The FordSport Club
Discussion
Key Aspects of FordSport in the 1970s
Promotional Body: Ford UK used the "FordSport" name to organize events and engage the car community, rather than as a formal membership club in the way independent clubs operate today.
"FordSport Days": These were major events, often held at racetracks like Brands Hatch and Mallory Park, featuring a variety of racing, including Formula One driver appearances, novelty races (e.g., F1 drivers in Fordson tractors), and races for Ford Escorts and Capris.
Merchandise: As part of the initiative, Ford offered branded merchandise, such as grille badges and rally jackets, which were popular among enthusiasts.
Magazines: The initiative produced "FordSport club magazines" that covered events and Ford's motorsport activities.
Focus on Performance Models: The initiative centered around Ford's performance cars of the era, including the Mk1 Escort Mexico, RS1600, RS2000, and the Capri RS3100.
Promotional Body: Ford UK used the "FordSport" name to organize events and engage the car community, rather than as a formal membership club in the way independent clubs operate today.
"FordSport Days": These were major events, often held at racetracks like Brands Hatch and Mallory Park, featuring a variety of racing, including Formula One driver appearances, novelty races (e.g., F1 drivers in Fordson tractors), and races for Ford Escorts and Capris.
Merchandise: As part of the initiative, Ford offered branded merchandise, such as grille badges and rally jackets, which were popular among enthusiasts.
Magazines: The initiative produced "FordSport club magazines" that covered events and Ford's motorsport activities.
Focus on Performance Models: The initiative centered around Ford's performance cars of the era, including the Mk1 Escort Mexico, RS1600, RS2000, and the Capri RS3100.
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
coppice said:
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Great post. It’s a large part of the reason old Fords are so popular today. Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
coppice said:
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Thanks for reply coppice great postForeign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
gt40steve said:
Another time the celebrity race used Capri GT's.
yes steve iirc brands hatch 1970 was capris other years was the mk3 cortina gt,s and even consul gt,s and i remember the sixteen black 300e capris at brands hatch iirc the 1968 and 1969 ford sport races wer mallory parkcoppice said:
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Some great memories there Coppice Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
At about the same age as you I was a BARC member and used to marshal at Croft quite often. The old man was car mad too - Ford through and through - and used to take me over in his Mk 1 Lotus Cortina. It was a special factory order in red (‘Sunset’ I think) with gold stripes à la Alan Mann Racing/John Whitmore ETCC.The FordSport events were very well attended at Croft (I remember sitting in awe in a GT40 in the paddock and the guy fired it up for me. Just about wet myself
) Naturally I had all the FordSport stuff - rally jacket, blue binder for the magazines with the distinctive S logo, and FS keyring, decals etc. Happy days eh!Escort3500 said:
coppice said:
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Some great memories there Coppice Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
At about the same age as you I was a BARC member and used to marshal at Croft quite often. The old man was car mad too - Ford through and through - and used to take me over in his Mk 1 Lotus Cortina. It was a special factory order in red ( Sunset I think) with gold stripes à la Alan Mann Racing/John Whitmore ETCC.The FordSport events were very well attended at Croft (I remember sitting in awe in a GT40 in the paddock and the guy fired it up for me. Just about wet myself
) Naturally I had all the FordSport stuff - rally jacket, blue binder for the magazines with the distinctive S logo, and FS keyring, decals etc. Happy days eh!spack said:
Escort3500 said:
coppice said:
Ford had a huge motorsport presence in the 70s. I joined BARC as a teenage marshal in 1970 and in the West Yorkshire area attended lots of shows and events organised by Ford. As well as Fordsport days at Croft , there were rally shows and forums at the Leeds dealer , Tate, and to hear talks by the likes of Stuart Turner and Marku Alen was a big thing .Most older folk I knew in BARC had Fords - from Cortina GTs via Mexicos to Caprl 3 litres , even a Cortina Savage.
Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
Some great memories there Coppice Foreign marques like Alfa and BMW were way too pricey , and apart from Mini Coopers , other British marques were mainly as outdated old tut- hardly anybody drove an MG . Ford had a blue collar , racey , cheeky and almost ducking and diving image , and were dominant on track and stage. Escorts won all the rallies and often beat the Camaros etc on track,FF1600 was just huge (and wonderful , as it still is ) and the DFV won nearly every Grand Prix . HIgh profile ? Not 'alf...
At about the same age as you I was a BARC member and used to marshal at Croft quite often. The old man was car mad too - Ford through and through - and used to take me over in his Mk 1 Lotus Cortina. It was a special factory order in red ( Sunset I think) with gold stripes à la Alan Mann Racing/John Whitmore ETCC.The FordSport events were very well attended at Croft (I remember sitting in awe in a GT40 in the paddock and the guy fired it up for me. Just about wet myself
) Naturally I had all the FordSport stuff - rally jacket, blue binder for the magazines with the distinctive S logo, and FS keyring, decals etc. Happy days eh!
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