Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
May’s Car of the Month is the 1965 Lotus Cortina replica.
This car is a faithful replica of the Lotus Cortina that John Whitmore drove to victory in the 1965 European Touring Car Championship. As well as the car driven by Whitmore and Jackie Stewart to win the 1965 Spa 24 Hours race.
The original was built in the UK by Alan Mann, and his son Henry Mann assisted us during the construction of this tribute car.
Power comes from a modified 1600cc Lotus Twin Cam engine, paired with a Ford 4-speed gearbox featuring Quaife close-ratio gears. The back axle is a standard Mk1 Cortina unit with a Quaife limited-slip diff head fitted.
Braking is handled by 9" drums at the rear and disc brakes at the front, using 2-pot cast iron calipers. The suspension setup replicates the standard Lotus Cortina configuration, enhanced with GAZ adjustable inserts in the front struts and Spax adjustable shocks at the rear.
This car competes in the highly popular Historic and Vintage Racing Association (HVRA) series and has been built to comply with FIA Group 2 regulations. It is owned by the Leitch family and was constructed by Leitch Motorsport.
May’s Car of the Month is the 1965 Lotus Cortina replica.
This car is a faithful replica of the Lotus Cortina that John Whitmore drove to victory in the 1965 European Touring Car Championship. As well as the car driven by Whitmore and Jackie Stewart to win the 1965 Spa 24 Hours race.
The original was built in the UK by Alan Mann, and his son Henry Mann assisted us during the construction of this tribute car.
Power comes from a modified 1600cc Lotus Twin Cam engine, paired with a Ford 4-speed gearbox featuring Quaife close-ratio gears. The back axle is a standard Mk1 Cortina unit with a Quaife limited-slip diff head fitted.
Braking is handled by 9" drums at the rear and disc brakes at the front, using 2-pot cast iron calipers. The suspension setup replicates the standard Lotus Cortina configuration, enhanced with GAZ adjustable inserts in the front struts and Spax adjustable shocks at the rear.
This car competes in the highly popular Historic and Vintage Racing Association (HVRA) series and has been built to comply with FIA Group 2 regulations. It is owned by the Leitch family and was constructed by Leitch Motorsport.
