(Find the Trax Cortina at the official brand store here and browse the Trax listings on Ebay here) I’m in the aftermath of a house move currently and needless to say my life is still pretty much chaos. There’s boxes everywhere, tradesmen in and out daily, and furniture is moving constantly. Obviously my hobby has taken the back seat for now as my collection is spread over every room in the house, and the flow of new arrivals has all but ceased. A few things have managed to grab me enough to hold my attention through the madness however, and one of them especially caught me completely off guard: the Ford Cortina GT by Australian brand Trax Models. Ford’s Cortina went into production in 1962, replacing the earlier Consul model. Designed by Roy Brown Jr. (creator of the infamous Edsel model), Ford intended the Cortina to be an inexpensive, reliable car that was both cheap to produce and to own. Four trim levels were offered; Standard, Deluxe, Super and the range topping GT model, with a pair of 4-cylinder powerplants on offer; a 1.2 and 1.5 litre variant of Ford’s legendary “Kent” engine. Images from Flickr via Google Images The Cortina was exported almost immediately across the globe, with local production lines in South Africa, Thailand and the Philippines to name a few. In Australia, Cortinas were made at the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant in Melbourne, and marketed as a competitor to Holden’s first generation Torana HB. Images from Flickr via Google Images Touring car and rally drivers alike quickly realised the Cortina had a lot of potential, as did Lotus Cars, creating the Lotus Cortina specifically for Group 2 homologation purposes. The 1.6 litre, twin-cam Lotus fettled cars went on to become hugely successful on circuit and rally stage alike. Non-Lotus Cortinas were less common in competition, however the 1963 Armstrong 500 at Bathurst saw a 1.5 litre GT model piloted by Bob Jane and Harry Firth taking both Class C honours and overall victory, one lap ahead of the Holden EH of Ralph Sach and Fred Morgan. The race is widely considered to be the first real Holden vs Ford head-to-head in Australian racing, creating a legendary rivalry. Image from Flickr via Google Images Apex Models offered a Bathurst Cortina replica in both 1/43 and 1/18 scale for a while, but this is the first in 1/64, and indeed the first Cortina Mk1 in this scale to my knowledge. Trax have been around since the late 1980s, producing domestic Australian vehicles in 1/43 and 1/24 scale. This is their first stab at the 1/64 market and they’ve produced something they can be proud of. The first thing that struck me was the weight of the plastic base and display case; combined with the car the whole package gives a satisfying feel even before you’ve opened it. I initially thought I had bagged model 001 out of the limited run of 800, but this was a slip when engraving; the “00” isn’t supposed to be present, the plaque is simply stating “1 of 800”. The models won’t be individually numbered, but that matters very little to me. Once released from the base the model itself has a pleasing, tactile quality and rolls easily on some very nicely modelled steel wheels, complete with an added dash of silver paint on the wheel nuts. The quality is Schuco-esque; a high-caliber paint finish with details like locks and door handles picked out nicely. There is only light use of decals, but where present they are sharp and clear. The racing numbers are actually accurately placed, and one can easily make out the “Consul” badging across the bonnet. There are individual parts for the bumpers, head and tail lights and a very intricate and well replicated front grille. There are no rivets present either, with the plastic base attached with screws. I feel a side mirror wouldn’t have gone amiss for accuracy, but I’m nitpicking. The red vinyl and leather interior of the real car has been nicely replicated also; this was an era where touring cars weren’t the stripped out, aero-equipped racers they are now, and competed in pretty much showroom spec. The Cortina’s iconic “ban the bomb” rear lights (named for their shape being similar to that of the logo of the CND) have been replicated adequately, but I would have liked to have seen clear plastic utilised instead of a painted finish to really make them pop. But that’s a very minor criticism to make of what is a very well presented model. If this specific scheme doesn’t appeal, Trax have also produced another race variant (a Goodwood Green car in the colours of historic racer John Luxmoore) as well as three road car variants; a Lotus Cortina-esque silver example shod with Minilite style wheels, and two standard examples finished in Goodwood Green and Velvet Green. Two chase car versions (metallic green and metallic red) will also be added to the production run randomly. The entire range of the Trax Cortina casting features both race and road models, with the two chase cars added randomly. (Images shared with kind permission from Trax/UR Trading) The price is also more than agreeable in my eyes: $31 AUD to $45 AUD depending on variant, with favourable shipping rates (to the UK at least). Overall, this is a great introduction to small scale for both Trax and the Ford Cortina, and I’m sure this will be a popular model with premium collectors both in Australia and the UK. Instagram: @alex_the_hoarder Facebook: facebook.com/alexthehoarder YouTube: @Alex_the_Hoarder Reddit: u/alexthehoarder
