Who built the Ford Cortina?
The Ford Cortina was built by Ford of Britain, the United Kingdom arm of Ford Motor Company, with the principal assembly at the Dagenham plant in Essex. Production later expanded to other Ford UK facilities to meet demand.
Origins and production base
The Cortina was introduced in 1962 as Ford of Britain’s response to a growing demand for a compact, affordable family car. Developed within Ford’s European operations, it was designed to replace older Anglia and Zephyr models. The main production location was Ford’s Dagenham plant in Essex, a cornerstone of British automotive manufacturing, with additional UK facilities brought into service as sales grew.
Key facts about who built it and where:
- Manufacturer: Ford of Britain, the United Kingdom subsidiary of Ford Motor Company.
- Primary assembly site: Dagenham, Essex, which served as the Cortina’s main production hub in its early years.
- Production span: The Cortina name endured from 1962 to 1982, across five generations (Mark I through Mark V).
These production arrangements reflect Ford’s strategy of leveraging a strong British manufacturing network to serve both domestic and European markets with a popular family car.
Generations and design evolution
Over its two-decade run, the Cortina evolved through five generations, each updating styling, engines, and trim to keep pace with consumer preferences and evolving safety and emission standards. The model remained a central part of Ford’s European lineup, illustrating how Ford of Britain adapted a single family-car platform to a range of market needs across changing decades.
Legacy and context
Although production sites shifted over time, the Cortina’s identity remained tied to Ford’s British manufacturing capability. Its enduring presence helped establish Ford of Britain as a major contributor to the country’s mass-market car production during the 1960s and 1970s, shaping Ford’s role in Europe’s compact-car segment for years to come.
Summary
The Ford Cortina was built by Ford of Britain, with the principal assembly work handled at the Dagenham plant in Essex and additional production at other UK Ford facilities as needed. Spanning five generations from 1962 to 1982, the Cortina stands as a defining chapter in Ford’s history of British manufacturing and European automotive strategy.
