CORSAIR 1500

“THE CORSAIR WASN’T REALLY ABOUT SPEED, AND IT WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE CORTINA”

Keen to replace the gap left by the short-lived Classic and offer customers a seemingly more upmarket alternative to the Cortina, Ford ushered in the Consul Corsair in October 1963.

But while it was pitched as a more refined big brother to the Cortina, the new arrival had much more in common with its smaller sibling than its swoopy looks suggested.

Its distinctive appearance might have had more than a passing resemblance to the 1961 Thunderbird, but despite its longer body and stretched wheelbase, the Corsair shared the Cortina’s track, some inner engine bay panels, scuttle, bulkhead, door shells and windscreen. The three-bearing 1498cc Pre-Crossflow engine was also donated by the Cortina Super. Car buyers could choose from three versions — standard, Deluxe and GT.