Ford designs a new Cortina for 2012

It’s the 50th anniversary of the iconic Ford Cortina this year, and a lot has changed in the world of car design since it was launched. So Auto Express was curious to know how the car would look if it was built now – would it have been such a hit if it had to pass the strict guidelines applied to modern cars?

To find out, we asked Ford Europe’s design manager, Paul Wraith, to design a Ford Cortina for 2012, exclusively for Auto Express.

We told him we weren’t looking for a new take on the original, but wanted him to stay as true to the design of the original as possible, but with every modern constraint limiting his design. We effectively wanted a hi-tech, Euro NCAP five-star-rated, pedestrian-friendly Cortina of the sixties. Not much to ask!

Click on the gallery to see the final design, and read the full feature in this week's Auto Express magazine (out 19 September 2012).

Want to own our exclusive 2012 Cortina sketches? Visit http://win.autoexpress.co.uk for a chance to win them.