Corgi VA07307 Ford Lotus Cortina MkI Alan Mann Racing- 1965 ETCC 500 km, Snetterton – Sir John Whitmore

Ford asked Alan Mann’s Byfleet based team to run the Works Cortinas in the 1964 European Touring Car Championship, and driver Sir John Whitmore scored five victories, narrowly losing the Championship. However Whitmore was crowned champion in 1965, driving beautifully in all eight rounds to make full use of a car developed by Mann to be both fast and reliable. During the season KPU 392C and Sir John gained four outright and two class wins. It is modelled here as raced in round six, the Snetterton 500km, a four hour long race starting at 6PM, which Whitmore won outright by over a minute. Did you know? Mann’s 150 bhp plus Lotus engines were actually built by F1 race team BRM. KPU 392C raced, without a roll cage, at its minimum homologated weight, 770kg, giving the car a very good power to weight ratio.