Morris Marina vs Mk3 Cortina - Ford vs British Leyland 70s Shootout! (1971 1.8 Super/1977 1.6 L) 

47 years ago I bought a 1974 Mk.3 Ford Cortina (that I still own to this day!) and It was used every day for 25 years, proof it is a superb car to own, it still has its original 1600 OHC engine, and is an Automatic, and has always been kept factory correct, The Marina is also a good car, and lots of owners love them, as much as Cortina Owners love ours, I did drive a Morris ITAL for a few days back in the 1980's and it was also a nice car, but as I have loved the Cortina since it launched in October 1970, for me it will always be my personal favorite, and having lovingly restored to superb Concourse condition with a full panel by panel, extreme restoration and expense, my Mk.3 is looking just like it did on the Ford Production Line back in 1974, and hopefully there is a Marina out there some where just as good, as both cars deserve to be loved.❤

My father's first new car was a Marina 1.8 SDL when I was about 15. Two years later he replaced it with a new Cortina 1600L. I learnt to drive on the Cortina. At the time, the Marina interior actually seemed more upmarket because you could have a choice of colours - the Cortina was black or black. Build quality seemed about the same, but the Cortina instruments were much nicer and it felt a bit more spacious. Nice to see both cars surviving. Both were decent cars in their day.

Both are vastly more appealing visually than their modern equivalents.

A very fair and balanced review overall and I was pleasantly surprised by how you didn't slate the Marina like so many have done. My friend had a really old 1.8 super back in the late 80s/Earl 90s and it really was 'done'. The engine was worn out and it was only running on 3 cylinders due to broken piston rings and yet it could still easily out accelerate a mk3 Cavalier. It could have done with a 5th gear or an overdrive but it was still a fun car. I'm not convinced that Marinas had a smaller boot than cortinas as this one had a bigger boot than a mk4 cortina. There was also a front suspension conversation that could be done to the Marina that used telescopic shock absorbers from the rear of a Hillman hunter. It was just basically a bracket that stood out from the lever arms at the top and another mounting on the lower arms. You had to drain the oil out of the lever arms and think of it as an upper wishbone. Apparently it was a major improvement. BL did something similar on very late Itals. It would be amazing to drive a pristine Marina like the one you tested. All in all a great video.

I bought a Marina last year just for the 1275, but my daughter has decided it’s cool…. TBH she’s right it’s far less dull than any ordinary saloon from the last 25 years!

My dad had a gold 1.8 special 3 door (LE) marina and it had a large webasto roof and jazzy orange and brown seats. It was a like an upgraded TC and actually looked cool. Never seen one since as I believe they only made a few. We had loads of fun going to beach holidays in it with the roof wound back and the Sharp radio on loud. Those were the days!

In July 1985 me and a mate took my 1976 Cortina 2.0 XL automatic on a road trip from leafy Surrey all the way up to Loch Ness via Edinburgh. We returned home via Fort William, Glen Coe, Loch Lomond, the Lake District, Blackpool and home in time for Live Aid on the telly. 1600 miles in a glorious week of discovery for an 18-year old. The car performed perfectly using a pint of water and a drop of oil. It joined the ton-up club effortlessly on the A69 near Hexham and took off over a hump-backed bridge in Wear Dale Co. Durham and took it all in its stride. Loved that car and that week away. The good old days of leaded petrol, affordable insurance, cars with character and social mobility.😊

My father had a MK3 Cortina 2000e - in 1976 or thereabouts. Each "rank" in his company who were eligible for a company car started with a Cortina 1.3 base, them L then XL and the final rank was a Cortina 2000 GXL (later E). Higher management always had Granadas which followed the same badge ranking. The only exception was the Chairman who was allocated a Daimler. Ford really understood the psyche of the times :-) The 2000 E was and is very cool!

Here in continental Europe (Belgium) those sentiments surrounding British Leyland were never really an issue, though their cars weren't top sellers too. I grew up in a Ford family and the first car I remember my dad owned was the mk. 3-cortinas German cousin, a by then already quite old dark brown 2-door (not fastback) taunus. As such I too have something of a soft spot for the cortina or any 1970s Ford model for that matter. But that being said: through books and magazines, I got to learn a lot about Leyland cars and can appreciate them very much these days. Maybe it's the love for the underdog, or me not understanding why the British favored an American company that much more than a home-grown manufacturer, but if you were to present to me a marina and a cortina in their nicest possible version (HL/TC vs. GXL/2000 E/GT) in mint condition, I think I'd find it very, very hard to make up my mind. So yeah, that's how much I've come to appreciate BL cars and all those negative comments surrounding them only seemed to have encouraged this appreciation. Funny how that works, no?

Loved this video and it is a pleasure to hear your enthusiasm for these two cars. The often overlooked fact about BL is that they had great engineers and designers. For the budget and time constraints that existed at the time they did very well; it was brought to life very quickly as you say. And the B series is a strong, durable engine with decent performance. The body to me looks very similar to a Hillman Avenger. I remember as a kid thinking that the Morris Minor was so incredibly old-fashioned and when the Marina replaced it, it seemed super-modern. It was an early example of platform engineering- the platform being the Minors. It is a mystery why Ford only made the Mk3 for 5 or 6 years, having put so much design effort into it.

In Australia,the Marina was sold with 1.5, 1750 cc four cylinders but if you wanted extra thrill there was the 2620cc straight six, with extra! understeer. The Cortina came 2.0 l , 3.3 and 4.1l straight six. Much more understeer

Having driven both in that era I will step outside the box a go with the Fiat 131 Mirafiori. It out handled both Cortina and Marina. Great review guys.

My dad back in the mid seventies had a 1971 Peugeot 504 which was light years ahead of these two.

I had both of those cars in the past. The Marina Coupe was the one I had, I had 3 gearboxes in it and then it broke down on a duel carriageway, so I abandoned it. 😂 The Mk3 Cortina was my favourite all time car, loved it! 2.0XL. Brilliant car. I would have another one now if I could afford one.

I spent 14 years in a Marina, Coupe then a saloon. I learnt to drive in a 1.3 saloon in the 80s, such an easy car to learn in. Country roads in Oxfordshire , so nice to drive,

My Dad had the Mk 3 L in Sebring orange with black vinyl roof. I learnt to drive in it. Great car.

Seeing the wing mirrors... so much better than just having them on door. You could keep eyes looking forward instead of turning head and changing focus

Very pretty car the Mk111 Cortina, even today! In May '75 my boss got me as commercial plumbing parts salesman a brand new Mk111 Wagon with the 2.0 OHC engine.. and THAT was One Helluva Car ! It had the most 'snicky' gearchange i've EVER encountered! And it HONKED.. !! Very quick vehicle from a standing start and a great highway car for overtaking semi's. Remember in those days there were NO power-robbing emission devices OR any power-draining ancillaries! ALL the power went to the road! What a SHEER fun vehicle that bright red Wagon was . . :) It was PERFECT for widen-open throttle controlled power slides, and FAST on the twisties! I drove that car hard, all over NZ, until the engine began making piston-slap sounds after 18 months. . perhaps i drove a bit too hard??? Anyway the replacement ('76 LX Cam-In-Head Torana) wasn't within a bull's roar of that Mk111..!..! Later i drove other 2.0 Mk111's, but NONE were as GOOD as the first one! It seemed to have about half as much power again, and can only assume that came from the initial break-in and the HARD driving. No, i wouldn't treat my own car like that, but then i wouldn't get half as much enjoyment out of them either! So, thrashing a car brings out the very best in it, that's all i can say! : ) : )

In Australia we had 6cyl variants of both.

I inherited my father's 1973 1600 L in the same red as yours. Loved it, used to waft along at 70 all day, big and comfortable. Head gasket blew in 86' and I chopped it in for a Fiat Uno 60s. Loved both cars.

I worked as a sales rep for British Midland Airways from 1978 for 2 years, they gave me a Fiat 127 when I started, a brilliant car to drive with an innovative hatchback. After about 3 months they replaced it with a 1.3 Morris Marina fastback in hearing aid beige, an utter nail of a car that broke down frequently, would not pull a soldier off your sister, and was about as cool as Gary Glitter.

My first car was a 1972 1.6 L M3 Cortina ( two door) in 1976, loved it, then a 2.0 E Wish l had them now

My father owned two mk 3 Cortinas, L reg 2000 gxl & N reg 2000 gt ,he was a definite Ford fan ,never drove the GXL( too young ) but I did drive the Gt which I thought was quick but vague on the handling front ,only drove a Marina once on a test drive, 1.8tc very smooth & felt quick, better build quality than the Cortina but both were totally eclipsed by the Mk 1 Cavalier on the handling & build front, 1.9 Gl R reg ,the handling was a revelation for someone who'd only really driven Fords. Great article👍👍

My dad had bought over the years all the Cortina's from the mk1 to the mk5. He gave me driving lessons in the mk2 and took my test in it....... happy days

I owned a 2.0GT two door MKIII Cortina in the 80s, I've always thought they were a handsome looking car.

My second car was a mk3 cortina, what a fantastic car,

I own a 1981 Morris Ital 1.3 HL.. (KAM299X) I’ve owned the car from 2011 at that time it had 385 miles from new. At present time (Nov 2022) it has 925 miles .. I’ve heard all the stories and jokes about Morris Marina and Ital cars, but I don’t listen to them. Haters will always hate any BL car especially the Marina or Ital and the usual is, oh watch out for any falling pianos. In all the years I’ve owned my Ital, it’s never let me down…. Unlike most modern day cars that have ECU and computers/sensors/etc,

I passed my driving test in Morris Marina Coupe and i owned a MK3 Ford Cortina 2.0 GT in Daytona Yellow.

The Corty Down Under also came with a 200 and 250 ci inline 6.

In NZ I bought a 74 2000E in 78 . Handled well on smooth surfaces. Hit bumps mid-corner when pushing it and it was arse puckering .Hit corragations on a staight road was also exciting.30 mpg when driving sensibly was the norm. Push it real hard (100mph or there about) and I'd see 17mpg.It ate distributor points . At the end of the day it was a great cruiser '

My mum finally chose a Marina 1.3 super after test driving several other cars of the time including a 2CV and a manure coloured Allegro with the « square « steering wheel. She was convinced until the day she died that we took a roundabout on two wheels in that 2CV ! Marina’s get a lot of hate, but as far as I remember it never had issues. I learned to drive with it in the early 80’s and it only went after a careless oak tree stepped out into the road in front of me shortly after I passed my test. My uncle had a Cortina mk3 GXL as his company car…

Lovely cars, both with their own advantages and character. Beautifully edited content ! Thanks guys 👍

I learn't to drive in a Mk3 GT (bright yellow + black vinyl roof) so I have a soft spot for the Cortina. Great memories.

Ford Australia fitted the Cortina with a 250CI straight six! That was the Cortina I fell in love with!

I've had many marinas and Itals , the commercial vans and pickups were very robust and good work horses ! They are a marmite car , but I think they feel plush and the 1.8tc went very well ! Infact I had a 1275 A+ ital pickup and that thing went like the clappers !!

I remember my mum saying that Marnie was coming to stay with us My Dad had the Marina Always enjoyed going on Family holidays + weekend drives . (Marnie ) always got us there . Big boot . It was my dad's first car after passing his test . Back seat was a bit bouncy . He kept it for years then bought an Astra :(

great video! my dad had a marina (OSO 936L) and my memories of it are very positive, very nice looking car, well done for giving the marina its due credit, most people who slag them probably have never been anywhere near one but its the fashionable opinion so thats that, the mk3 tina is a beautiful car but engineering wise isn't really any better than the marina, both are now fantastic 70's classics and are a reminder of how lovely cars used to be from an aesthetic point of view unlike todays boring lookalikes

Driven both and the 74 MK3 1600L was my first car that I owned, black furry seat covers, slot on head rests, drop over centre console with obligatory gauges that weren't connected up, except for the switch for the stick on rear window demister 😁, I knew every bit of the car, I could tell when the tyre pressures had dropped by even a few pounds, did many miles in it. Learned (with dads help) to change brakes drums, oil, what a distributor was, points etc etc. Sold it and bought a 650 bonneville and then later the marina, which was an 1800TC, quick, but the gearstick was so long, it was like stirring a pudding looking for a gear!! just didn't get on with it at all

Brought back some memories this of sitting in the back of Dads Cortina 2.0 GLX in the mid 70s , can remember the seats and the dashboard all matched in a striking blue colour lovely looking car, although do recall the plastic seats were a bit tricky in hot summers😂my first car was a MK4 2.0 GL colour camel cream , went well but didn’t have the looks of the MK3 in my humble opinion.

Had both back in the mid 80s when I was 17 / 18. A '74 2 door Mk.3 Cortina in orange, it said 1600 on the logbook but was actually a 2 litre 😉 And a '73 Marina 1.3 automatic (😬) in the same colour as the one in the video. Fond memories of both tbh.

My first car was a Marina, but it was a two-door coupe, and looked better than the four door sedans you showed. I put Michelin XZX tyres on it and got extra fuel economy. I could have a saved a lot of money over the years if I had not upgraded to larger cars so quickly.

In 1975 I worked for a company that had a lot of sales reps, and they brought the new cars in on transporters, and in that year the replacement for the Cortina’s was the Morris Marina and everyone groaned, about two weeks later they groaned even louder!

The Ford Cortina Mk3 was sold in Australia as the TC. My first car in 1973 was a TC, XLE (premium model here) with the 6cyl motor lifted from the Ford Falcon. It had four headlights, a vinyl roof and looked the goods. Mine was copper bronze with a parchment roof. They were a good car the problem back then was RUST. It became quite bad that was when I sold it. I did work and park close to Sydney Harbor for virtually the whole time I had it (6 years) maybe that contributed to this issue with my car.

Great video. Enjoyed that hugely. The thing is, if you knew little about either car and had to choose one using heart not head it would be the Cortina every time. The Marina may be competent but it is just not inspiring. I was a boy when they came and I don't remember anybody going "wow, a Marina". Not when they could see Cortinas, Escorts, and Capris oozing style in comparison.

I owned a 1975 Austin [USA] Marina and loved it. The car is gone, but I still have the badges - and the memories.

Love Marinas! I had several as a kid in the 80s my Dad had one and it went on for years with over 100000 on the clock(:

Marina's were decent cars - in fact the anti-BL press was great as it depressed used prices making them more affordable. I remember helping my then brother-in-law change the gearbox and clutch on a 1300 on his drive in an afternoon. There was a reason why they, and Lada's and FSO's etc sold - they were cheap and that was at a time when we had an economy like we are experiencing now and all of them - even Ford's - liked to rot. Tip for the next few years of depression - Dacia will sell very very well

What you missed was the enthusiasm that the Marina had to revert back to Ferric Oxide. Quite unstoppable.

The Cortina for me as a Blue-Oval fan, but I was impressed with the Marina, its panel fit was good, and overall it appears a quality product for what it is, all the various issues surrounding BL notwithstanding. Perhaps it's time for a reappraisal of the BL range of vehicles as they appear to have been pretty good concepts if not always executed as well as they should have been, and maybe the British public should look back in fondness and take pride in what was achieved over the BL years. I suspect that when a BL vehicle is properly restored and sorted out that they're actually quite good vehicles. One can only wonder what vehicles Leyland would have produced had BMC been allowed to go bankrupt as Rover and Triumph were good makes. Well done boys.

My first car was a marina coupe. Loved it’s looks. Lever dampers leaked regularly so handling went to pot, and the trunnions seized if not greased regularly. Grip was poor too. Oh, and the rust! Compared to mk2 escort it was miles off

I remember both these cars and driving around in a purple marina. The cortina was definitely the builders/rep car but the marina was something special had a more fun and homely vibe to it and it was British 😃

The 1.8 TC Marina had bigger valves than an MGB, Only problem I thought was serious was axle tramp with the two leaf rear springs, I replaced them with Corsair springs, you could also fit anti tramp bars. At the front there was a cheap telescopic shock absorber conversion that allowed you to fit decent gas shocks, and avoid the problem of failing lever arm shocks ,that were also the top arm, by removing the valves and putting in EP90 oil instead of the shocker fluid. Then put a piper 60/30-30/60 cam in (2BYS) gas flow the head and inlet manifold with twin 1.75 inch carbs intead of the twin 1.5 inch , none of this expensive, and you get 90 bhp at the rear wheels on a dyno (GRD Rochdale) on which a 3 litre capri shows 95 bhp. So probably 115 bhp at the flywheel, but a Marina 1.8 TC weighs only 18 cwt. It used to be funny watching the faces of lotus cortina drivers when you left them for dead at the lights in London. And the XJ6's that chickened at 115 mph after theyed tried to stick to your tail. (no radars then). I replaced it with a dolly sprint (23 cwt), but it wasn't better. And MK3 Cortinas? was there a fast one?

Wow, our mk3 cortinas in australia had a 3.3l six or a 4.1l six from the factory. It’s funny seeing one with 1.6.

Welcome to my world, I owned a 1.8 Marina with my mate having a 1.6 Mk3 Cortina. I was lucky to get advice from a friend who knew the issues pertaining to the front suspension, he said “get a grease gun and do every nipple on the suspension every month”, I saw plenty of BL products by the side of the road with one front wheel on its side due to the ridiculous torsion bar suspension layout having the main trunnion in tension.

Had two 1.8 marina's a very early TC saloon and a 76 estate had them both ten years but the rust wings and underbody terrible both had head gasket failures took advantage of this both home ported ,boy what an improvement both faster then mgb and so roomy ,estate good for 100 plus and mid 40s a gallon ,TC a beast off the clock Speedo 130 plus but care needed drift on corners and neither liked cross winds at motorway speeds the suspension not up to the power,went to sierra after that more positive ride .

My Dad had both the mark 3 & 4 Cortina (Mark 2000E estate and 2L GT Mark4) later he also had an Ital, which was also a nice car. I learned to drive in the Mark 3, which was great. I will admit the Fords were better car’s however the Ital was also a nice car for the era, and I would agree the BL cars were definitely not as bad as certain car journalists would make them out to be.

Saying the TC was faster than an MGB is hardly a badge of honour 😀 and also when the Italians said TC they meant a gorgeously sculpted aluminium twin cam motor, not strapping an extra SU carb to a post-war A40 engine

my first car was a cortina 1600xl,had a white full webasto sunroof and rear wheel steering,damn those void bushes! loved every minute of that car. owned a few tinas including base,l and xl,had a mk4 estate also a 1600 but pinto not kent followed by a mk estate in gemini blue/white roof 2.3l auto in 1991.me and my dad had mk4 2.3l in ford velvet metalic,biege interiors and black vinyl roofs,his was auto and mine was a manual both had the cologne v6 and were creamy smooth to drive. both bought unknown to the other and registered 6 months apart! got a bland suzuki ignis(wifes mobility car)that has the charisma and charm of a lada(owned one so i know!) i would love to see BLJ700L again,in the knowledge that its nowhere near as good as i remember!

When I was a young child in the early 70's my father had a Ford Escort MK1 work van which he liked. This was then replaced by a Morris Marina van. He was no car enthusiast but he moaned every morning that he had to use that Marina. In particular the unassisted brakes and the handling. However, thinking back I expect it was an early version of the Marina before those improvements were implemented.

The Marina's front Torsion Bar suspension was unique and gave a great ride.. It Also meant its front ride height could be adjusted for more clearance' The leaf sprung rear matched ford or Vauxhall. The Early Marina Estate version I worked on was a beautifully made car, and was retro fitted with a 1.8 B Series diesel engine

My grandad had a purple marina with an 1800 TC racing engine in it that thing went like stink for it's day .

I had an 1800 super. Loved it. Boot was rusted out and driver seat was held up by the spare wheel jammed behind it. Back then dodgy MOTS were £20

Quite agree if the Marina had been discontinued in the late 70's it would have been remembered as a perfectly reasonable everyday car, Usual BL BS product planning has ALOT to answer for.

We had a K plate 1.6 Corrina L and my uncle had a 1500 Maxi. He nearly bought a 1.8 Marina but the hatch ack and 5 gears of the Maxi won the day. I always felt that the Corrina looked better but I always preferred journeys in my Uncle's Maxi. Dad went back to BL after the Corrina which was sandwiched between a Morris 1100 and a 1300 Allegro: another much maligned car and wrongly so in my opinion. If I have to choose I would choose BL or perhaps a mk 2 Escort 1.6.

No contest. Marina 1950's engine, Cortina, overhead cam. Cortina went round corners, Marina didn't!

Quite lucky to have a Marina estate in my area. I remember these being fairly common growing up but rare now

I had a 1.8tc in the very early 80s and it really good car

Cortina all the way. When I was a kid way back in the 70's, my top list of cars where, Escort, Capri, Cortina and Granada. They were the exciting cars. These were the cars you saw in the Sweeny, and racing on ITV on the weekend. However, my headmaster at school drove a Marina, deputy head drove a Princess. Our elderly family doctor drove a Marina, even after he retired. To me growing up, Austin and Morris were what old people drove around in, so by the 80's when I was old enough to drive, I bought a 71 Consul (MK1 Granada) GT, after that came a MK3 Cortina GT and an 2.0, ehem I me 1.3 Escort. Damn I wished I still had them now. LOL

You two guys have hit the nail on the head, it wasn't that BL cars were bad (or any worse than most other makes), it was that they were the in joke at the time like Skoda in the 80's ( I do love an Estelle, guilty pleasure haha!!). I had an Allegro in '88 as my second car after a Mk 1 Escort and the Allegro, for all it burned oil was a far more comfortable and nicer to drive car, no street cred but a nicer car all round. I've never driven a Marina but I do think they get an unfairly bad rap.

I had a Cortina mk3 GT 2000 with a twin choke weber carb in sunset red. It was my pride n joy at the time. Also had a mk5 1600L a few years later. Those 'pinto' engines were very reliable.

I like Marinas but then I am biased. 1.3 Marina very decent , had a Y reg Austin Metro as my first car , also lovely to drive. I have been a passenger in an Ital which was very nice too,.

I have a soft spot for the Marina only because it's been picked on so badly over the decades but my god it's one fugly box

The Mk 3 Cortina is such a handsome car, dare I say a style icon, which is why I would always have one over a Marina. All cars of that era had issues with build quality, reliability and rust, so it is unfair to call out the Marina for it. For the time a decent motor, just not as sexy as the Cortina.

Nothing that much wrong with the Marina at launch - the TCs were very smart (other than the known understeering issue). Problem was that by ‘74-75 it was hopelessly out of date. The mk4 Cortina and mk1 Cavalier completely outclassed it. It was due for a proper replacement in ‘77-78 - but by then BL didn’t have the money. The mk3 Marina was frankly embarrassing. Oddly, the Ital was quite a popular fleet car, due to a simple mechanical package and low running costs.

Having owned a Mark3 Cortina and my mates having had Marina's (elderly in all cases), no competition. Cortina every time.

I had a Daytona 2.0 litre Gt Mk 3 Cortina. Loved its style and thought I was king of the road back in the day

A bit late to add my comments now, but I can't resist the opportunity. I had the later versions of both as company cars at the time, and yes the image of the Marina was that it was driven by losers. Not being a fast driver I found the Ital I had to be quiter, more comfortable, much more economical and without the sideways hopping of the rear in the wet end that I had with the Mk4 Cortina, When the J car, the FWD cavalier was released then everything changed, but boy were they noisy !

My late Uncle Doug used to buy a brand new car every three to four years. He started with Escort and then from the mid 70s, bought two Marinas back to back. One was an M reg the next an R. By the time 1981 rolled round he was SO FED UP with the dire engineering of the BL products (rust, breakdowns, things falling off, trying to kill him and the family) that he bought a Mk3 Escort Ghia in gold. He stuck with Ford until his death in 2009 having gone through another four Escorts and finally a Fusion!

My dad had a 1.8 Marina coupe in the late 70's/ early 80's

I've never been in a Marina that didn't break down. They was the older Mariners that was 10 + years old but looked to be in good condition. They had head gasket issues and problems with the hydrophilic clutch

I owned a Marina for many years. No pianos ever fell on it.

Having lived with both back in the 70s the cortina was streets ahead. OHC engine versus pushrod, proper front suspension instead of those awful trunnions that used to collapse and leave you stranded at traffic lights. The cortina was way better. I had the misfortune to have to drive an 1800 tc Marina, and it was dreadful. Believe me the understeer was terminal. It was years out of date from the start. I’m afraid you have rose tinted specs on. Live with one for a month and see what you think then. The cortina though would still hold its own today.

Grandad had Marina's, Dad had MK l, ll and lll Cortina's, and I had MKlll and lV Cortina's. All had their good and bad points. Styling of Cortina's won it for me.

I had a 10 y old 1750 TC coupe. It was really spacious and a good cheap first family car. The only complaints I had were it's tendency to rust (like every god forgotten flamin Brit car I ever owned) and a bit of a wanderiness at motorway speeds. Other than that it gave great value.

Marina coupe was a very good looking car. Still looks good today.

Love the Marina coupe body, the mk3 cortina was sculptured nice as well

There was of course the Vauxhall Victor FD - if you're talking coke-bottle styling that did it much better, far sleeker and IMO one of the most attractively styled cars ever, at any price. Shame it didn't seem to sell in anything like the numbers of the Cortina, or Marina.

The Cortina was always a bit edgy, a bit Regan and Carter. Whereas the Marina, was always a bit frumpy, a bit Terry and June with a flabby backside. No doubt it was capable, but BL had an image problem by that time, and people wanted 'COOL' which BL just couldn't seem to deliver to the masses. Ford gave us COOL, in spades, with the Mk1 Escort, Mk1 Capri, and every iteration of the Cortina. Ford delivered on the dreams of ordinary people and their aspirations, even with the Fiesta a little later. And with the Fiesta, many households achieved ownership of a 2nd car. If you had just passed your driving test, there was a modern, up to date alternative to the Mini. And it was a great shopping trolley for Granny, even if it was another 20 years or so before it was given power steering. So Ford really were "all things to all men" (and women) Even Vauxhall, with their GM backing, never REALLY managed to get close enough to scare Ford. Ford during the 70's were just unstoppable, and their cars were also stars of the small screen, which OBVIOUSLY helped to cement their COOL IMAGE. Just a shame they didn't galvanise the body panels. BL's offerings on the other hand, were usually the victims of staged, well rehearsed crashes, and viewers didn't seem to mind. Nobody got emotional over a Marina crashing into a lamp post, or a Princess being T-Boned. There was very little love for BL cars, which is quite sad, but true. And that is why BL were always at a disadvantage. If you didn't own a Ford, or a Vauxhall Viva, or Cavalier, but were a Marina, Allegro, or Princess owner then NOBODY took you seriously, or invited you over to a party. BL did have some seriously COOL marques in their stable however, such as Triumph, Jaguar, MG, Rover, Land Rover, Austin Healey, Wolseley. But they too suffered with lack of funding, which eventually forced BL to rationslise their range to cut costs, and share platforms and engines between all Marques. The Hyena's from the East could see the weaknesses, and eventually sealed the fate of BL, and by the time BL had morphed into Austin Rover, the writing was on the wall, and the British Lion had to share its den with the Hyenas.

Had a marina 1800TC it went really well but brakes and suspension weren’t up to it and it could get a bit scary. I really loved my Mk3 cortina (pinto engine) and remember thinking how much more car you got for your money and what a step up from the mk1&2 I had owned previously. Can’t believe what people are paying for them now! My dad had a Mk3 estate that he called a ‘Monday morning car’ it was truly awful !

Now go and drive a Renault 16. It will astonish you as being the most comfortable and pleasant car you've ever driven. Or an Alfa Sud, same sort of era and price but more interior room and road manners 20 years ahead of these two.

My family bought a 16 year old me a 1.3 coupe to do up as my first car. It was a very early build with the wipers the "correct" way around. The significance of this was when sourcing parts most did not fit. A chat with the brown jacket parts guy at the dealer ( remember them dirty hands and an amazing knowledge of parts) told me the early ones are a nightmare as so many small modifications were made but not recorded against chassis numbers. Any way the car was terrible, leaked from every panel joint( no seam sealer) is that why they called than marinas because boats could float in them? As for the driving experience very hard ride with the front and back suspension not taking to each other UNDERSTEER yes on a 1.3. Friends who drove an imp, hillman minx(not hunter type) and even an unsuspecting grandads two stroke Wartburg could not believe how bad it was. But at the end of the day it was my first car and I ended up becoming an engineer possibly from training rebuilding a Marina better than British Leyland built it the first time 😊

A fella I know had an orange 1.8 TC Coupe with Koni shocks. It was a good car, but sadly rusted pretty badly, as he didn't have a garage. I recall a rotted through front wing, from the top down. I didn't get to drive a Marina but did pilot a late friend's 1.6 Cortina and didn't much care for its wooly steering feel. His dad had an earlier OHV engined mk3, which was a lot less troublesome, electrically. The subsequent model had an appetite for alternators.

The Marina was not a horrible car. The build was pretty awful in places but that was just BL at the time. It wasn't any better or worse than most other cars at the time. I would have had a Maxi 1750 if I was buying at the time. Hatchback, 5 speed box, very smooth ride. That made both of these look old.

Marina TC nearly threw four of us off the road on the A12. Never again. 2000E Cortina automatic was a great comfy car to drive, though the doors went to rust along the bottoms.

I had a few of both the cortina was a cooler car but the gear stick used to fall out n your hand a lot. We used to wrap it in plumbers tape. The marina 1800 was way faster.

My first car was the cortina. It was a wreck. Steering loose, floor rotten, bad electrics with poor handbrake. The frame needed a brace welding on it. I spent hundreds on the thing before it was promptly nicked and came back crashed and Matt black (previously Daytona yellow). It sort of damaged my love for it ….

I had a 1.8 Marina (teal blue) back in the 70's, I've had cars that handle better and quieter, comfier cars but if I could go back in time and drive just one of them again it would be the Marina.

there wasnt just ford and BL there were many cars uk residents could choose from

''It's the average Joe car'' Joe: Is it my car? :)

You seem to have forgotten the vauxhall Victor FD series, which was launched in 1967. And it was the original car with "coke bottle" styling! And the MK3 cortina followed 3 year's later.