FORD Cortina 1976-1979 Photos, engines & full specs

The 1976 Cortina was so much of a German Ford Taunus that it was almost impossible for a non-specialist to distinguish them one from another.

How the mighty have fallen. Once a great rally car and a respected car on the starting grids in any race, the Cortina became just a shadow of the glorious vehicle it was. Now it was available as a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, and a station wagon. It was a commercial success, but it didn't have that racy spirit as before. It was, basically, a facelifted version of the Taunus TC2 but sold in the same era.

Its predecessor featured a "Coca-Cola" bottle design for the rear fenders, but the accountants decided that it was cheaper to make a straight line. Its cabin featured slim A-pillars, and that was good for visibility. Over the years, the car also lost its round headlights and received a pair of rectangular ones fitted with turn-signals on their outer sides. Its black plastic grille was similar to the one installed on the German Taunus model.

Regardless of the body version, the Cortina offered enough room for five passengers, even if the middle one from the rear bench couldn't stay there too long due to the high transmission tunnel that crossed the vehicle. For the station wagon version, Ford installed a folding seatback that could extend the trunk area.

Under the hood, Ford installed a small engine choice, but fit for every pocket. The base version featured a 1.6-liter inline-four engine, while the full-option model provided 110 hp from a 2.3-liter V-6 unit.