Our celebration of classics celebrating anniversaries in 2022 continues, with a focus on cars of the swinging sixties. A good number of these have become cultural icons, symbols of a technicolour decade that saw new adventures in music, motoring and more.
So, who makes the list? Thanks again for your suggestions – they are all attributed below!
Ford Mk1 Cortina – 60th birthday
Suggested by Damien Wilkinson
Launched in September of 1962, the Ford Cortina Mk1 turns 60 this year. Its angular body with tapering flutes and those ‘Y’ lights on the back made it instantly recognisable, and if you didn’t have one growing up in the ‘60s, someone on your street probably did.
Designed as an economical family car, it was originally sold as the Consul Cortina, with Ford dropping the ‘Consul’ label in ’64. Before that, the Super and the GT were launched, the former sporting chrome strips down the sides.
Over 1 million MK1s were built before the Mk2 came into being in 1966. There were a whole range of body styles, from two- and four-door saloons to the five-door estate.
Popular enough to have its own official Mk1 Cortina Owners Club all these years later, it’s clear there are plenty of people who still want to see the original Cortina on the road.
Triumph Vitesse Convertible – 60th birthday
Suggested by Colin Holdich
A 6-cylinder car with few rivals on price, the Vitesse was a motor that could perform as a sports car but was big enough for a family. Available in convertible and saloon variants, it featured a 1596cc engine at first, upgrading to 1988cc in 1966.
