Behold—and buy—the world’s only Lotus Cortina shooting brake

This one-of-a-kind Mk1 Ford Cortina Lotus estate will soon be up for sale at RM Sotheby’s October Elkhart Collection auction. If you have a hound that needs to be transported with classic speed and style then it could be the car for you.

First some facts. The Ford-Lotus collab, which began in 1963 and lasted until until 1970, never included a wagon version. This special began life as a 1965 Ford Consul Cortina wagon and, by 2010 was little more than a shell that was for sale on Bring a Trailer. Lotus fanboy Bob Herzog came to its rescue and set about creating a unique Lotus Cortina shooting brake.

The file of notes and invoices provided with the car shows that the body was sandblasted back to bare metal before being completely rebuilt up to—and beyond—Lotus Cortina specification. Painted in iconic Ermine White and Sherman Green combo, with Minilite-style wheels, the car has Mk1 Lotus Cortina spec suspension, a five-speed manual, and disc brakes.

Power comes from a 150-hp Lotus big-valve twin-cam engine that was previously fitted in a Caterham Seven. The interior is mostly standard, aside from the Recaro driver’s seat and, of course, the beautiful wood-railed rear deck.

Bob told Classic Motorsports magazine in 2015, “It drives down the highway just like a new car and I could spend all day in it.” Although he also added, “A Lotus is never finished, but I enjoy working on it as much as anything else.”

If you fancy continuing Bob’s good work the car will be for sale on October 23-24 and is offered with no reserve, and a $35,000-$50,000 estimate. That would still put it below a factory-built Mk1, and your dog will certainly appreciate the extra space.

Finally, if you do miss out on the auction, don’t worry, as Bob even self-published a book about the project should you wish to build your own.