SIX-Y BEASTS

Engines such as the Crossflow, Pinto and even the CVH have all played a huge role in Ford’s historic UK success, but it’s the Essex and later Cologne V6s that the blue oval relied on to power some of its most memorable flagship models.

After the 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre Essex engines debuted in the 1966 Zephyr and Zodiac, Ford shoved the grunty V6 under the bonnet of the Capri and Granada for the next 15 years.

In 1981 the fuel-injected 2.8 Cologne engine took the place of the Essex under the never-ending bonnet of the flagship Mk3 Capri, but it was already a familiar sight to Cortina and Granada owners in carb-fed 2.3-litre and 2.8-litre formats. The Cologne would go on to power the Sierra XR4i and Sierra XR4x4, also evolving into a 2.9-litre version for the latter, and also the Mk3 Granada. Eventually, it would be heavily reworked in the 1990s to become the Cosworth BOA and then the BOB, which featured in the last Granada and Scorpio.

For most classic Ford fans though, it’s the pre-1990 V6 Fords that are most sought after. Some are rarer than others – especially the Cologne-powered Mk4 Cortina that introduced the engine to the UK – but there’s