What was the Ford Cortina called in Germany?
The Ford Cortina was not sold under its Cortina badge in Germany. In the German market, this car line was branded as the Ford Taunus. The short answer to the question is: Ford Taunus.
Historically, Ford localized its model branding for Europe. While the Cortina name was prominent in the UK and several other markets, German customers saw the same vehicles badge-marked as Taunus. Below is a more detailed look at how the Cortina generations align with the Taunus naming used by Ford Germany.
German naming conventions for the Cortina family
Germany’s Ford division used the Taunus designation for compact and mid-size sedans, rather than Cortina. This reflects regional branding strategies where the same cars wore different badges depending on the country of sale.
Generational equivalents
The following mapping illustrates how Cortina generations corresponded to the German Taunus designations in showrooms.
- Cortina Mk I (1962–1967) corresponded to the Ford Taunus 12M/15M in Germany.
- Cortina Mk II (1966–1969) aligned with the Taunus P2 lineup, including 12M/15M and 16M/18M variants.
- Cortina Mk III (1970–1974) was marketed in Germany as the Ford Taunus TC (with subsequent updates under the same TC family).
In German dealerships, the Cortina nameplate did not appear; the Taunus badges described the same cars, with the Taunus line evolving independently from the Cortina branding used elsewhere.
Why the difference mattered
The renaming reflected Ford’s regional branding strategy and market segmentation. German buyers recognized the Taunus name as part of Ford’s established family of sedans, while the Cortina badge carried its own reputation in the UK and other markets.
Summary
Across the decades, the Ford Cortina was essentially the same car as the Ford Taunus in Germany. The badge differed by market, with Germany sticking to Taunus (not Cortina) on the relevant generations, including the Taunus 12M/15M, Taunus P2, and Taunus TC families.
