MID ANGLIA constabulary, ford cortina mk2 lotus, oeb 580h, In Restoration, preservation & service

This incredibly rare Ford Cortina Mk2 Lotus was a special order by the mid Anglia constabulary (Cambridgeshire) who approached ford to see if they would produce a four-door version of the standard two door model. It is believed that the reason given was that it was very difficult to put prisoners in the back of a two-door car. Ford said yes and the force purchased two cars, OEB 579H and OEB 580H. 

Both cars have survived and have been restored to their original police specification. 

Thames valley police also ordered two; one of which got written off in service.

The car was basically a modified GT body shell with uprated suspension  and was powered by the lotus twin cam engine, producing 109 bhp that gave the car a top speed of 110 mph; not bad for a 1960s saloon car.

The cars cost £1300 each and at the end of their service life in 1973 were sold at auction for just £300.

The owner of the car very nearly scrapped it after removing the engine to put into another project before finding out it was a very rare police model and restoring it to police spec.

OEB 580H was based at the Hinchinbrook headquarters near Huntingdon and had the call sign "tango 8"

It was used as a traffic patrol car and its patch was the A1 between the Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire borders. It attended RTA’s and other emergency incidents.

The car was also used to collect or deliver blood and organs to/from the nearby Papworth hospital, which the crew loved doing as it meant a good long blue light run where they could test the cars full potential.