Despite the disastrous sales of the Classic, Ford decided to launch another saloon model intended to plug the gap between the Cortina and Zephyr 4. The new model, called Corsair, used Cortina Super running gear and more adventurous styling than the Cortina to distinguish itself from the mainstream models.

The 1498cc engine developed 60bhp and came with a manual gearbox. Both two and four door saloon bodies were available and Crayford produced a limited number of two door convertibles. In 1965 a new V4 engine became standard in the Corsair and the original four cylinder engine was discontinued

Despite the disastrous sales of the Classic, Ford decided to launch another saloon model intended to plug the gap between the Cortina and Zephyr 4. The standard model, called Corsair, used Cortina Super running gear and featured more adventurous styling than the Cortina. A more sporting Corsair GT was also available which offered more power than the standard car.

The Corsair GT used a 1498cc Cortina GT engine developing 78bhp which gave a respectable 95mph top speed. Servo brakes were standard on the GT along with better instrumentation, sports seats, central armrest and extra "GT" badges

The Corsair had been relatively successful for Ford and so it was decided to develop the range to include a new engine. The 1965 Corsair used a brand new V4 engine, a first for Ford and an unusual choice of engine layout. The V4 developed more power than the previous four cylinder Corsair (now 76.5bhp) but this was unfortunately overshadowed by the inherent design problems of the V4 layout.

The Corsair V4 looked virtually the same as the standard four cylinder car, however better disc brakes were fitted to handle the extra power. GT, 2000 and 2000E versions of the Corsair were added to the range and production continued until 1970.

Like the previous GT model the new Corsair GT used more comprehensive instruments and better trim to highlight its sporting aspirations. Power output for the GT was quoted as 88bhp, a useful 12bhp increase over the standard car but not as powerful as the 2.0 litre 2000E model that was to follow.