'The Life on Mars' is a British TV series broadcasted on BBC One between January of 2006 and April of 2007. The series combined fiction with police procedural, centered around an officer from the Greater Manchester Police.
The main character, originally in 2006, wakes up in 1973 after being involved in a car accident. The title references David Bowie's single, 'Life on Mars?'.
In the TV series, the car might have actually been the star. The series used a Ford Cortina 2000E - a car built by Ford of Britain in various models from 1962-1982. Add this to the list of things you didn't know about the Ford Motor Company. This Ford Cortina should definitely be added to the list of Hollywood prop cars that get your motor running.
Let's go in-depth about this car, the use of it in the TV series, and why it is considered fake...
Ford Cortina
The Cortina was produced in five generations from 1962-1982. From 1970 onward, it was extremely similar to the Ford Taunus, a range of large family cars built from 1970-1982. There were various generations of the Ford Cortina model - Mark I, Mark II, TC Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark V. The 2000E version was included within the Mark III generation, which ran from 1970-1976.
Ford Cortina 2000E
In 1973, the Cortina Mark III was given an extreme update and facelift. The main differences between this version and the previous models were the dashboard and clocks did not slope away from the driver's line of sight, but introduced the clocks found in the later Mark IV and Mark V models.
The 2000E upgraded the trim levels, revised grilles, and changed the rear lights. The 2000E replaced the GXL model, which was the Grand Xtra Luxury version of the Mark III Cortina. The Cortina still had a double A-arm suspension and a four-link system at the rear, but it improved the handling of the vehicle.
The 2000E used the classic treatment that was present in the MkII 1600E and did away with the faux wood-grain trim of the GXL.
Life on Mars
In the opening scene of episode 3, there is a big GXL badge on the Cortina, showing that they used various parts from different Cortina models. In the small print and on the engine photo, it is a 1974 plate. However, the car in the series is a cut 2000E with a GXL front end.
There are debates that the show changed the grille and lights from the 1974 Cortina, and swapped it with the GXL model. Fans say that they should have swapped the 'E' badge on the rear pillars too.
Looking inside of the vehicle, it has the same interior as the 1974 model on the dashboard and the fabric seats are reminiscent of the same model. The earlier GXL models had vinyl seats, different dashes, and different center consoles.
'Behind the Scenes' issues
According to the Fandom of 'Life on Mars', the spoiler used on the Cortina would not be made until 1975 - one year after the supposed model was used in the TV series. The car used was a Ford Cortina 2000E with a GXL grill and headlights, but retained its own dashboard.
The car was a 1974 Cortina 2000E, but Sam Tyler in the show was supposed to have first met Gene in early 1973 - showing that it was too early for a 2000E, hence why the show used a fake car model. Furthermore, there were three cars used in filming, all of which were different. One was used for close-ups, one was used for stunt work, and one was used for other scenes, the hybrid 2000E/GXL combination.
As you can see, the model used in the show was a combination of both GXL and 2000E models, and not just a pure 1974 Cortina 2000E. Lastly, the 1974 Cortina actually was too new to be used in some of the scenes, since the show was supposed to have been set in 1973.