Which Hyundai built Ford Cortina?
No Hyundai-built Ford Cortina exists. The Ford Cortina was produced by Ford of Britain in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1982, and a high-performance variant, the Cortina Lotus, was built by Lotus Cars under contract with Ford. Hyundai has no production or development role in the Cortina’s history.
Context: the Ford Cortina lineage
The Ford Cortina was introduced by Ford of Britain in 1962 as a mid-size family saloon to replace earlier Ford Anglia/Consul models. Over four generations, the Cortina evolved in design and engineering, remaining a staple of Ford’s European lineup for two decades.
The following summary highlights the main generations and a notable variant to clarify the Cortina’s production history.
- The Mk I Cortina (1962–1966): Launched as Ford Cortina, primarily produced at Ford's Dagenham plant in the UK, with some international assembly for export.
- The Mk II Cortina (1966–1970): Larger and more modern, continued to be produced at Dagenham and other European sites; expanded engine and trim options.
- The Mk III Cortina (1970–1976): Redesigned interior and exterior, still built by Ford of Britain with export variants.
- The Mk IV Cortina (1976–1982): Facelifted, final generation of the model as Ford shifted toward the Sierra in the early 1980s.
- The Ford Cortina Lotus: A high-performance variant developed by Lotus Cars under Ford contract in the mid-1960s, known for its racing and rally pedigree.
Before listing the generations and the notable variant, here are the key points to understand the Cortina’s production path.
The above points confirm that the Cortina’s production history centers on Ford’s British operations, with Lotus contributing a performance-focused variant. Hyundai is not part of this lineage.
Hyundai and the Ford Cortina: clarifying myths
Summary
The Ford Cortina was produced by Ford of Britain from 1962 to 1982, with a notable high-performance variant built by Lotus Cars. Hyundai has no involvement in the Cortina’s production or history, and there is no Hyundai-built version of the Cortina.
