In an all-time high 1,500 Fords and 2,949 visitors visited the biggest Simply Ford yet at Beaulieu, which included an additional 150 cars and 491 visitors to 2016’s figures.
Fords of every age and range placed on a display extending throughout the Beaulieu destination grounds and event fields on Sunday 30th April.
The rain held off as 48 clubs and owners’ groups parked up at their pre-booked club stands, providing members the opportunity to talk with friends and fellow enthusiasts before taking a look at the other vehicles on display. An emphasize was the South of England area department of the Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain, which brought a convoy of 40 Mustangs varying from 1960s examples right up to the current models.
A really various line-up that scored highly for fond memories was the Dorset All Ford Types club stand, which included family Fords from the 1970s to the 2000s consisting of the Orion, Sierra, Feast Mk3 and KA.
The diverse line-up consisted of a 1933 Ford Model Y, modern-day Focuses, Mondeos and Fiestas. Performance models like the Focus RS and Mondeo ST were well-represented, in addition to old-school custom-made cars consisting of a V8-powered Zephyr Mk2 and a 100E Popular fitted with an effective motorcycle engine.
There were lots of Escort Mk1s to be seen in the model’s 50th anniversary year, from a mint condition 1300E estate in its actual bronze palette to highly modified saloons. Show regulars Ford Heritage showed Hannu Mikkola’s 1970 World Cup rally-winning Escort RS1600 and the Escort RS1800 that Björn Waldegard drove to triumph on the 1977 RAC Rally.
Phil Johnson presents winner James Howell with trophy
Throughout the day, visitors cast their votes for their favourite Ford of the show with individuals’s Option Award. Winning an Autoglym car cleaning pack and an unique Beaulieu trophy for the most popular car was James Howell from Eastbourne, with his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 390. Fresh from a seven-year remediation, James’s left-hand-drive Mustang was originally sold brand-new in the United States and still maintains most of its original parts. “It’s a powerful automobile with its big block engine however the three-speed automated transmission suggests that it takes a while to get moving!” confessed James. “It’s a car developed for travelling, really. I love it since it’s simply amazing.”
Receiving many appreciating looks was the Ford GT40 replica owned by runner-up Michael Hayes from Romford, Essex. Completed in Gulf blue-green and orange racing colours, Michael’s GT40 is a sensational recreation of the original 1969 Le Mans-winning automobiles. “It was an unfinished task when I bought it and I’m still dealing with the vehicle now to obtain it just right,” he stated.
Other runners-up include Kevin Murphy, with his 1990 Ford Fiesta RS Turbo, and Mark Hudd, with his Ford Escort Mk1 van. Kevin stated: “I’ve done a fair bit of work on it, consisting of a lot of engine work and fitting an uprated turbo.” Mark, whose impressive van is fitted with a 500bhp Cosworth engine and four-wheel-drive, stated: “It’s quick and handles really well, making it a great overall package.”
Simply Ford is among 8 Simply rallies at Beaulieu, consisting of Simply Porsche, Simply VW, Just Land Rover, Simply Jaguar, Simply Japanese and Simply Smart. The next rally will be Simply Porsche on June 4th. Each occasion commemorates a specific marque or motoring theme, giving enthusiasts and attraction visitors the opportunity to see a few of their favourite machines close up.
