HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY, ford cortina MK2 Lotus, TOR 756H, IN RESTORATION, PRESERVATION AND SERVICE.

In 1969 Hampshire Constabulary made a decision to purchase the MK2 Cortina Lotus as a Traffic patrol car. This was actually quite an unusual step as very few forces in the UK had tried them and they weren’t considered to be the norm as a patrol car.  

Thames Valley Police and West Sussex Police did use the MK2 Cortina Lotus, with the Sussex force having had previous experience with the MK1 Lotus Cortina and ran eleven of them at the time. One still exists today as a restored Police car – GBP 1C 

The Mid Anglia Constabulary (now Cambridgeshire Police) ordered the only two Cortina Lotus cars ever built with four doors, the standard car having only two doors. Both of these cars have survived and have been restored back to full Police specification. 

This car was first registered with the Hampshire Constabulary on 26th August 1969 and served its two year Police life as a patrol car on the Isle of Wight, L Division based at Newport Police Station. It is believed that the cars call sign was probably Lima Papa Double One (LP-11). 

It was retired from Police use on the 11th October 1971 having covered 66,740 miles. It was auctioned off at Frome car auctions in Somerset for £580. According to Police records it was sold with a leaking water pump.  

Of the 13 Cortina Lotus MK2 cars that the Hampshire Constabulary owned, TOR 756H had the lowest mileage when retired as the average was between 75 and 80,000 miles for the mainland based cars.