Monday 23rd February 2004

Ford Lends Cars to Museum

Old stuff and RS200s among cars loaned to Gaydon

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The historic vehicle display at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire has been boosted with the addition of 16 vehicles on loan from the Essex-based Ford of Britain heritage collection.

The vehicles, ranging from a 1912 Manchester-built Model T through to a 1985 Ford RS 200, are already on display and enhance what is the world's largest collection of British cars.

Roger Putnam, chairman of Ford of Britain, handed over the vehicles to Julie Tew, managing director of the Heritage Motor Centre. He said: "Ford has a very proud history in Britain going back 100 years and the vehicles now on public display at Gaydon, represent some of the finest products produced by the company for British motorists ."

Milestone Ford cars now at the museum include the last Cortina ever made, the last Capri and an example of Britain's first – and only – £100 new car, the Ford Model Y from the 1930s.

Motorsport is also represented in the display by the Ford Escort, which took Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm to victory in the 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally and a replica of the Ford Zephyr 6, which won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1953. The Zephyr was driven to victory by the Dutchman Maurice Gatsonides, who went on years later to invent the 'Gatso' speed camera.

The selection of Ford cars will be on display in the main museum, which is open to the public daily (except 24-26 December) from 10a.m. until 5p.m. Museum admission charges are: £8 adults, £7 concessions, £6 children (5-16 years) under fives Free. Further information is available on www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or telephone general enquiries on 01926 641188.

The full list of Ford heritage collection vehicles on loan to the Heritage Motor Centre:

• 1912 Model T Torpedo/Runabout (second oldest surviving Manchester-built Model T)
• 1926 Detroit built Model T Tudor (2dr) saloon
• 1928 Model AF, Manchester built
• 1937 Model Y, built in Dagenham
• 1950 Consul Mk 1, built Dagenham
• 1953 Zephyr 6 Mk 1, built Dagenham
• 1961 Ford Thames 7 cwt van, Dagenham
• 1962 Consul Mk II convertible, Dagenham
• 1965 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk 1, Dagenham and Cheshunt
• 1966 Anglia 105E deluxe saloon, Halewood
• 1970 Escort London-Mexico world cup rally winning car, Boreham, Essex
• 1974 Escort Mexico, Built AVO Aveley, Essex
• 1977 Fiesta L, built Valencia, Spain
• 1982 Cortina Crusader, Dagenham
• 1985 RS200, Tamworth, Staffordshire
• 1986 Capri 280 Brooklands, Cologne, Germany.

[thepeoplespal]

Isn't the RS200 just a beautiful looking car, almost 20 years after our first look at it. Might be worth taking my brother next time he is over, the collection is certainly more entertaining now you can see the odd Aston Martin from just over the road.

I've only ever seen one RS200 on the road, near Sheffield. It was getting a bit of a pasting on a beautiful summers evening, while the roads were completely deserted for an England World Cup football match. Guess he was on the road for the same reason I was :-)

[Snakes]

Visited their website and what a disappointment! It did very little to encourage the viewer to visit - no list of cars, few pictures - a real wasted opportunity IMHO!

Snakes