On 8 March 1911, just three years after Ford’s ‘Universal Car’, the Model T, was unveiled in Britain, Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was incorporated to look after the most important market outside North America.
Ford’s start in Britain had humble beginnings. In 1903 two Ford Model A cars were shipped to England and a modest trade began. The Ford Model B took to London’s roads in 1905, forming part of the earliest fleet of motor taxi cabs. It was the world debut of the Model T at the 1908 Olympia Motor Exhibition that convinced Ford a British company was needed.
To celebrate the centenary of Ford of Britain in 2011, the company has been digging through its photo archive to reveal rarely seen images. Each week in 2011, Ford released a new picture that best illustrated its relationship with Britain and its society. Here are our Top 20 favorites.
Ford of Britain 100th Anniversary – Photo Gallery
Ford GT40s claim first, second and third place at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours race. After an unimpressive first attempt in 1964, the Ford GT40 Mk II emerged in 1966, claiming the first three places at the Daytona 24 Hours. At Le Mans, it set new speed and lap records, before taking the top three spots.Village bobby patrolling in a Ford Anglia 105ETaken in 1968 when the soon-to-be launched Ford Capri was still Project Colt, a programme for a European Mustang. In an age before sub-zero environmental laboratories, Ford specialists took to the wilds of Finland to ensure the car could operate in the harshest climate.Canadian confectionery company, Scott-Bathgate Limited, takes delivery of Dagenham-built Anglia models. In a market renowned for large powerful cars, the compact British Ford Anglia offered the perfect novelty value for the company's 'Nutty Club' brand and its sales force. Coincidentally, Scott-Bathgate Limited was formed in 1903, the same year Ford cars first arrived in the UK.At the 1968 British Saloon Car Championship at Thruxton the little Ford Anglia 105E goes up on two wheels as it takes a sharp left hander. The combination of size and speed made the Ford a formidable competitor in the world of motorsport.
Ford of Britain 100th Anniversary – Photo Gallery Page Two
Ford has enjoyed many successes in motorsport but one of its rarest creations came about thanks to a failure. In 1970, on the way back from an unsuccessful Monte Carlo Rally, Ford’s then competitions director Stuart Turner, and Ford rally driver, Roger Clark, discussed the need for a light and simple mid-engined car capable of taking various engines. The result was the GT70. Ford drivers, including Hannu Mikkola and Timo Makinen, contributed ideas for the interior and Len Bailey, one of the Ford GT40 design team, was tasked with designing a car "strong enough to win rallies and light enough to win races". Just six chassis were completed and the GT70 featured here has remained in Ford ownership since it was built. A combination of WRC rule changes and the versatility of the up-and-coming Ford Escort saw development of the GT70 curtailed. This rare GT70 last saw competitive action in the French tarmac championships in 1973 before going into storage. In 2002 it was fully restored, including fitting a 2.0-litre BDA engine and Hewland gearbox, and saw its first competitive action for nearly 30 years at the 2002 Goodwood Festival of Speed.1911 image of the factory floor at Ford's Trafford Park plant, in Manchester. Within months of Ford Motor Company (England) Limited being incorporated on 8 March 1911, Trafford Park was busy building Ford's 'Universal car'; the Model T. As seen, this is before the introduction, in 1914, of the moving assembly line for which Henry Ford was so revered and which allowed Ford cars to be produced efficiently and economically.Powered by a modified Ford Cargo truck engine, Miss Britain IV took to Coniston Water, in the Lake District, on 15 November 1982. Achieving a speed of 124.24mph (199.94kph) Miss Britain IV broke the previous world diesel water speed record of 119.05mph. Following the record breaking performance Miss Britain IV was retired and earlier this year was donated to the Classic Boat Museum, on the Isle of Wight.Designer for HRH Queen Elizabeth, Hardy Amies used a backdrop of Ford cars to launch his 1973 collection. the legendary Jim Clark, fresh from his victory at the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. The race proved something of a record breaker for the popular Scotsman. Leading the race for 190 of the 200 laps, Clark was the first non-American for 49 years and the first ever Briton to win the famous race. His Ford V8 powered Lotus 38 was the first rear-engined car to take chequered flag. And having won the Formula One championship earlier in the year Clark was the only driver to ever take both titles in the same year. Alongside Clark is Lotus supremo Colin Chapman aboard the Ford 999, a 1902 race car, used by Henry Ford to break speed records and generate publicity when motor racing was just a fledgling sport. At the back is the iconic GT40, an automobile legend that gave Ford its famous 1-2-3 Le Mans victory the following year.
Ford of Britain 100th Anniversary – Photo Gallery Page Three
On a typical British farm the farmer tends his cattle while the horses wonder whether the 1953 Ford Anglia's 36bhp is any match for them.British drivers Roger Clark and Jim Porter demonstrate their Ford Escort Mk1 Twin Cam's potential as a boat during the 1969 San Remo Rally in Italy. The pair went on to win the Circuit of Ireland Rally the following year.The Futura Concept Car was built in 1954 and designed to 'garner valuable engineering data and test public reaction to styling.' A decade after its debut the Futura became the inspiration for the Batmobile in the popular 1966 television series. Although radical in appearance the Futura featured many ideas seen as mainstream today such as power-steering, power brakes, dual exhausts etc.Back in 1985 stunt man Steve Matthews took his Ford Transit a bit further by leaping over 15 cars to raise money for charity. Rumour has it the only modifications were the removal of glass and an ample supply of gaffer tape to the bonnet. British-built Ford V8 Pilot participating in the Monte Carlo Rally. With the standard car weighing in at nearly one and a half tons (3,248lb/1,473kg), the Pilot was hardly the ideal race vehicle. But in an era before space-age alloys and super-strong plastics it was the weight of the Pilot that made it robust enough to take victories in 1950 at the Tulip and Lisbon rallies.
Ford of Britain 100th Anniversary – Photo Gallery Page Four
In the 1970s with wireless data transfer still a generation away, engineers had to rely on imagination and careful driving to record the data they needed. The use of 'tethering' permitted bulky recording equipment to follow in the vehicle behind without affecting the test vehicle.Designed as a Group B rally car, the Ford RS200 was turbocharged, mid-engined, light, 4-wheel driven, and fast on any surface. As regulations demanded, 200 examples were built in the UK with production starting in 1986. Its rallying career was cut short when the FIA reacted to a number of serious accidents by banning aerodynamic devices on Group B cars and then calling a halt to the entire class from 1987. As a result the RS200 was transformed from stark rally car to a more luxurious road car specification, albeit one that was still cramped, noisy, high-revving and physically demanding to drive.The Ford Model T proved the ultimate off-roader during this 1911 trek up Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak.The year is 1970, and to celebrate the one millionth Ford Cortina produced for export, this model took to the skies over Ford's Dagenham site. Just two hours later this rare two-door 1600E Ford Cortina Mkll was with its new owner in Ostend, Belgium.Formula One racing legend Graham Hill driving a replica of Henry Ford's first vehicle, the Quadricycle. The original Quadricyle was built by 32-year-old Henry Ford in 1896. Constructed of wood and metal it weighed only 500lbs, had a top speed of 20mph and no brakes. Circa 1963.
