The Slasher's Guide to the
Life on Mars Car
by Clonesgirl
Revised and updated 21 May 2010
The Mark III Cortina in action on the streets of Manchester
Foreword
This was written with fanfic, especially of the slashy variety, in mind and its aim is strictly as an aid in writing for those authors who want to include the car in their fic.
Lately I've noticed a number of factual errors in Life on Mars fanfic with regard to the car used in the series. Errors such as it has a 5-speed transmission, it's an automatic, it has vinyl upholstery, and so forth. These errors, although minor, are inclined to throw me right off the plot and pour cold water on my nice, little 1973 fantasy, and if they do it to me, then I figure they might do it to others as well.
Now I know that many will say so what? It's only fanfic and the basic premise of the series is all one big illusion anyway so who cares about the car? A car is a car and if the author says it has vinyl seats then what does it matter as long as it does not detract from the main plot. However, in this series, the illusion of making 1973 a believable reality is everything, so I think it's fair to say that every little bit helps and that includes basic facts on the car which was such an integral part of the series. After all, to quote Sam Tyler, God is in the details.
So here are a few basics about the Life on Mars car which I hope fellow LoM authors might find useful to know when it comes to including the car in your fic, especially fic of the slashy variety.
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The Specs
The technical specs
First off, we probably all know the story but, in case anybody new to Life on Mars is unfamiliar with it, or hasn't seen Philip Glenister's guest appearance on Top Gear, here are a few basics about the Ford Cortina used in the series.
Front with distinctive pre-facelift double headlights and GXL badge
Rear with 2000 E badge
The Cortina used in the series is a Mark III but it's actually the later 2000 E model - the "E" stood for Executive - which was not available until 1974, but someone has grafted the earlier 1972 GXL front with its four headlights onto it which makes it look like the earlier model, though of course it isn't. This can be ascertained by the fact that it has "2000 E" on its rear (see pic above). In any case, both the GXL and the 2000 E were available with three different engines. This particular car has the 2000GT engine which made it the most powerful of the Mark III range.
The "E" badge located on the
side vinyl panels
The Gear Box
A while back I read a fic where Gene put the car into fifth gear. Huh? I clean lost all track of the plot while wondering if the Cortina had somehow got a new transmission.
In fact the car does not not have a 5th gear. There were four forward gears and one Reverse. So top gear was 4th and it was a 4-speed transmission, Reverse gear not being counted (see Specs above).
The gear stick
Also, I have to mention that I recently watched an episode of Top Gear (series 12, episode 5) where Jeremy Clarkson was driving a brand new Lexus and complaining loudly about how the thing had eight gears and it was always doing something with them. Just as well it was an automatic because with that many gears I'd never be able to remember what gear I was in. I mean eight gears? What on earth do you do with eight gears? Does any car in the world really need eight gears? Sounds like gross over-engineering if you ask me.
At any rate the lovely old Cortina has four-in-the-floor and goes like a rocket. Who needs eight gears?
The Transmission
Besides reading that Gene put the Cortina into fifth gear, nothing throws me more than reading that he put it in Drive. Drive? Another of those occasions where I lost track of the plot. Only an automatic can be put in Drive. The car has a manual transmission which means it has a gear stick, or gear lever if you prefer, and a thing called a clutch. Yes, a real, honest-to-God clutch. So Gene can put the car into gear, but never into Drive.
Foot pedals including. clutch
Now I know us girls favour automatics - and with good reason - and the Mark III Cortina was also available as an automatic, but the fact is that the car used in Life on Mars had a 4-speed manual transmission. Very basic and very simple. Watch Philip Glenister driving it.
Top Speed
The Mark III with its powerful 2000GT engine had a top speed of 120mph. So it was more than speedy enough to catch the tossers who were probably driving far less powerful vehicles. Gene Hunt has a good car and he knows it.
The speedometer
Heating
The car was heated and also included a heated rear window (see 1972 Cortina GXL ad below).
1972 advertisement for the Cortina GXL
However, the fact that decent car heating was included in the design need not be an impediment to a good slashy fic where Gene and Sam are freezing late at night on a stakeout. You can still have them freezing because, after all, they can't have the heating on unless the motor is running, and they can't have the motor running without giving away their position. So they have to sit there with the engine turned off and freeze.
So, remember, although the car is heated you can still have them freezing - and having to do something to alleviate the cold - while on stakeouts. And I'm sure you can think of all sorts of things they could get up to in order to keep warm - and I don't mean drinking hot soup or Irish coffee!
The Upholstery
A while back I read a fic in which the Cortina had vinyl seats. Vinyl? Yes, there was a Mark III model available with vinyl upholstery and vinyl, or velour, seat coverings and here's a clip that shows one - a 1600cc GXL. However, as stated above, the car used in Life on Mars is the Executive model and it has leather seats. So not an ounce of cheap vinyl - or today's nasty plastic trim - to be seen.
Door panels included wood, leather, shag
pile and stereo speakers
The Carpet
The 1970s were memorable for shag pile carpet, some of it as much as two inches thick which made it very hard to clean as most vacuums just couldn't suck the dirt out properly, even an upright one that "beats as it sweeps as it cleans".
Thick shag pile everywhere you look
The Cortina's carpet consists of thick shag pile and it's everywhere - the floor, the side panels, the lower panel of the doors (see door pic above) and beneath the dashboard (see pics of dashboard below and foot pedals above). A pain in the neck to clean and God forbid you spill something sticky on it. Better ban all food and drink and smoking is a definite no-no. Imagine dropping a cigarette and burning a hole in it - horrors!
The Seats
Firstly, just like modern cars, there's a gap between the bucket seats so that it makes it difficult for our favourite detectives to get up to mischief in the front of the car on account of the handbrake in the middle. The gear stick is in the way too. Of course you could recline the seats.
Reclining seats? Yes, cars in the early 70s really did have reclining bucket seats though I've come across very few fics that actually made use of this interesting fact. I quote from a 1973 Mark III ad: "Both the driver's and passenger's seats are fully reclining providing a completely horizontal surface." Now isn't that a useful thing to know? Doesn't that put slashy ideas in your head? Well it ought to!
The bucket seats showing handbrake between
Secondly, the car was considered quite roomy so they could get up to all sorts of interesting things on the rear seat as well as the reclining bucket seats - and I'll leave that to your own vivid imaginations. Now off you go and write.
The Dashboard
The dashboard with its distinctive dials, air vents, radio (see below) and loads of wood panelling. To quote the Guv: "more wood than Sherwood Forest"*. Of course a nice, big glove box is also handy for storing lube.
The dashboard
The Radio
Standard push button car radio with Ford logo on it. Comes with Longwave and Medium Wave (this was pre FM band). Of course the right music can be really conducive to putting a person in the right mood.
Push button car radio
The Police Radio and Radio Telephone
The Pye Westminster police radio transmitter/receiver is located right under the dashboard in the centre. Call number is "870".
The Pye Westminster police radio
Attached to it is the Pye Radiotelephone with speaker (pictured at left) and handset located directly below it in the centre console in front of the clock. The handset rests across the console behind the speaker.
Pye Radiotelephone speaker
The Steering and Wheels
Power steering is great. Makes a steering wheel much easier and lighter to turn. However, power steering was not generally available in UK cars in 1973. It was the old rack and pinion job which is still around today. So, unlike today's cars with their easy-to-handle power steering, the wheel was much heavier to turn. Philip Glenister complained in numerous interviews that the car didn't have power steering and was heavy to drive. No doubt he's right. He probably developed extra muscles in his arms from steering it. Watch the effort he puts into turning the wheel.
The Mark III Cortina on a rough road surface
Sporty-looking Rostyle wheels were also part of the Mark III's unique look. Some said they looked too loud, others said they added style and real pizzazz.
The Rostyle wheels
Side Mirrors
Side mirrors, a.k.a. wing mirrors, which are standard on today's cars, did not come standard with all cars in the early 70s. In the case of the Mark III Cortina they were an optional extra. The original owner apparently decided not to bother with them and none of the other subsequent owners have either. So the car has none. Watch Philip Glenister crane his neck when turning the car around. Lucky it has a big rear window.
Philip Glenister reversing the car
The Colour
As for the colour of the car, I've seen it referred to as bronze, orange, orange bronze, bronze orange and journalists especially like to refer to it as brown. Brown? No way would I call it brown. It's far too orange for that. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find out exactly what the original name of the colour is. The "russet bronze" colour in the Cortina Chronicles fics is a colour that I made up just for the fics.
Now here's the strange part. I later discovered that the official colour of the Ford Consul (later Granada Ghia) used in The Sweeney was actually called "russet brown". Like the Cortina, the Consul also has no side mirrors.
Ford Consul from Series 1 of The Sweeney
The Imitators
There are now two pretenders to the throne.
First there is the 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS used in the now-defunct US LoM. A larger and more powerful car than the Cortina to be sure but hardly as pretty.
Chevelle lovers have pointed out that, in 1973, the car would have only been two years old and therefore should still have its original wheels, but this one doesn't.
1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS from US LoM
Then there is the the Alfa Romeo used in La Chica de Ayer (The Girl from Yesterday), the also-now-defunct Spanish version of LoM. Not sure which model as many of them look very much alike and have only subtle differences. However, both front and rear resemble a 1973 Berlina sedan. If that's what it is it's a bit odd as the series is set in 1977 and they could have chosen a later model. Whichever model it is it can't hold a candle to the Cortina. Also appears to have no side mirrors.
1970s Alfa Romeo sedan from Spanish LoM
A Very Desirable Car
Compared to other cars of the time the Mark III Cortina with its 2000GT motor was one of the most powerful, popular and stylish cars of the early 1970s. I read that they originally wanted a Granada, as used in The Sweeney, for LoM but I'm so glad they got the Cortina. Cast and crew took one look at it and it was love at first site. Not surprising.
The iconic Mark III Cortina
Now all of the above ought to put lots of slashy ideas in your head so off you go and start writing.
Comments and queries are welcome and discussion may be found here.
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* The Rules of Modern Policing 1973 Edition by DCI Gene Hunt: Bantam Press, 2007, p.18.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to beaususan for her invaluable advice on the reclining seats. LoM slashers everywhere will thank you.
Thanks to hambelandjemima and her OH for their superior knowledge of Cortina gears.
Also thanks to may_potter for the lowdown on La Chica de Ayer, the Spanish version of Life on Mars.
Cortina Articles and Information
Cortina info on Wikipedia
The history of the Ford Cortina
Finding the Cortina
Radio Times, January 2006
Cortina had a rough ride
Radio Times, 27 February 2006
Rusting, Past it? Labour, but not our Ford Cortina
Great article on the Cortina from the Daily Express, 15 May 2008
Cortina v Quattro - which crime-fighting banger is best?
Article from cars.uk You thought maybe the Quattro? Think again
Life on Mars car bought by Sutton on Sea man
The Cortina and its current owner from the Louth Leader, 22 January 2008
Get that car off my leg!
Fun article from Autospeed
