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1981 - the year of the Royal Wedding, Adam and the Ants singing about the perils of being a dandy highwayman and BMXs making the Raleigh Grifter look passé. It was still a time of three-channel television, Sunday closing for shops, and the Ford Cortina as the best-selling car in the UK.

Ever since the original model made its bow on 20^th September 1962, the Cortina had virtually defined a market sector. However, the limited edition Carousel’s debut in June 1981 was a clear sign that the end was nigh, with the last models in need of a slight extra polish so that they departed the showroom in style.

Dagenham produced many Special Edition models during the late 1970s and early 80s but compared with the Fiesta, Escort Mk. II, Capri and Granada Mk. II, the Cortina was rarely associated with such models. In June 1976 Ford announced the 2000E Mk. III Olympic which boasted driving lights, a radio-cassette player, a map lamp and a laminated windscreen as standard – luxury beyond the dreams of many suburbanites.

Just 500 Olympics left the factory, and they served their purpose of selling the last of the 2-2000Es before the Mk. IV’s arrival in September 1976.  Five years later, the Carousel was similarly tasked with maintaining the Mk. V’s profile in its last days. The two-tone paint finish looked undeniably smart – especially in  Forest Green and Crystal Green while the equipment levels were beyond the dreams of the average 1.3/1.6 “Base” owner. After all, who could resist a car with door panels trimmed in ‘York fabric’?

1982 saw the launch of the last-incarnation of the Cortina – the Crusader. For £5,160 you gained a 1.3/1.6L fitted with the GL’s centre console and push-button radio, “Sports Wheels”, a remote-control driver’s door mirror and Ghia-style seating and wooden door cappings. The result was a car of considerable appeal, one that made the Talbot Solara and the Morris Ital look comparatively dowdy.

Ford sold thirty thousand Crusaders, which made it their best-selling special edition model to date. By that time the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk. II presented a formidable rival to the Cortina and much of the Mk. V’s design harked back to the 1970 Mk. III. Those extra fittings and that duotone paintwork helped the Crusader appear ideal for the go-ahead sales representative. They also made your Cortina an object of desire in the Happy Eater car park.

Mk. V production ended on 22^nd July 1982 and sales of the Sierra began on 15^th October. Coincidentally the first Channel 4 programme aired just seventeen days later, and for many Britons, it seemed as though “the 1980s” were finally starting.  But the Carousel and especially the Crusader would continue to be fondly remembered as examples of Ford GB’s gift for launching the right car at the right time.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Ford today.