This collection of three Ford Capri die-cast models celebrates the three incarnations of this iconic vehicle family held by the Ford Heritage Centre in Daventry. The three cars run the breadth of vehicle specification, including a rare 4x4 Capri MkI, a well-loved single-owner Capri Mk2, and the iconic Capri Mk3 280 Brooklands - the last Capri ever built. This stylish Ford Heritage Capri Collection makes a wonderful gift for Capri enthusiasts.

These die-cast models are a limited edition of 1,200.

Henry Ford II, the eldest grandson of the founder, became President of Ford Motor Company in 1945 and CEO two years later. He retired as Chairman in 1980 and passed away in 1987. Affectionately known throughout the Ford empire as HFII or Hank the Deuce, he is widely credited with reviving the company’s post war fortunes. Henry Ford II was born in 1917, the eldest son of Edsel Ford and Eleanor Clay Ford. 

The family business was very much a part of his childhood and as a young man he learned the practical side of automotive development and production. When the United States entered World War II, he resigned from the company to join the Naval Reserve. His father Edsel’s health was poor, however, and when he passed away in May 1943, aged just 49, Henry II returned to the company to aid the war effort as Ford’s factories were among the USA’s biggest producers of military vehicles. 

Under HFII’s watch, Ford Motor Company became the second largest producer of motor vehicles in the world, and in 1956 was transformed from a family business into a successful, publicly owned corporation. He presided over an era that was spectacularly successful for the company during which it produced many profitable products such as the F-Series pickup, Mustang and Cortina. 

The advertising campaign, Ford Total Performance, gave rise to the Cosworth DFV engine which dominated F1 in the same way that Escorts went on to rule rallying. After being rebuffed in his attempts to buy Ferrari, he initiated the GT40 programme which gave Ford four successive Le Mans victories from 1966 to 1969. HFII enjoyed visiting the UK and in 1978 Ford’s global PR chief and fellow board member, Walter Hayes, who was a close friend and confidant, made a promise to provide him with something special to drive while he was in Britain. 

This resulted in the RS2000 modelled here, the first of four cars built specially for the man whose name was above the door. Although he retained a flat in London’s Eaton Square, Belgravia, these cars were based at Turville Grange, his 18th century mansion in Berkshire. 

While in service, each car was fastidiously maintained by Ford’s renowned UK Press Garage in Brentford, Middlesex.

The CORGI Vanguards Ford GT Collection is a 1:43 scale, die-cast, four-car set celebrating the golden age of Ford’s GT-badged classics.

Almost every car manufacturer has applied the immortal GT label, for Grand Touring, to one of their products at some point. The letters indicate that it’s more stylish, more powerful, or in some cases, built to be homologated for motor racing.

Ford used the GT badge with great aplomb in the 1960s and 1970s, starting with the 1500cc Mk1 Cortina GT in April 1963. They cemented its importance in their ‘total performance’ era with the legendary Ferrari-baiting sports car, the GT40. This collection celebrates that spirit.

This group of GT-badged Fords brings to life a memorable period in the blue oval’s history, showcasing four superb GTs in their original evocative period colours. The die-cast Vanguards models included are:

• Ford Escort Mk1 1300GT – Aquatic Jade
• Ford Capri Mk1 2000GT XLR – Amber Gold
• Ford Cortina Mk3 2000GT – Vista Orange
• Ford Consul 3000GT – Sapphire Metallic

We’ve only made 1,000 of these limited-edition Ford GT Collections. Secure your classic Ford collectible set today!

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.

The P6 modelled left the production line at Solihull on 6th January 1977, making it one of the last 20 3500S’s built. It featured black leather upholstery, an expensive option at the time. 

It was despatched the following day to BL dealers Rossleigh Limited, Edinburgh, Scotland but was road registered by nearby BL dealers Appleyard’s on 24th March 1977; the gap of over two months perhaps suggests that the leather was fitted to use up some of the factory’s optional parts stock, rather than for a specific customer’s order. The first owners, Ben Line Steamers Ltd, purchased it two days after it was registered and covered 36,850 miles in 20 months.

K Dunn Quality Cars sold it on 9th November 1978 to Mr David Smith-Davidson and it was still in good condition when he advertised it for sale in July 1993, showing 72,000 miles. It was purchased by its current owner, West Lothian-based George Beattie, a Rover P6 Owners Club Regional Organiser who’d always wanted a 3500S. 

George has maintained the car well and, in 2012, fitted two new rear wings and one new front wing, then had the rust in all the door’s lower areas repaired before it was resprayed. George, a retired train driver, has helped out in Bob and Gill Baird’s model shop, Harburn Hobbies, Edinburgh, since 1975, so is looking forward to displaying the model of his car.

The majority of 4.2-litre Series 1 Jaguar XJ6s produced were fitted with an automatic gearbox, but the example modelled utilizes the rarer manual overdrive (MOD) gearbox and came off Jaguar's assembly line at Browns Lane, Coventry, on May 17th, 1972. The first listed owner was Jaguar's Personal Export Division. 

They registered the car in Coventry purely so it could be officially exported to the largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, where the British gentleman who had ordered it, Mr I. E. Lloyd, was then based. Mr Lloyd specified Sundym glass to make the car more comfortable in the warm climate and regularly drove it back to the UK for servicing. 

Mr Lloyd evidently enjoyed the car as he covered 50,000 miles in it and kept it until the late 1980s, by which time he'd moved to the Isle of Man. It was imported into the UK in 2016 and then purchased by well-known Jaguar collector, Mike Birtwistle, who was impressed by its rust-free condition and original red interior. 

Mike mechanically recommissioned it, had the sun-bleached paint resprayed and used it for several Jaguar Enthusiast Club events before selling it to a fellow JEC member, West Midlands-based motoring TV producer and journalist, John Lakey, in September 2017. John was delighted as he'd been looking for a 4.2-litre MOD Series 1 in these colours for years and regularly writes about the car in Classic Car Weekly.

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.

MG enthusiasts will adore this die-cast Monogram Caledonian version. A fantastic 1:43 replica of a much-loved car, this design is as unusual as the real thing, making it a wonderful piece for your collector's shelf.

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 900.

History

The manual MG ZT modelled came off the assembly line at Longbridge at 08.13 on January 6th, 2005, only three months before the historic car plant, which was originally the home of Austin, closed when MG Rover collapsed. Monogram was MG Rover’s personalisation programme, so few, if any, of the Monogram cars were identical. They went down a parallel production line and were hand-sprayed in the customer’s chosen colour, which partly explains why this Scottish heather-inspired hue added £1,000 to the car’s price.

Research carried out by enthusiasts has shown that only 16 Monogram Caledonian cars were made, and that this example is the second of only two ZT saloons. It was ordered by a dealer to be a showroom attraction and, as well as the + options pack, which included climate control, electric rear windows and a 6-CD multichanger, the dealer specified most of the extra available options to be fitted on the car including black leather seats, a sunroof and Harman Kardon audio equipment. 

The current owner, West Midlands-based ZT enthusiast Dan Hooper, is a founding member of the MG Rover Events group and has owned many MG Z cars. He purchased this example in November 2022, when it had covered 168,000 miles, and used it daily for almost two years, covering a further 16,000 miles. He then took it off the road to do the restoration work it is currently undergoing.

The Escort GT modelled was initially purchased from Mayne’s Garage, Redruth, Cornwall, on August 1st, 1973, by a retired army major who actually bought a pair of 1300GTs that day, this blue example for himself and a red one, which is believed to have had a sequential number plate, for his wife. He had both Ziebart rust-protected then painted inside the bumpers and hubcaps himself to prevent corrosion. 

He covered 72,000 miles before taking this car off the road and, eventually, both Escorts were purchased by a local 15-year-old enthusiast for £25 each. In 2013, he sold the blue example to Berkshire-based Ford enthusiast Gary Cook, who stored it under a cover for several years. In January 2018 Gary’s close friends, Ford enthusiasts Maria and Kevin McDermid, purchased it for Maria’s 50th birthday.

It looked solid but, after stripping and blasting the bodyshell, they realised nearly every panel was perforated. Because Kevin already owns a modified Escort, they decided to restore this rare survivor to its original specification. Ford specialists, Bishop’s Bespoke Builds, rebuilt the bodyshell and it was painted in the original Marine Blue by Tony Littlejohn of Porsche specialists GTR Motorsports. The pair then reassembled it, refurbishing components, and scouring the world for rare trim parts. It was finished in August 2021 and featured in Classic Ford magazine in June 2022. 

Maria loves driving it to retro Ford events, where it is often the only unmodified car.

The Vanguards 1:43 scale Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth modelled replicates the last UK-spec right-hand drive example to leave the production line, and the only one painted in Mallard Green – facts confirmed in the car’s extensive history file by a letter from the Operations Manager at Ford Genk, Belgium.

It was delivered new on 2nd March 1993 to a Mr Gambling, who kept it until the 3rd August 1993, when he sold it to Ford dealers Fordthorne, Cardiff. They retained the car until 2009, servicing it regularly, before selling it to renowned enthusiast and collector, Mark Bailey, owner of the ‘BonkeRS Collection’ of fast Fords that was featured on the PistonHeads website in 2011.

Mark Bailey offered the car for sale in the auction at the 2015 NEC Classic Car show. It was purchased by another well-known fast Ford collector, Gideon Mayers, to be part of his ‘Cheshire Collection’.

He exhibited it in the Pride of Ownership section of the 2021 NEC Classic Car Show, where it was much admired because of its condition and unique history. He reluctantly offered it for sale as part of the Iconic Auctioneers sale at the 2023 NEC Classic Car Show. It had still covered fewer than 22,000 miles and was in perfect, unmodified condition.

It was purchased by the current owner, a collector and enthusiast who prefers to remain anonymous.

We’ve only made 1,200 of these limited-edition Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth die-cast models. Secure yours today!

The TR7 modelled was built on February 13th, 1981, at Rover’s Solihull plant, the third factory in which the Harris Mann-designed wedge was manufactured. Earlier cars were first produced at Speke, near Liverpool, then at Triumph’s historic home in Canley, Coventry. 

It’s always been well looked after, and is a rare original survivor rather than a restored example, although a small amount of rust in the near-side door was dealt with in 2018. 

The car’s first owner purchased it directly from BL Cars at Longbridge and registered it on November 16th, 1981, nine months after it was produced. He kept it until early July 1984, by which time it had completed only 16,217 miles.

The second, third and fourth owners used it sparingly too. When it was photographed in a studio by well-known automotive photographer, Tom Wood, for a TR7 buyers guide in the May 2014 issue of Classic Cars Magazine, it had still only covered 64,000 miles. The current owner, Yorkshire-based Rover and Triumph enthusiast Guy Gilfillan, purchased it in May 2023 and is its fifth custodian. 

The previous owner, Herefordshire-based enthusiast Dick Tudhope, in his own words, ‘cosseted’ the car after being gifted it in 2010 by a good friend who had lost their storage facility. While in his care, it was exhibited on the TR Register’s stand at the 2018 NEC Classic Car Show and won numerous trophies at TR Register events.

The Capri modelled was initially purchased by West Midlands-based Henry Adams on 22nd March 1983, from Brooklyn Ford, Redditch, Worcestershire. He’d initially placed an order for a black Capri 2.8 Injection but returned to Brooklyns to discuss the cost and instead bought this unregistered car off the showroom floor from salesman David Stringer. 

It cost £6,000 and Henry had it transported to Protectol, Wolverhampton, to be rust-proofed. He was working at West Bromwich A.A. Vehicle Inspection Centre at the time, and they checked the cavities had been filled using an endoscope. This resulted in it being transported back to Protectol twice more for further treatment until he was certain the entire car was protected.

Henry kept it covered in a garage, checked the weather forecast to avoid using it when raining, and serviced it himself, changing the oil every 1000 miles. He sold it in April 1990 to his long-standing friend, enthusiast Barry Dunn, who used it sparingly. After Barry passed away, his sister Liz gave lifelong Capri enthusiast and Barry’s friend, West Midlands-based Daniel Ball, first refusal and he took ownership in September 2021.

He recommissioned it and won the Capri Club International’s (CCI) 2023 UK National Rally. Consequently, it was nominated for the prestigious Meguiar's Concours at the NEC Classic Car Show. Amazingly, Henry Adams spotted the Capri, which has still done less than 12,000 miles, at a CCI event and the pair have become friends.

Rover launched the Land Rover at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. They displayed three examples: one indoors on the stand, and two outside demonstrating the new machine’s remarkable abilities. All three were pre-production prototypes; different in detail specification to what emerged when production commenced.

The vehicle modelled was one of the demonstrators, although it was then left-hand drive. After the show, it was allocated to Jack Swain’s Engine Department, converted to right-hand drive and used to test engine updates. It was retained by Rover, driven on trade plates, until 1955 when it was sold to a local buyer, Mr Smith, and given the Solihull number plate SNX 910.

Thereafter, L07 had numerous owners in the Midlands and lived in Alvechurch Worcestershire for 20 years from 1968. By 2016, it was back in Solihull, sunk up to its axles in mud, awaiting a restoration. The owner offered L07 and another Series 1 to a Land Rover specialist. A friend of his spotted some of the unique prototype features in the pictures he showed him, and it was acquired by Jaguar Land Rover Classic in 2017. They were amazed by how original the vehicle was, and displayed it at Mell Square, Solihull, as part of Land Rover’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

It was then mechanically restored by JLR Classic, who left the bodywork in its patinated state as it tells the vehicle’s incredible story.

We’ve only made 1,000 of these limited edition die-cast Land Rover Series I 80” 1:43 scale models. Secure your Vanguards model today!

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

The Golf modelled was ordered from VW main agents Jack Barclay European, York Road, Battersea, London, in the rare special-order colour of Inari Silver, and was first registered in June 1981. The current owner, Essex-based Gareth Allcock, received it as a 40th Birthday gift from his mother, Pat Allcock, in 2011. Gareth had always wanted a Mk1 Golf GTI but didn’t initially realise how rare Inari Silver is. 

He’d bought it from a private owner in Haverhill, knowing it was in a poor state, and immediately set about refurbishing it, carrying out numerous jobs but keeping it to factory specification. Unfortunately, four years later his circumstances changed, and he was forced to sell it. It was purchased by Wales-based Wayne Thomas who had the car modified by VW specialists, Crazy Quiff’s Mk1 Golf Parts Emporium, who are based in Oxfordshire. 

They kept the standard look but stripped and repainted the engine bay, carried out various body repairs and then fitted a 2-litre 16V engine from a Mk3 Golf GTI as well as larger brakes, coil-over suspension, polybushes and numerous other modifications to cope with the increase in power. In 2019 Wayne decided to sell the car and advertised it. 

Gareth spotted the advert, immediately recognised it as the car he’d regretted selling, and was pleased to be able to buy this very special car back, albeit for a larger sum of money than he’d sold it for!

The Fiesta was launched in mainland Europe in September 1976, shortly after Ford’s new purpose-built factory near Valencia, Spain, had started producing the company’s first front-wheel drive car. UK buyers had to wait until January 1977 before they could order it in right-hand drive, by which time production had commenced at Ford’s Dagenham plant in Essex. 

The Fiesta modelled was built at Dagenham in June 1977, after being ordered from Ford dealer Perrys, Finchley, and was registered in August. Ghias were often in metallic colours, but this customer specified a yellow exterior with a black interior and Ghia alloys and spotlights, both optional extras. He also had it Ziebart rust-protected.

The car was exported to Malta immediately, then returned and sold to a new owner by the same branch of Perrys in November 1979. He kept it until April 2023, covering just over 40,000 miles, but ceased to use the car just after it had been serviced in 2008. It was exhumed from its garage by a dealer in early April 2023 and shortly afterwards was bought by Dorset-based Ford collector and enthusiast Bruce Di Mario, who’d seen it advertised. 

Bruce was amazed by its originality and perfect interior; it even still featured its original lockable under-luggage compartment storage. He had fitted a new front wing to repair its only corrosion and had it resprayed so the exterior was as good as the interior.

Another iconic Ford Escort for your Vanguards collection, but this Mk2 1300 Sport model is in a stunning shade of Jupiter Red. Based on a car that is currently undergoing restoration, our die-cast model shows how it will look when complete. If your collection is missing this type of car, you need to add this 1:43 scale version now.

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 1,200.

History

The 1300 Sport modelled here was built at Ford’s plant at Halewood, Merseyside, before being registered on 12th October 1977 by Skelly Ford, Liverpool. They used it as a demonstration car, as it was finished in the attractive but unusual colour combination of Jupiter Red with silver 1300 Sport graphics over black and grey Cadiz fabric interior trim. 

It was purchased shortly after by local man Keith Echlin for his wife Mary, who called it ‘Betsy’ and enjoyed driving it. When she offered it for sale in a local newspaper in June 1989, it was still in good condition, having covered only 42,000 miles, and was purchased by local 18-year-old Ford enthusiast Charlie Powell. 

Charlie used the car for almost a year before his Mum damaged the front wing slightly in a supermarket car park, and it ended up in his parents’ garage awaiting work for a new MOT. That never quite happened, however, as other Ford projects and general life took over. 

On 8th September 2022, Charlie and his son Joe, who was then 15 and has inherited his dad’s passion for Fords, exhumed it to assess its condition. The pair then displayed it, unrestored, in the Barn Finds exhibition at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show at the Birmingham NEC in March 2024. 

The father and son team have now started restoring this rare survivor to its original condition and specification.

The Cosworth BDA-powered RS1800 was a homologation special, produced so Escort Mk2s could enter international motorsport. It’s rare because Ford homologated it as an evolution of the similarly powered Mk1-based RS1600. Consequently, only 109 were built, all to order – 106 in white. All were converted to RS1800 specification in a small two-ramp workshop on Ford’s Aveley development site, Essex.

The first 20 were based on Halewood-built Sport bodyshells and are easily recognisable by their blue stripes, although at least three also had body-coloured rear spoilers. Later RS1800s were based on Saarlouis-built Mexicos. Ford retained the first two for PR work, but the car modelled is believed to be the first RS1800 sold to a customer.

It was registered in Northampton in July 1975, then exported to Malta in 1978 and allocated a new UK registration on return. The current owner, Perthshire-based Gary Wilson, acquired it in 2009 and traced its history with the help of then RSOC RS1800 Registrar, the late Dave Robinson. Dave proved it was the 'missing' first RS1800, which enabled it to be returned to its original registration.

Gary spent ten years on a very detailed, complete restoration with expert Neil Arnold at Auto Restoration, Stockton-on-Tees. The finished article debuted at the RSOC’s Knockhill event in September 2021 and is considered the most perfect RS1800 extant.

It has since won many trophies, including Concours Car of the Show at the RSOC National Day, 28th August 2022.

We’ve only made 1,400 of these limited-edition die-cast Ford Escort Mk2 1:43 scale models. Secure your Vanguards model today!

The GTE 16V modelled was originally registered as a ‘Vauxhall Fleet Management’ car with Vauxhall Motors Ltd, Kimpton Road, Luton, Bedfordshire on 29th November 1990. It was finished in Rembrandt Silver, one of the more unusual colours offered. 

Like all 16V GTE’s, it featured GM’s futuristic Liquid Crystal Display dashboard so drivers could see the revs rapidly rising on the car’s magnificent 2-litre DOHC 16-valve ‘red top’ engine, a characterful rev-hungry unit that gave the GTE its appealingly raucous demeanour. 

It went on to owners based in Kent, Dorset, County Durham, and Bedfordshire, before being purchased by Bedfordshire-based enthusiast, Lee Proctor, a former Vauxhall employee and subsequent car bodyshop proprietor, in late March 2013.

The car had covered 125,000 miles and was complete, but in poor condition. It was bought by Lee as a restoration project, and he soon embarked on a three-year nut-and-bolt structural and mechanical rebuild to concours standard, in which he used as many new old stock original parts as possible. 

He did most of the work himself, bringing the car back to original specification except for the fitting of an ‘Astra Champion’ leather interior, which he had retrimmed. Lee enjoyed driving and showing the finished car, but in November 2020 he sold it to fellow enthusiast and Mk2 Astra Owners Club member, Derbyshire-based Clive Emery. 

He has added some original equipment finishing touches and enjoys using it to attend classic car events.

This Vanguards 1:43 Ford Capri die-cast model represents one built in September 1973, making it one of the last three-litre GXLs produced at Dagenham before production of the Mk1 ceased. The Mk2 Capri was launched in February 1974 but entered production sometime before then so that dealers had stock on launch day.

This car was not registered until February 1974, so was probably displayed in a showroom for some time to attract footfall, something for which its top specification and eye-catching colour made it eminently suitable. In August 1999, it was purchased by its fourth owner, lifelong Capri enthusiast, Ray Cross. He was based in Essex, like the three previous owners.

Ray bought the car partially restored and finished it in April 2000. He enjoyed taking it to classic car events and won Best Ford at a rally in Chigwell in 2002.

Unfortunately, coming out of Brands Hatch in summer 2004, another car drove into the nearside rear. Instead of just repairing the damaged area, Ray stripped the whole Capri for a bare-metal respray that was completed in 2006. Sadly, his circumstances changed, and it remained unfinished until he reluctantly sold it in May 2023 because he was about to lose access to its garage.

It was purchased by TV presenter and proprietor of The Smallest Cog, Richard Hammond, who modified it before taking it on a grand African adventure.

Secure your Richard Hammond The Smallest Cog Ford Capri model today.

The Capri modelled was registered in Northwest London on August 1st, 1971, the first day of the K registration suffix. It was ordered by a lady who specified the unusual colour scheme of Glacier Blue with Marquis upholstery, which Ford only offered for one year. 

She also ordered the GT and XLR option packs, the second of which included the matt black bonnet, spot lamps and Rostyle wheels. The lady obviously loved the car and its characterful 1599cc Kent Crossflow, a power unit shared with contemporary Escort Mexicos, as she kept it until 1993. After the first owner sold it, the car was resprayed Ford Pacific blue, then traded into London-based Curry Motors, in 1998.

The current and fourth owner, Berkshire-based Capri enthusiast Nick Campbell, spotted it advertised in High Wycombe as a restoration project in 2004. He paid £400 for it that day because his first Capri had been in this specification. Family commitments delayed the restoration until 2009, but by then he’d acquired the parts and the space needed. 

He stripped the bodyshell and was pleased to find it needed comparatively little metalwork. Over the next six years, he totally restored the car to its original colour and specification, making some subtle improvements to the brakes and suspension as he was rebuilding it, and had it painted to a high standard. 

It was returned to the road in 2016 and featured in Retro Ford magazine in 2017.

It's been some time since we last treated you to a BMW E30 die-cast model, so this replica is long overdue. This bold Brilliant Red 1:43 scale design will make quite an impact on your collector's shelf, with its impeccable detail - check out those wheels!

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 900.

History

The manual E30 modelled was supplied by Williams BMW, Manchester, on the 17th April 1991 with an Anthracite fabric interior plus an optional electric sliding sunroof. It was meticulously maintained by its first three owners and retains its original handbook pack, instruction manuals and radio guide. 

The fourth owner, London-based Philip James, purchased it from Altwood BMW, Maidenhead in May 1997, when it had covered 38,600 miles, and kept it for 27 years. He loved the styling and driving experience but reluctantly parted with it after the ULEZ regulations made regular use impractical. He thus offered it for sale via Cheshire-based classic car specialists Manor Park Classics in April 2024. 

It was purchased by the current owner, Northern Ireland-based Stephen Devine, a well-known BMW collector and enthusiast who was impressed by its extensive history file showing 32 service and seven brake fluid stamps. At this point, it had covered 210,000 miles but still presented and drove very well because of the care and attention lavished on it by long-term owner Philip James. 

Soon after buying the car, Stephen decided its condition and rarity justified a meticulous restoration back to showroom condition, which he has now commenced. The E30’s sonorous straight-six engine, involving handling and exquisite understated style, makes it popular with enthusiasts, and a well-restored example in this striking factory colour combination is bound to wow the crowds at classic car shows.

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.

The XR3i modelled was ordered from Ford Main Dealer Perrys, High Road, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, on 24th April 1986 by the first owner, Malcolm Powell. He purchased it as a company car and was thus able to request nearly every option available. 

These included an ECU2 Radio Cassette which cost £118.72, a Tilt/Sliding Sunroof at £261.65, alloy wheels at £178.87, a Fuel Computer at £90.71 and electric front windows, which were a bargain at £163.05. The total cost, including a discount of £709.88, was £7692.65. Mr Powell had it serviced meticulously and took personal ownership a year later. He retained it until January 2013, by which time it had covered 28,561 miles.

He advertised it for sale on the XR Owners Club Forum, and it was purchased by Greater Manchester-based member Dave McKee, who researched its history and discovered it was the oldest surviving Halewood-built Mk4 XR3i. Dave improved the car, cleaning up the underside and fixing an oil leak before selling it to a Coventry-based collector in 2016. 

He got the opportunity to buy it back in late 2020 and couldn’t resist doing so, but the current owner, Cambridgeshire-based fast Ford collector and enthusiast Mike Pollard then persuaded Dave to sell it to him in November 2021. It’s still only covered 32,134 miles and has never been painted, so Mike keeps this rare and extremely original survivor in a heated garage to preserve its condition.

The XR3i modelled was supplied by Evans Halshaw, Chester, Cheshire in May 1986 and spent its early life in that area. By 2004 it was sitting, unused, on a driveway in Chester, because the owner had passed away. Enthusiast Derrick Oare worked in a building adjacent to where it was parked and approached the owner’s widow to buy it as his son, David, was then restoring an RS1600i. 

When, almost two years later, she was ready to part with the car, she offered it to David for free as long as he restored it. David then started the restoration process on the drive and was amazed that it jump-started easily on six-year-old petrol.

Although covered in moss, and damp inside, David realised it was fundamentally sound and he returned it to the road after carrying out some welding, paintwork and other recommissioning work. He kept it for three years but, by 2022, it was with a new owner who spent £5,000 on further restoration work. 

The current and ninth owner, South Gloucestershire-based XR Owners Club member Andre Britton, had initially looked for a red example like the one he’d enjoyed as a company car in 1989. The excellent overall condition of this black 67,000-mile example impressed him, however, and he purchased it from classic car auctioneers Manor Park, Cheshire, in September 2023. He drove it home without any problems and continues to enjoy driving it.

The highly requested Ford Fiesta Mk2 is back, in the popular shade of Rosso Red. This 1:43 scale model is a replica of a top-spec vehicle, newly tooled to shine on your collectors' shelf.

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 2,016.

History

The Ford Fiesta Mk2 was the second generation of the Ford Fiesta supermini built by Ford Europe. Originally introduced in 1983, it offered a mild facelift of the original car, with some re-engineering to accept an expanded range of engines. The XR2 was the top-spec version of the vehicle, with this particular model representing an example held in the Ford Heritage Centre collection.

Was your first car a Ford Fiesta Mk2? If so, this Maritime Blue die-cast version is sure to bring back some happy memories. This 1:43 replica model car is a must-have for Ford fans.

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 2,016.

History

The Ford Fiesta Mk2 was the second generation of the Ford Fiesta supermini built by Ford Europe. Originally introduced in 1983, it offered a mild facelift of the original car, with some re-engineering to accept an expanded range of engines. The 1.1 Poplar Plus was one of the base-spec versions of the car available, with this particular model representing an example held in the Ford Heritage Centre collection.

The Fiesta modelled was supplied new by Ford main dealers Gilbert Rice Ltd, Sussex, and first registered on 31st January 1986. Its first four owners looked after it very well and used it sparingly. In the summer of 2016, it was offered for sale by well-known classic car dealers KGF Classic Cars, having covered 40,679 miles. 

The mileage was confirmed by an accompanying history file containing a brochure, invoices and previous MOT certificates, as well as the original service wallet and handbook. Remarkably, the car’s grey ‘Fife’ trim was perfect, and it also still boasted its original dealership-stamped number plates, which is unusual as these often get damaged in low-speed parking incidents.

It was purchased on 26th July 2016 by lifelong Mk2 Fiesta enthusiast Christian ‘Bisty’ Dann, a restaurateur from Cornwall who has grown up in a family that are passionate about classic cars. He christened her ‘Geraldine’ and created a popular TikTok account called ‘geraldinethefiesta’, which features films about Geraldine’s adventures in Cornwall and Bisty’s other classic, an American-built 1974 GMC van he uses to offer grilled cheese delicacies to the people of Falmouth. 

In 2020, Geraldine needed some welding to pass her MOT and Bisty decided to have new sills fitted on both sides by local specialist Perranwell Garage, who also carried out some major engine work and various other jobs in order to make her as good as new in every respect.

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 Escort Cosworth Mk1 ‘large turbo’ example modelled was ordered new from Wylie's Ford of 370 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, and first registered on May 11th, 1994, on a private number plate. It has worn private number plates ever since. The second owner, who was based in Gretna Green, acquired it in November 1996, and records show that when he had it serviced on May 21st, 1997, it had still only covered 12,448 miles. 

The current owner, Staffordshire-based BT electronics engineer Darren Frederick Parker, a long-standing fast Ford enthusiast, acquired the car in March 1998 after a thorough search for his dream car and immediately added the numberplate it still wears: DFP 454.

Darren was able to purchase the car because his mother, Lillian Parker, had a small lottery win in November 1997 and divided some of her windfall between her four children. Sadly, she passed away in 2001, making the car even more special. Darren had it resprayed after buying it and commissioned Castle Performance Engineering to remap it to 340bhp in February 1999. 

He’s looked after it fastidiously as its numerous concours trophies, including the RS Ford category winner’s trophy from the 2011 European Ford event in Holland, prove. He also loves driving it, however, and it has now covered 109,000 miles, attending events in Europe and the UK, many of which are organised by the RS Owners Club of which Darren is an enthusiastic member.

This 1995 small turbo Cosworth 1:43 scale Vanguards model represents a Lux, meaning it was built with a passenger airbag, an electric sunroof, and a stereo with a separate CD player below. A leather interior was a very commonly specified option on Escort Cosworths, especially Lux models, but this car has a ‘Red Hexagon’ velour interior, which is now rare and sought after by enthusiasts.

The current owner, Cheshire-based AIan Bull, is a Senior Quality Engineer at Ford’s Halewood Transmissions Plant and has worked there since starting an apprenticeship in August 1990. Alan is the car’s fourth owner and bought it from dealers, Junction 28, in September 2014, after a long search for the right example.

Alan, an RSOC member for over 30 years, wanted an unmodified example and was attracted to this car, which had then covered a documented 33,000 miles, because of its originality.

The third owner, South Wales-based Ciro Ciano, had kept it for 16 years, looked after it well, and only reluctantly sold it to allow him to buy his dream car. Alan and his sons, Thomas and Michael, who both work at the same Ford plant, have rebuilt the suspension using original parts and carried out various other jobs to keep the car mechanically perfect. They have resisted the temptation to modify it or turn it into a concours car and instead they enjoy using it as it is, covering over 6,000 enjoyable miles.

We’ve only made 1,200 of these limited-edition die-cast Ford Escort RS Cosworth models. Secure your classic fast-Ford model car today!

The small turbo Escort Cosworth Lux this 1:43 Vanguards model represents, was produced at the Karmann factory, Germany, in early 1996. Only 200 were made in this fetching shade; the first 189 of which were produced in 1995, so this is one of the last 11 made after the Christmas break.

It was ordered as a dealer demonstrator by Dagenham Motors Limited, Wintersells Road, West Byfleet, Surrey, who specified a black leather interior and registered it for the road on 20th February 1996. They serviced it on 14th January 1997, just before selling it, at which point it had covered 505 miles, so they were obviously very selective about who they allowed to test drive it.

The car was serviced again in September 1997 after 9,000 miles, then sold to a new owner in August 1998. In 2010 the car was bought by its fourth owner, who kept it for 12 years and lightly modified it.

The current owner, Buckinghamshire-based enthusiast and RSOC member Grant Newell, bought the car from Hendy Performance in June 2022 when it had still only covered 43,000 miles. He had the underside dry ice-blasted, and the engine rebuilt and modified to produce 360bhp by Cambridgeshire-based Cosworth expert Harvey Gibbs. He also installed 6-pot AP Racing brakes with 362mm front discs.

This much-admired, still low-mileage car won Best Classic on the Oval Owners Facebook Group Stand at the 2023 RSOC National Day.

We’ve only made 1,200 of these limited-edition die-cast Ford Escort RS Cosworth models. Secure your classic fast-Ford die-cast model today!

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 RS2000 modelled was first registered on May 10th, 1979, in Leicestershire. It was exported to the Isle of Man on April 16th, 1981, and spent 33 years there, although for some of that period it had a hard life as it was modified for road rallying. In November 2014 it was sold to an enthusiast in Ireland who had a collection of fast Fords. He placed it in a classic car auction in Herefordshire in May 2021, and the current owner, Herefordshire-based TV presenter Richard Hammond, won the bidding. 

Richard’s intention was that it would become a show car for his then fledgeling classic car restoration business, The Smallest Cog. Unsurprisingly given its years as a rally car, Neil Greenhouse and the ‘Cog’ team found it to be in much worse shape than anticipated, especially at the front end, which required a huge amount of Neil’s famously excellent fabrication work. During this process Richard made the curious decision to fit a new tan interior instead of the black the build-plate showed it had been produced with. 

The finished car was shown at Hampton Court Concours to general acclaim, although the tan interior was considered unwise. When Corgi got in touch, Richard decided the car needed to match the model’s factory specifications. With the help of Ford expert Mark Pinnigar, it has now been restored to its original build specification, including the black interior!

The RS2000 modelled is one of the oldest surviving UK-market examples and was manufactured in Saarlouis, Germany, in December 1975. The first owner was Mike Collins, then RAF personnel, based at RAF Dishforth, Thirsk, North Yorkshire. He purchased it from the Ford RS dealership, Polar Service Garage, Barnsley on 12th January 1976, then registered it the following day. 

It had ten further owners before the current custodian, well known North Wales-based Ford enthusiast Aled Hopwood, purchased it on 7th June 1996. He wasn’t initially aware of its rarity but was captivated by it and has amassed a comprehensive history file containing all the previous MOTs and tax discs, plus a list of previous owners.

The car had covered 73,000 miles and was in excellent condition, and Aled enjoyed using it on several European tours, as well as the North Wales Snowdonia Tours and Lakes Tours. It was featured extensively in the book ‘Factory-Original Sporting Mk2 Escorts’, by Dan Williamson, with many detailed photographs of the car by Simon Clay being included in the RS2000 chapter. It has also appeared in Classic Ford Magazine. 

In the summer of 2021, Aled embarked on a nut-and-bolt restoration to as-new condition. He returned the underside to its original dove grey paint before having it fully resprayed, although all the original panels and Beta Cloth interior were retained. 

Aled proudly showed the finished car at the 2021 NEC Classic Motor Show.

The Cortina modelled was ordered new by Mrs Patricia Loretta Simkins from her local Ford main dealer, Sandicliffe Ford, Nottingham Road, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, in early 1980 and registered on April 30th, 1980. Having enjoyed her husband George's Mk3 Cortina company car, she decided to purchase a new Cortina to replace her Hillman Hunter after inheriting some funds.She went to the dealer intending to order a 1.6L but during the visit, her three teenage sons, Mark, Nigel and Chris, persuaded her to order a 2-litre Ghia S because it would be more comfortable for family holidays. 

Being an early Mk5 it didn't feature the three stripes along the lower bodysides that later Ghias displayed. Patricia had her new car Ziebart rust-proofed to protect it and, although she used it regularly, it was always kept in a dry garage and did relatively few miles. She replaced it with a new car in 2001 but kept the Cortina in the same garage. 

Unfortunately, it got damaged in the garage when the new car was driven into it, leading to it being repaired by Sandicliffe Ford. Patricia passed away in 2006, but the Cortina remains in the same garage, living with her youngest son Chris. The brothers now consider it to be a family heirloom and use it to attend classic car shows and other events. It has covered just under 29,000 miles and remains in very good original condition.

Ford announced the Cortina Carousel special edition in June 1981 and offered it in three two-tone metallic colour schemes. Priced at a very competitive £4,780 for the 1.6 (it was also available as a 1.3), it featured sports wheels, twin door mirrors and a wood trimmed instrument panel from the GL. In total Ford boasted there were 18 standard ‘extra features’, and more options were available such as a sunroof, tinted glass, or an electric aerial. 

Ford produced 6,000 Carousels in their first production run at Dagenham and considerably less in a second batch built from May to July in 1982. Amazingly, just 60 remain, 22 of which are licensed for the road. The Carousel modelled has been owned since August 2014 by Greater London-based Ford enthusiast Alexis Koublis, organizer of the Passion Ford North London meetings at the Ace Café and other venues. 

Having always loved the two-tone green Carousel colour scheme, he bought his first one in 1996 but had to sell it less than a year later due to a change in circumstances. Having always regretted that, when YPF 741Y pulled into a Passion Ford meeting at the Halfway House pub, Brentwood, he’d agreed to buy it within two-minutes of owner Steve Ward putting ‘For Sale’ in the window! 

At that time it had covered 81,000 miles, and was in good original condition, but in 2023 Alexis embarked on a full restoration to concours condition.

The first car of CORGI researcher, Mark Pinnigar, has finally made it into die-cast! This 1:43 Ford Cortina model car is a perfect replica of the original, in its unusual shade of Terracotta Red. Did you ever have one?

This die-cast model is a limited edition of 1,400.

History

Dennis Nelson from New Eltham, London, purchased the four-speed manual Mk5 Ford Cortina modelled from new in 1980. He ordered it in Terracotta with a Peat Crushed Velour fabric interior. He retained the car until December 1988, then sold it for £650 to his 17-year-old nephew, Mark Pinnigar, who lived in the same area as his uncle and bought it within days of passing his driving test. 

At that point, it had covered less than 50,000 miles and was in good condition save for some corrosion in the doors. Mark learnt to look after the car under the guidance of his late father, Jeff, a toolmaker who worked at Lucas. Their first job was to fit a new clutch, as they knew it was slipping when they purchased the car. 

Over the next few years, the father and son team rebuilt the Ford VV carburettor, then fitted a new head gasket, cambelt and water pump before repairing the bottoms of the doors which had, ironically, rusted because the aftermarket rust proofing treatment Uncle Den had paid for had blocked all the designed-in drain holes. 

Mark has had a love of Fords from childhood and in later life has become a recognised authority on the marque, working with Hornby as a product designer and even appearing on TV with Richard Hammond, helping to decide the detail specification of the Smallest Cog’s restored Escort Mk2 RS2000.

This Ford Cortina 2.3-litre V6 Ghia Auto 1:43 scale Vanguards model represents a car purchased new by Langcrest Construction, London, SW6, in May 1982. 

It remained registered as a company car until May 1990 when ownership was transferred to the private individual who had looked after it, Thadious Winston Bubb.He kept it until early 2006, a clear sign of his fondness for the car. The ninth and current keeper, Berkshire-based Stewart Liming, acquired the car from an owner on the Orkney Islands, Scotland, in March 2024. 

He bought it unseen because it was so far away, instead closely studying service history documents, videos and photographs provided by the seller.Stewart employed a transport company to bring the car south and was relieved when the driver greeted him by saying he’d not seen a Cortina as good for many years. 

All the owners have kept a detailed service history, showing that the recorded 36,000 miles is genuine, and its overall condition shows how well it has always been looked after.The car had been dry-stored prior to his purchase so Stewart has thoroughly recommissioned it and fitted original Ford specification S Pack Suspension to improve its handling, without ruining its period charm. 

He is a Cortina Mk4 and Mk5 enthusiast, having owned eight as a young man in the late 80s and early 90s, so is enjoying reliving his youth in this rare survivor.

We’ve only made 1,400 of these limited-edition Ford Cortina Mk5 die-cast models. Secure your classic car collectible today!

Ford offered the Mk5 Cortina in several trim levels, of which GL was one, and the S Pack (for Sports) was a specification option that could be added to the customer’s desired trim level, L, GL or Ghia. That means that surviving GLS or Ghia S models are rare because fewer were sold and, unlike the Mk4 Cortina, there was no separate S model. 

The S Pack could only be ordered on cars with engines of 2-litres or above and featured driving lamps, overriders, a tachometer, a sports gear knob, and wider 185/70 HR x 13 tyres, plus revised stiffer suspension with gas filled front dampers. Alloy road wheels were a standalone option.

The GLS modelled was owned for many years by a police officer in Wales but ended up offered for sale while being stored in the open in Peterborough. It intrigued Hertfordshire-based garage owner Dave Lamb, whose first car had been a Cortina, because it was complete and unmolested, albeit rusty. 

There were also signs it had been cared for, such as five premium brand tyres, an unblemished interior and what looked like a genuine 90,000 recorded miles. Dave viewed it three times before his nostalgic impulse kicked in and he bought it in December 2023. 

He got it running, and his suspicions were proved correct because the engine was sweet, and it drove well. He has now started restoring it to its original specification.

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 Sport was the top model in the 2021 Transit Custom range and featured a sport styling kit consisting of a front lower bumper skirt with a unique fog light bezel, a rear bumper skirt, body-coloured side skirts, front and rear wheel arch extensions and Transit-branded side stripes that rise along the centre crease line of the vehicle, adding a dynamic look. 

It also featured 17” alloy wheels with a machined bright black finish, black centre line stripes with silver accents and a roof rack that shows this vehicle is designed for work. The van modelled was, unusually, ordered with sliding side doors on both sides, making a walk-through space if needed.

The original Transit was launched in 1965 and was the first project on which Ford of Britain and Ford Europe, based in Germany, really collaborated, having hitherto been run as separate divisions under the same umbrella. 

It was an enormous success and paved the way for Ford’s European integration, which started with the sharing of major components such as engines and gearboxes and culminated in the range being identical all over Europe by the mid-1980s. 

The word 'Transit' has since become an eponym for this kind of van worldwide, and the range has become ever more diverse. The midsize Transit Custom range has been a popular addition to the Transit family and has become the market leader in the UK one-tonne van market.

Richard Hammond's Ford Transit Custom Leader in Shadow Black is now immortalised in 1:43 die-cast form, perfectly replicating the vehicle that the car enthusiast loves so much. It comes in stylish Ford Transit-branded packaging, making it ideal for Ford collectors.

History

Herefordshire-based classic car restoration workshop, The Smallest Cog, was founded by TV presenter Richard Hammond in January 2021. The Transit modelled arrived at the workshop in February 2022 and has remained in constant use. 

Richard was excited to have what he considers to be ‘his’ van. The first new vehicle he ever had charge of was a high-top Renault Traffic belonging to the antique pine furniture business he worked for as a young man - he has loved vans ever since. 

He made a short film for the DriveTribe website about this Transit, praising its performance and comfort whilst also describing it as a time machine that reminded him of his youth. 

The van was put to work immediately, used for everything from collecting parts or equipment to popping out to get lunch. It’s also employed as a tender and occasional tow vehicle for The Smallest Cog’s racing team, carrying the parts, tools and tea-making equipment that are an essential part of classic car racing. 

The racing team began as a PR exercise for the workshop, allowing them to showcase their technical abilities by building an MGB GT, which is now partially sponsored by CORGI, to race in the Classic Sports Car Club’s Swinging 60’s Racing Series. 

It was initially driven by Anthony Greenhouse, but more recently, Richard has also raced the car because he couldn’t resist the lure of the racetrack.

The Ford Ranger Raptor X Special Edition was created for the Malaysian market by Sime Darby Motors (SDM) in 2020. SDM is one of the Asia-Pacific region’s leading automotive groups and is involved in all facets of the automotive business, from importation and assembly, to distribution, retail, and rental. They are Ford’s sole Malaysian distributor and created the SE Raptor to be sold via their network of Ford main dealerships. 

It featured unique Raptor X lightning bolt decals on the rear and sides of the ‘True Red’ exterior and a matching logo on the unique interior carpet mats. It cost RM6,000 (approximately £1,000) more than the standard Ranger Raptor on which it was based. The most impressive piece of additional equipment was a system offering 360-degree surround coverage of the vehicle, from grille, tailgate and door-mirror mounted cameras, which allowed quad high-definition (HD) recording, wide-angle viewing and night view. 

This provided real-time full coverage of the vehicle's surrounding area, be it in an urban setting or difficult off-road terrain where it is especially useful because it allows drivers to make more informed choices about which line to choose when traversing water, climbing steep slopes, or negotiating rock-strewn desert. 

Kenwood front and rear screen cameras were also fitted and featured built-in polarising filters for use in bright sun, a night vision recording facility and a connection to a dedicated mobile phone app compatible with both Apple iOS and Android.