Sigh. Do you ever look at a car, realize how much you’d love to own one and realize it’ll likely never happen aside from Powerball-grade good luck? That’s how I feel about the Lotus Cortina, one of my favorite sedan-style (I realize it has two doors) vehicles that was designed from the get-go to go fast and handle deftly. This 1966 example here on craigslist needs everything and has a hefty asking price: $57,000 smackers. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Troy H. for the find.

The Lotus badge throughout the years has represented the transformation of ordinary cars into cherished vehicles, as if Colin Chapman himself breathed pixie dusts into the cylinders. In a way, that’s not far off: the Cortina bodyshells were supplied by Ford and then the Lotus engineers went to work. Lightweight body panels, a close-ratio transmission lifted from the Elan, and a hotted-up twin-cam rendition of Ford’s Kent engine effectively converted the Cortina from Grandma’s grocery getter to Grandpa’s hot rod.

When these cars were released, it set the enthusiast world abuzz: no longer did you have to strap yourself to a Mini Cooper for the sensation of speed. It was all right there, in a comfortable, water-tight cabin, with handling capabilities like only Lotus could deliver. The free-revving engine and close ratio box must be a magical combination – a driving experience I’d like to have first-hand, someday.

There’s already a fair amount of rust visible on this car and the seller says it will need complete restoration. I’d love to know more about the history, but the seller chooses instead to go on about what the car will be worth once restored. I know these are going up in value, but I don’t think the asking price is realistic given the unknowns; then again, with only 3,306 Mark I’s ever made, finding a genuine Lotus Cortina in any condition is quite a find. What do you think it’s worth?