The 50-year-old car sat in a Salford garage found to have a very special footballing link

A rare car with a link to football history that sat in a garage in Salford for years is to go under the hammer this month.

Following England’s huge World Cup success in 1966, car marker Ford loaned 30 custom-designed Cortina 1600E vehicles to the game’s victorious players to coincide with the 1970 follow-up event in Mexico.

Whilst England’s participation in the 1970 World Cup failed to match up to their previous success, with the team being knocked out at the quarter-finals against West Germany, the 1966 team were still riding high on their victory with a plethora of sponsorship deals and partnerships.

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As one such deal, Ford lent out the special cars to 30 footballers - including the likes of 1966 stars Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. The white vehicles all featured ‘Chosen for England’ on their bodywork, alongside the England World Cup emblem and crossed flags of Mexico and the Union Jack.

In a bid to make the Ford Cortina 1600E a desirable option to the general public and football fans alike, the 30 players were given full use of the car for a year before being given the option to buy it for a reduced price.

Whilst some took up the option, others handed them back and they later were scrapped. It’s thought that no more than four exist today - in various conditions - but one in Greater Manchester remains in a good working condition and can still be taken out on the road today.

Now belonging to Ken Gratrix, the car was once owned by City player Francis Lee, who took up the vehicle after the loan period ended and gifted it to his then wife, registering it under his James & Lee Waste Ltd. company. In 1982, Ken, who is related to former Blackpool and Manchester City player Roy Gratrix, came across the vehicle and decided to buy it on a whim.

His grandson, Joseph, told the Manchester Evening News: “He went to a car auction at a warehouse and he just spotted the vehicle tucked away in the back looking just a mess. He decided he’d have it as it wasn’t too expensive to buy. After that, he spent a lot of time restoring it so that it could be in a drivable condition once again.”

Whilst restoring the car, it was then that Joseph said Ken learnt more about the history of the vehicle and who it had been owned by. Photos from the time of the campaign also show Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst both posing with the car.

Still in a good condition, the car, which has the GWC 2H registration plate, will now go up for auction in Duxford on Wednesday (June 19) after Joseph and Ken reached out to local classic car dealer TJ Dolan.

“It’s definitely a piece of history,” Joseph added. “Ken is a little sad to part ways with it, but he said you have to do things like this at one point or another. It would be nice for it to go to a museum, but it’s a shame that it’s not out on the road with someone driving it.

“It’s just not being used anymore and it has been sitting in the garage for a few years now.”

Speaking more about the cars, TJ, who runs Dolan Classics, explained: “They all had their registrations begin with GWC, which stands for the Great World Cup, from 1 up to 30. They reckon there are only three or four left, but this is the one that Bobby Moore and Geoff sat on in those photos - it’s the same car. This is probably the one in the best condition too, it’s still drivable.”

Bobby Moore was handed the number one vehicle, with Francis Lee, who played for Bolton Wanderers for eight years before moving to Manchester City in 1967 for a further eight years, getting the number two car. Sir Bobby Charlton got number nine, and Geoff Hurst got number ten - based on their shirt numbers, whilst the unlucky-for-some number 13 vehicle went to Arsenal player Bob McNab.

The car's restoration included a full engine overall, including new crankshaft and bearings, as well as new piston rings, a new clutch and water pump. Having reported 26,722 miles on the car's odometer back in 1989, it now has a recorded mileage of 28,500 miles after only being shown off at local shows and events.

Before his death last year, Francis, who served as the chairman of Manchester City from 1994 to 1998 and the club's main shareholder until 2007, was reunited with the car as part of a segment on BBC's The One Show in 2018. During the programme, he said: "“This was a top car at the time. When the year was up, I recall paying around £600 - £700 for it.

"The only problem I had with it was the stickers as it attracted too much attention. If some people who supported a rival team knew it was my car, then they would leave their mark. So, after about six months I part-exchanged it at a Ford dealer for £1,250.”

TJ Dolan felt the vehicle needed to go up for auction as soon as he laid eyes on it. “They asked us if we could help them sell it but I felt it just needed to go up for auction because it’s just so important,” he explained. “It’s a piece of football history - they were the defending champions when they got these cars. They didn’t get far in Mexico, but these cars were a big deal in 1970.

“Usually, if a Ford Cortina came in, I’d probably think it wasn’t that special and I’d have trouble selling it but when this came in, it was a real discovery for us. It’s literally just been hibernating in Salford in Ken’s garage for years.”

And TJ reckons the car could surprise when it goes under the hammer. Motorcar and motorcycle auctioneers H&H Classics have listed the vehicle as a 'great opportunity' to own a bit of football history and 'certainly one for the collector.

“A normal Ford Cortina, in immaculate condition, would probably go for auction at around £20-22k at a push,” TJ explains. “But they reckon that one of these England cars has sold for £100,000 in the past and that one was absolutely knackered. This vehicle has been valued by the auctioneers between £50-60k but it has the potential to be a lot more because of its prominence.

“There’s really not many of them left now, and it’s in such good condition. It’s going to be really interesting to see how it does at auction.”

The Ford Cortina 1600E, with registration plate GWC 2H, will be part of the Classic Motorcars and Registration Plates auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire on Wednesday (June 19). Listing here.