Cortinas, graded

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 07/30/2017 at 17:35 • Filed to: Ford, Cortina, Status

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Back in the day it was really important what your company car said on the back. Your status in the company hierarchy could be displayed by the combination of letters and numbers and letters.

Here’s a sample that I saw today.

Lowish. Not as low as a 1.3L which would be the lowest form of life entitled to a car, but not far above.

Rather higher. Not just a GL but a GL S with the posh 2.0 engine.

Even higher. Not just a Ghia but a Ghia S. Just below the level where you could choose your own car and might get a BMW or even (something almost beyond imagining for most) a Merc.

Steve in Manhattan > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 17:49

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James May did a bit on this (Cars of the People?) that I can’t find, but yeah - letters (and the all important “i”) matter.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 18:05

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Better to get a base model less to worry about

Cé hé sin > pip bip - choose Corrour 07/30/2017 at 18:11

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But what would the neighbours think! Might as well wear a badge saying “failure” if you were allocated a 1.3L.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 18:27

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It matters not what the letters say...it is still a Cortina from the 1980's.

Cé hé sin > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 07/30/2017 at 18:33

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Ah, but in the 1970s and 1980s a Cortina was the pinnacle of mid range employees’ expectations. If you were in the wrong company you might have got an Avenger or a Marina.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 18:45

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In the states at that time if your company was a Ford buyer, it was the LTD if you were higher up you got the Mercury, top of the heap got the Lincoln. On the GM side it went Impala, Carprice, Buick Lesabre, Cadillac Deville.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 19:03

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True. And there is no coming back from a Marina...

Back then my old man had a procession of Chrysler Valiant Regal station wagons...the last one was a VK Regal like this one!

fintail > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 19:20

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Onslow’s car was a 1.6 GL (with modified badge suffix):

Do registration numbers in Ireland correspond to date in any way?

ranwhenparked > Cé hé sin 07/30/2017 at 21:47

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Or, *shudder* a Montego.

TwoAngryCarbs > Steve in Manhattan 07/31/2017 at 04:39

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You might enjoy this:

Cé hé sin > ranwhenparked 07/31/2017 at 06:08

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I don’t think there were many cars that vanished as soon after production ceased as the Montego.

Steve in Manhattan > TwoAngryCarbs 07/31/2017 at 12:06

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Thanks.

Cé hé sin > fintail 07/31/2017 at 14:52

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We’ve had two systems. The current one (1987 on) shows the year as the first two (or three nowadays) digits. If you import a used car the default is to have the new system regardless of age but if the vehicle is sufficiently old you can opt for non year indicating ZV plates.

Both systems are shown on my pictures. The first is an original pre 1987 number, the second has ZV plates and the third is a 1982 import with the new system.

Much more here .

fintail > Cé hé sin 07/31/2017 at 15:55

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Interesting and somehow complex. I should have googled it first. Thanks!

6Spaz6 > Cé hé sin 08/01/2017 at 00:17

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In left-hand drive markets, the 1,600 cc OHC was replaced by a twin-carb OHV (Kent) unit not offered in the home market, in order to distinguish it from the competing Taunus which only came with the OHC Pinto engine. [24] 2.0-litre variants used a larger version of the 1,600 cc Pinto unit and were available in all trim levels except base. Base, L and XL versions were available as a five-door estate.

We had an estate Cortina in California.