Then, in 1964, it was taken to the United States where it was driven by American driver Dan Gurney at Sebring.

Pensacola racer Sir John Whitmore won after that, so the little Cortina has no shortage of motorsport heritage.

Years later, in the 1980s, it was discovered abandoned in Florida, but was completely restored.

The car was then owned by Chris Rea and was driven by TV star Tiff Nedell at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Lotus Cortina has a 1.6-litre twin-cam Lotus petrol engine fed by two Weber carburettors driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual.

The ad says the car is: “properly finished in Ermine White with Sherwood Green accents on the sides, finished with a gold ‘Team Lotus’ lettering and stripe.

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