Dec 6 2007 By Kevan Christie
A 1965 Ford Cortina driven by Scots motor racing legend Jim Clark fetched a world record £136,800 at auction.
The 42-year-old Lotus Mk1 saloon was expected to fetch £80,000.
But frenzied bidding at the auction, held by Bonhams in London this week, saw the car go well above the guide price before it was snapped up by an anonymous buyer.
Mechanics spent a year restoring the vehicle, which was previously owned by Team Lotus, one of Britain's most successful racing teams, to its former glory at a garage in Exeter, Devon.
A spokesman for Bonhams said: "Ford's 1960s profile-raising competition programme included recruiting Lotus boss Colin Chapman to give the new Cortina a makeover.
"The Lotus Cortina in the auction was one of the original racing saloons.
"It was driven during the mid-1960s by legendary Formula 1 world champion Jim Clark while touring car champions Sir John Whitmore and Jack Sears also competed in the car."
Ford sold the car to Lotus in 1966, where it was then bought by an employee, and later sold on to collector Richard Coombes.
In 1965, it was possible to buy a Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1 saloon for just £1100.
Ford made 3301 of the Mk1 Ford Lotus Cortinas between June 1963 and November 1966.
So thats what it fetched then
Seems to be back up for sale linky
[Edited on 4-4-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]
