The Ford Escort dominated both sales charts and motorsport podiums throughout its 34-year production life. This collection celebrates that success and showcases one iconic sporting incarnation of each generation. From the moment Ford motorsport mechanic Bill Mead spotted a prototype being tested at Ford’s Boreham facility one morning in early 1967, the Escort was destined for motorsport immortality. He turned to Ford’s Competition Manager, Henry Taylor, and said ‘Blimey one of those things would go with twin-cam in it!’. 

They looked at each other and both instantly realised the potential. Shortly after, Ford Product Planner, Bob Howe, managed to ‘borrow’ a plastic mock–up bodyshell so Mead and colleagues could secretly trial-fit Lotus-Cortina running gear into it before hurriedly returning it, empty and undamaged. With the concept proven, Ford PR supremo Walter Hayes got busy and project J25, the Escort Twin-Cam, officially commenced. Roger Clark and Jim Porter took its first victory, the Circuit of Ireland Rally in April 1968, a further 29 International and British Rally Championship wins would follow. Victories came on track as well, with drivers such as Frank Gardner and Barry Lee bolstering Ford’s ‘Total Performance’ image. 

The Advanced Vehicle Engineering factory in Okenden, Essex, was created to manufacture RS Escorts and from November 1970 produced the Cosworth BDA engined RS1600, the ultimate Mk1 Escort; thus, an example is included here. Almost 1.1 million Mk1 Escorts were manufactured before it was crisply restyled for 1975 to create the Mk2. Project ‘Brenda’, as it was known internally, was produced until 1980 and dominated both the sales charts and motorsport podiums as successfully as its predecessor. Ari Vatanen and David Richards’ overall victory in the 1981 World Rally Championship (WRC) in a Mk2 RS1800 was the icing on the cake, however a Mk2 RS2000, in a fashionably bright colour, is surely the era’s most iconic, aspirational sports saloon and is included here. 

Ford totally re-invented the Escort in 1980 with project ‘Erica’, which used all-new front-wheel-drive running gear in an elegantly styled hatchback body. The hot hatch XR3i variant was fun to drive but required no sacrifices in comfort, practicality or economy and sold in huge numbers as a result. Rallying had become the preserve of purpose-built four-wheel drive Group B supercars in the early eighties though, so Ford built an Escort-based car for Group A racing, which allowed less modification. The RS1600i was based on the XR3i but was sprinkled with genius by Mike Kranefuss and his team in Cologne and proved a global race winner which is why an example represents the Mk3 in this set. 

Ford followed the ‘Turbo’ zeitgeist, launching the Mk3-based Escort RS Turbo in 1984. When the Mk3 was heavily revised to become the Mk4 in 1986, the RS Turbo was made into a more mainstream model, retaining its amazing pace but improving its practicality which is why a Mk4 RS Turbo is included here. Rallying’s legislators stepped back from the outrageous Group B supercars and by 1992 Ford found themselves contesting the WRC with the fabulous, but over-sized, 4-door Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4. 

Ford Competition Department Manager Stuart Turner told his engineers they needed the Cosworth 4x4 running gear under the smaller Escort bodyshell. They scoffed, told him it was impossible, then did it anyway, and the outrageous bi-winged Escort RS Cosworth was the result. As a road car it became an instant classic, lauded by Jeremy Clarkson and others, on the rally stage it achieved its aim, scoring nine WRC wins in the hands of legends such as Carlos Sainz; a fitting finale for the RS Escort.

The Morris Minor was launched at the first post-war British Motor Show which was held at London’s Earl Court in October 1948. With various updates and a change of engine in 1952 it remained in production as a saloon until November 1970 and in Light Commercial Vehicle form until April 1971. The car modelled was built on August 25th, 1970, making it one of the last produced, and was despatched to Wadham Stringer Limited, Reigate, Surrey, a well-known Morris distributor. Current owner Sharon McCallum bought Molly, as the car has long been called, by accident in August in 2014 after going to view it in Hailsham for a friend who later changed their mind.

Devon-based Sharon is a life-long Minor enthusiast who’d wanted one since travelling in her Great Uncle Fred’s Almond Green example, which was the first car she travelled in as a child and was later purchased by her brother. Molly joined her Trafalgar Blue saloon, (Hamilton) and the Damask Red van (Harvey Major), she uses for her Trombone repair business. Sharon met husband Dennis Saupe while on a ‘Minors on Tour UK’ event in 2016 and a year later the couple embarked on a month long 3500-mile touring holiday from Land’s End to John O’Groats in Molly, which included many sightseeing diversions and a stop at Gretna Green to get married. Molly never missed a beat and is much loved as a result.

The Morris Minor was launched at the first post-war British Motor Show which was held at London’s Earl Court in October 1948. With various updates and a change of engine in 1952 it remained in production as a saloon until November 1970 and in Light Commercial Vehicle form until April 1971. The car modelled was built on August 25th, 1970, making it one of the last produced, and was despatched to Wadham Stringer Limited, Reigate, Surrey, a well-known Morris distributor. Current owner Sharon McCallum bought Molly, as the car has long been called, by accident in August in 2014 after going to view it in Hailsham for a friend who later changed their mind.

Devon-based Sharon is a life-long Minor enthusiast who’d wanted one since travelling in her Great Uncle Fred’s Almond Green example, which was the first car she travelled in as a child and was later purchased by her brother. Molly joined her Trafalgar Blue saloon, (Hamilton) and the Damask Red van (Harvey Major), she uses for her Trombone repair business. Sharon met husband Dennis Saupe while on a ‘Minors on Tour UK’ event in 2016 and a year later the couple embarked on a month long 3500-mile touring holiday from Land’s End to John O’Groats in Molly, which included many sightseeing diversions and a stop at Gretna Green to get married. Molly never missed a beat and is much loved as a result.

When the development of project R40, as the Rover 75 was known internally, began in earnest at Longbridge, the mood was optimistic because, to joint-venture partner Honda’s surprise, BMW had purchased the company in February 1994. They injected the development cash the business had hitherto lacked. The resulting car was launched at the Birmingham Motor Show on October 20th, 1998 and was praised for its elegant exterior design by stylist Richard Woolley and very British interior ambience.

Production commenced at Cowley, Oxfordshire, but when BMW sold the company in May 2000 it was moved to Longbridge. The 75 remained in production until 2005 by which time 211,175 had been produced. The automatic 2.5-litre V6 Rover 75 modelled was sold new by MG-Rover dealers Vantage-Preston and was first registered in July 2005, just three months after the Longbridge-based company went into administration. 

It features the later-revised bumpers, grille and single-light facelifted nose treatment launched in 2004, which gave the 75 a more modern look, although it cleverly used the same lamp base units with a new single lens on top. Since November 2022, it has been owned by Greater Manchester-based Rover 75 enthusiast Tim Hubbard, who bought it because it showed a genuine 87,000 miles and was in very good overall condition. The 75 and its MG-badged ZT cousin have now acquired a strong following in the classic car world and values are increasing.

The Twin-Cam modelled XTW 368F is presented as it was when photographed for the Escort’s launch publicity images wearing a GT40-inspired low-level-stripe and Rostyle wheels, neither of which were featured on production cars. To generate interest in the new car, Ford’s PR supremo, Walter Hayes, shipped a fleet of Escorts to Morocco in early 1968 and invited journalists to drive over a 700-mile route. 

This car was the only Twin-Cam and Autosport’s founding editor, Gregor Grant, was so impressed he placed it on the cover of the January 19th 1968 issue. The magazine featured a report of the Moroccan adventure in which Grant said he was, ‘Impressed by the liveliness of this power-packed little projectile’. XTW 368F, one of the most important early Twin-Cams, was built at Boreham in autumn 1967 using a 1300GT (Type 48) bodyshell. It was the fourth Twin-Cam constructed, although it was rolled in testing and then rebuilt around a new bodyshell in December 1967. 

After its launch PR duties, it was prepared for the Escort’s competition debut, a rallycross event at Croft on February 3rd, 1968, where Tony Chappell took it to victory. Ford then used it for bodyshell strength testing resulting in some spectacular pictures of it flying over bumps. It was gifted by Ford to the driver who’d done most of the testing, Barry Lee, who campaigned it in Rallycross in 1968/9 and then rebuilt it as his first National Hot Rod.

The TR5 modelled was built on Thursday September 12th, 1968 (exactly a week before the last TR5 left the production line), and despatched to Lankesters Limited, Kingston-on-Thames on the 26th. It™s believed that the second owner, in around 1969, was a Guildford-based David Jacobs who may, or may not, have been the famous DJ and TV presenter¦  Ray Gill, of specialists TR Improvements™, sold it to Dorset-based TR enthusiast Tim Toogood in summer 1979. He used it for his honeymoon and wife Sam christened the car Waste Paper Basket™ because of its WPB number plate. The Toogoods sold it in late 1987 by which time it had covered over 80,000 miles and needed restoration.

In 1989 it was purchased by London-based Christopher Lillingston-Price who stripped and partially restored the car but was unable to finish it. In July 2011, Nottinghamshire-based enthusiast Conrad Hunt bought it and finished the restoration to a very high standard. It was returned to the road in 2014 and featured on the front cover of Practical Classics magazine in August 2017, where it starred in a feature celebrating the 50th anniversary of the TR5 which compared it with two period rivals, the MGC and Austin Healey 3000. Somerset-based enthusiast Huw Boyce purchased it in July 2018, achieving a lifetime™s ambition in the process as he™d wanted a TR5 since owning a Spitfire in his youth. He is an enthusiastic member of the TR Register.   

Engine capacity: 2498cc 6IL OHV

Power: 150bhp@5500rpm

Torque: 164lb.ft@3500rpm

Launched in late 1987, the 16 valve GTE was the ultimate evolution of General Motors’ (GM) ‘teardrop’ Mk2 Astra. It was loud and raw compared to Volkswagen’s rival Golf Mk2 GTI 16V which was polished, sophisticated, and slower. The GTE appealed to buyers who loved this unruly character and its era-defining digital dashboard. It was created by fitting GM’s 2-litre ‘Family 2’ engine with a motor sport inspired 16-valve twin-cam cylinder-head developed by Cosworth to become the ‘KBA’, or ‘red-top’, as it’s often called. 

This endowed this lightweight hatch with blistering real-world pace, especially above 4000rpm, which eclipsed its on-paper figures making this hottest of the eighties front-wheel drive hot-hatches great fun to drive. The GTE modelled was purchased from Vauxhall/Opel Dealers Ferguson of Renfrew, Scotland, on June 3rd, 1989, having been ordered with the optional fuel computer and GM factory-fitted alarm. 

The first owner kept it for ten years and it was then dry stored before being purchased in 2005 by Glasgow-based enthusiast Graham Walker who did some light restoration before returning it to the road. It was purchased by the current owner, Angus-based Sandy Carnegie, in 2013 as a sound and honest 58,000-mile car which, unusually, had no corrosion issues but many cosmetic blemishes. He has restored and detailed the car to perfect original show winning condition, fitting many new components, and it is now acknowledged as one of the best in the UK.

The XJ6 modelled was ordered on April 24th, 1976, from Jaguar distributor Richard A. Bellamy Ltd, The Jaguar Centre, Grimsby. The Bellamy family’s professional relationship with William Lyons’ S.S. company, which later became Jaguar, stretched back to the 1920s when S.S. was still based in Blackpool. The customer was lifelong Jaguar enthusiast David Fearnley, the Managing Director of Walter Walker & Sons Ltd, Highfield Mills, Ossett, Yorkshire, a textile firm involved in yarn spinning and twisting. 

He ordered several unusual extras, including a black vinyl roof, an electric sliding steel sunshine roof, cruise control, a ‘Biscuit’ leather interior and chrome swage lines along the length of the body with a thin gold pinstripe below. The car cost £6332.73, of which £479.70 was attributed to the extras, and it was delivered on July 12th, 1976. In 1982/83, David Fearnley served as the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire and thereafter he was a Deputy Lieutenant before becoming Vice Lord-Lieutenant in 1992. 

The office of High Sheriff was developed during the Anglo-Saxon period and is the oldest crown appointment in England. There are currently 55 High Sheriffs in England and Wales, each serving only a one-year term. He used the car in his official capacities to convey visiting members of the Royal family, including Prince Charles, Princess Anne and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as other VIPs. During these events, the car was sometimes driven by a trained police driver.

Corgi presents Vanguards, a series of die-cast 1:43 scale model automobiles spanning half a century of motoring in Britain. Each model carries a detailed, authentic livery and comes complete with a miniature history of the vehicle and its engine performance

The story of the Volkswagen Type 2 starts with Dutch car dealer Ben Pons, the first agent outside Germany to sell VWs who, in 1947, drew a sketch of a forward-control Leifenwagen (light delivery van) that he saw a market for. Volkswagen's engineers worked on the concept and production commenced in February 1950. A pick-up body was made available in 1952 and by 1954 around eighty examples a day were being produced, partly because the range had grown to include thirty different versions. The Type 2 was gradually refined over an 18-year production life during which over 1.8 million examples were produced.  

The 1957 Type 2 modelled was imported from a dry climate in the US in 2010 and, because of this, was virtually rust free making it a fantastic prospect for the high-standard UK restoration it received. It was later upgraded by Type 2 Detectives who fitted a rebuilt 1600 Twin Port engine, running on twin Weber carburettors, a dual circuit braking system utilizing front discs, a Gene Berg quick shifter and Fuchs alloy wheels. A bespoke new interior was then built by well-known Kent-based VW Type 2 specialist UK Sports Cars, who sold the vehicle to the current owner. He is a lifelong VW enthusiast who achieved a life’s ambition by buying it and maintains it himself. He uses it regularly for touring and attending model flying events in both the UK and Europe.

Statistics:

Engine: 1192cc 4-HO OHV

0-50mph: 31 seconds

Maximum speed: 60mph

Unladen weight: 2,447lbs

Length: 4267mm

Wheelbase: 2400mm

The Mk2 Escort RS2000 built on the success of the Mk1 and followed the same basic recipe, a powerful 2-litre OHC engine in the small lightweight Escort body with RS suspension. The unique nose cone differentiated it visually from all other Escorts and reduced its drag factor from 0.444 to 0.386, while design details, such as the standard Scheel ‘roll-top’ seats and four-spoke RS alloy wheels, helped to make it the most desirable sports saloon of its era. 

The example modelled was initially purchased from H & J Quicks Ltd, Old Trafford, Manchester by local man Lawrence Ewbank on January 17th, 1978. It cost £3,791.89, including VAT, plus £28.10 for a radio. Mr Ewbank was obviously fond of the car because, in 1991, he spent over £10,000 having it extensively restored by RS Autos, Stockport, and kept it until 2002, by which time it had covered 72,683 miles. The third owner asked D&D Autos, Egham, Surrey, to do some work on the car and this culminated in D&D advertising it for sale in autumn 2014. 

It was purchased by the fourth and current owner, Nottinghamshire-based fast-Ford enthusiast Mohammad Butt, who was impressed by the basic soundness of the car despite its lack of service records. Two years later, after doing some painstaking research, he was delighted to obtain the car’s detailed service history folder from the third owner’s family and has now commenced the car’s restoration.

The Mk2 Escort RS2000 was introduced in January 1976, a year after the main Mk2 range had been launched. Over 23,000 were produced before production ceased at Saarlouis, Germany in 1980. 

This was a large enough quantity for it to be profitable in its own right, but it also sprinkled some motorsport stardust on the humbler Escorts with which it shared showroom space by successfully competing in Group1 motorsport events for mildly modified cars. Ari Vatanen and Peter Bryant’s win on the 1976 Texaco Tour of Britain is one high-profile example. 

The Mk2 RS2000 modelled was first sold by Ford RS dealers Hendy Lennox, Southampton, and first registered on September 20th, 1976. The current owner, Kent-based enthusiast Mickey Stewart, purchased it from fellow enthusiast Alan Sherwood in June 2014. It was complete but had been dismantled into a rolling shell for a restoration that had then stalled. 

Mickey worked with Escort specialists Neil Bonds and Kelly Baverstock at Panelcraft Concours Restoration, Kent, who stripped the car, renewed almost all the panels and completed a Concours quality restoration before respraying it in the original colour. 

The engine was rebuilt to Ford’s Group 1 specification, including twin Weber 44 IDF carburettors, although most of the rest of the vehicle was built to standard specification. The resulting car received great acclaim in the fast Ford world and took the prestigious RSOC Concours Gold Cup in 2017.

The manual Cortina 2.0 modelled was an area car in service with Essex Police from March 1982. It is believed to have been based in Basildon and would have served for around three years before being replaced. In this era, Police forces often bought products from a company that had production facilities in the area so Essex Police almost exclusively used Fords. Cortinas served in a variety of roles because of this policy, from Traffic to CID and were well liked by the offcers because they were comfortable and, when needed, quick enough to be useful. A small number of 2.3-litre V6 Cortinas were also used by Traffic Police to complement the more common Granada.

UK wide, Fords have probably been the most popular vehicles for use in the area car role since the 1960s, mainly due to the adaptability, performance and economy offered by the Cortina. The area car method of policing was, however, pioneered by Nottingham Police in 1932 who trialled single operative vehicles where the driver used his left hand to operate a Morse key on a box where the passenger seat would have been, while driving, and listened via a hat-mounted earpiece.

The Metropolitan Police introduced an ‘Area Wireless Car Scheme’ in 1934, with two uniformed officers, actually talking to a control room rather than using Morse code, and the success of this meant it was gradually adopted and adapted the world over.

The Transit Custom modelled was used by Ford’s UK Press Office for the van’s launch in April 2018 and was specified to make a visual impact, with bumper skirts, flared wheelarches, 17-inch alloy wheels and a bright colour. It was then loaned to newspapers, magazines, TV shows and websites to conduct their own road tests and appeared in The Sun, Auto Express, Van Fleet World and many others. At the end of 2018 it was loaned to Dan Powel at the Honest John website for a three-month long-term test and earned a favourable report. In April 2019 the Globe Theatre received it for a six-month loan as part of Ford’s support of the arts sector. 

Ford launched the first-generation Transit in 1965 and it was so successful that the name ‘Transit’ has almost become an eponym for ‘medium sized van’, understood by traders and hire companies alike. The Transit Custom has been a successful addition to that family and in 2021 was the market leader in the UK one-tonne van market, with close to 54,000 being delivered. That impressive total was enough to make it the bestselling vehicle in the UK including passenger cars; the first time a commercial has ever achieved that accolade. Fords accounted for one-third of all commercials sold in the UK during 2021 and their Dunton-based Liive Centre, which monitors data feeds from vans then alerts drivers and provides assistance has proven popular with customers. 

The Ford Transit has offered unrivalled versatility since it was launched in 1965 and the 2020 Transit Trail has expanded the vehicle’s capabilities even further. Designed for users who need the ability to work in conditions where traction is limited such as building sites or rural areas it was offered in two specifications. 

The front-wheel drive Trail featured a Mechanical Limited-Slip Differential (mLSD), developed in partnership with well-known driveline specialists Quaife, that automatically directed torque to the wheel with the most grip. For those needing a workhorse to use off-road, however, the 4x4 model offered intelligent All-Wheel Drive with dynamic torque distribution between all four wheels to maximise traction. 

The short wheelbase van modelled was used by Ford for PR work but the Trail was also available in numerous body styles including the Kombi, Double-cabin-in-van, or the Single and Double-cab chassis. All Trails were visually distinguished by a large matte black FORD ‘statement grille’, black cladding on the body sides, unique 16” alloy wheels and Trail badges on the front doors. 

The interior featured durable easily cleaned leather seating, a FordPass Connect onboard modem with WiFi hotspot for up to ten devices and a Quickclear heated windscreen, which cleared ice and mist in seconds, even when the engine has only just been turned on. The Trail range was a unique proposition for those needing an off-road capable vehicle with impressive carrying capacity and connectivity.

The brilliant original 1965 Ford Transit transformed the small to medium commercial vehicle market. It was just what the business world needed at the time, and it also quickly became the backbone of the UK’s fleet of emergency vehicles. Over the years Transits have carried out nearly every public service vehicle role there is, from ambulances to fire and rescue units or police K9 deployment.

Almost a million were made in the first ten years of production and the total amount of Transits produced now stands at well over eight million, a figure that continues to grow as the much-expanded Transit range remains one of the most popular and capable in the sector. 

The police continue to use the Transit in a variety of roles and the vehicle modelled entered service in early 2019 as a Crime Scene Investigation unit with West Yorkshire Police. It carried the large amount of specialist equipment needed by modern forensic officers and was specified with twin sliding doors, one on each side, so it could be accessed quickly by a team of officers working together on different aspects of a case. 

West Yorkshire Police leads the team of Crime Scene Investigators, which is a shared Scientific Support Service working with the four forces in the Yorkshire and Humber region, Humberside, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Police. This enables resources to be deployed wherever and whenever they are needed.

The Ford Ranger Raptor was developed by Ford Performance, a division of Ford famous for developing cars wearing the legendary RS badge. It mixes the tough go-anywhere ability of other models in the Ranger line up with the kind of performance and driving pleasure that appeals to the enthusiast. It’s powered by a 2-litre Bi-Turbo Ford EcoBlue diesel developing a mighty 500 Nm of torque, which is distributed to the Ranger’s four-wheel drive system via a 10-speed automatic transmission, so it’s always in the right gear at the right time. The race-bred off-road FOX Pro suspension is designed to tackle fearsome terrain with ease while leaving the occupants in comfort.

The Raptor modelled was one of the first built and was retained by Ford of Britain for press and publicity duties. It has featured in many TV programmes including the BBC’s Top Gear, Dream Jobs with Chris Hoy on Motor Trend and Amazon’s The Grand Tour, where it was used as a support vehicle. It was also road tested by numerous magazines including CAR, Parkers, Auto Express, What Car and Company Van Today. Additionally, it has been widely used by the Ford Press team for various events including The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders test drive days which are attended by both journalists and industry figures. It was a key vehicle in Ford of Britain’s Press Launch for the New Ranger in 2019.

The Ford Ranger Raptor mixes the tough, go-anywhere ability of other models in the Ranger line up with the comfort demanded by drivers and passengers more used to cars than pick-ups whilst also offering the performance and driving pleasure that enthusiasts enjoy. 

The Raptor was developed by Ford Performance, a division of Ford famous for developing cars wearing the legendary RS badge, and is powered by a 2-litre Bi-Turbo Ford EcoBlue diesel developing a mighty 500 Nm of torque, which is distributed to the Ranger’s four-wheel drive system via a 10-speed automatic transmission, so it’s always in the right gear at the right time whether it’s being used in an urban environment or off-road. 

The load and towing capacity are less than the standard Ranger because of a chassis redesign that makes the Raptor more refined than its commercial cousins. Coil springs replace the leaf springs that are so common on the rear of pick-ups and it has cleverly designed Fox dampers with bypass valves that give a comfortable ride on a wide variety of terrain.

The vehicle modelled was the third Raptor that Ford UK retained for press and PR work and was the first to feature the striking Raptor Decal pack, a popular optional extra. It was featured in a detailed road test film presented by Rebecca Jackson for the CarGurus UK YouTube channel and many magazine and newspaper articles as well as Ford publicity material.

The third generation Focus, codenamed C346 while being developed, was announced in December 2010 and remained in production in Europe until 2018. Despite the car not being available as a 3-door, Ford continued a long tradition that had started with the Lotus-Cortina and offered a performance orientated version, the ST, which went on sale in the UK in the summer of 2012. 

It featured a 247bhp turbocharged 4-cylinder 2-litre EcoBoost engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, giving it impressive real-world performance and a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds. The ST was much praised by the motoring press as a driver’s car and is now considered a modern classic. 

The ST featured a torque vectoring system which reduced the torque steer often suffered by powerful front-wheel-drive cars and this, allied to sports suspension that reduced the ride-height by 10mm, gave the car tenacious grip and rewarding handling. The Electronic Stability Control had three options, allowing drivers to pick a level of assistance applicable to their skill and the conditions, while the brakes, which featured 320mm front discs, were powerful and reassuring enough to help exploit this. 

The ST was easily distinguished from less performance orientated Focus models by its honeycomb grille, 18-inch wheels, rear diffuser and centre-exit dual exhaust, while the interior featured Recaro sports seats, leather-trimmed ST steering wheel, red-stitched gear knob and Ford Power Starter Button.

The Mk1 Capri, advertised as ‘The Car You Always Promised Yourself’, was an enormous success for Ford with over 1.1 million produced. It was a fashionable halo car that generated showroom traffic and added motorsport glamour but was also profitable because it shared components with high-volume saloon cars. 

A Capri II development programme, known as Project Diana, was thus inevitable and when the new car emerged in February 1974, it retained the general coupé profile, the distinctive oval rear side window and the long-bonnet sports car feel, but was a less compromised machine. 

A hatchback tailgate replaced the boot lid and with folding rear seats, this intercontinental GT was as practical as it was stylish. The Capri modelled was purchased on May 24th ,1974, from Ford dealers Cowies of Sunderland by Mr B. Wake, who had it serviced meticulously and retained it until October 22nd, 1990, covering 53,000 miles.

He ordered the most expensive Ghia model, which featured black and silver alloy wheels, but saved £42 by deleting the power steering and £7.90 by not specifying wing mirrors. So he paid £3,109, including tax. 

In 2002, it was purchased by Essex-based Capri enthusiast Dave Eady who totally restored it in time to win best car at the Capri II Register’s National Day in 2007, an award it has won six times. Since late 2021, it’s been owned by long-standing Capri enthusiast, Shropshire-based Gordon Millington.

Ford’s 2015 sixth-generation Mustang was the first to be officially offered in the UK as a factory-built, right-hand-drive car and in 2021 the iconic Mach 1 was added to the range. Mach 1, the term used to indicate supersonic flight, first graced a production Mustang in 1969 when jet aviation references were very much part of the American lexicon. 

The original fastback-only Mach 1, which featured a ‘low-gloss’ black finish on a bonnet secured by competition-type pins, was an instant hit, helped by the publicity created when it captured 295 speed and endurance records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The 2021 Mach 1 echoes that high-performance heritage by featuring a sonorous DOHC 454bhp V8. 

As well as evocative graphics, the 2021 Mach 1 could be ordered with a 10-speed automatic gearbox or a Tremec 6-speed manual with rev-matching software, just one of a host of features aimed at making it more driver-focused and prepared for track use. 

They also included separate engine and transmission oil coolers, massive six-piston Brembo brakes and clever MagneRide® adjustable dampers calibrated to work in harmony with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars. 

The manual example modelled was one of the first UK-specification Mach 1s and joined Ford’s PR fleet in September 2021. It was road tested by various magazines including EVO, CAR, What Car and Auto Express as well as starring in the music video for singer James Arthur’s song, ‘Ride’.

The V8 Mustang GT modelled was purchased new in December 2019 by Nottinghamshire-based motoring TV presenter and journalist Paul Cowland, who has always loved American muscle cars. Despite growing up in a family that ran a car dealership and working in the motor trade himself for over thirty years, it’s the only car he has ever bought new as a retail customer. 

He ordered it from Sandicliffe Ford, on Nottingham’s ‘motor mile’, and it was available at a favourable price because it enabled the dealership to hit their bonus targets for the year. Had Paul waited to register it on a new 2020 number plate, it would have cost considerably more. Paul wanted an orange manual V8 with a rear wing and Recaro seats, so Sandicliffe located this car in the Ford dealership network, then fitted a strut brace, gearbox quick-shift and subframe alignment kit. 

He also wanted a passive suspension example so he could fit Bilstein B16 coilover units, which he did shortly after taking delivery. He has since added a Milltek performance exhaust and had the engine remapped by V8 tuning wizard Paul Spinks at Wortec, which added around 25bhp but, importantly on a road car, vastly improved the low-end torque making the DOHC unit feel more like a traditional OHV V8. Paul describes this Mustang as his ‘forever car’ as it is very much the fulfilment of a childhood dream.