Shed Envy - Classic Ford

Ford Heritage
dream garage
Long-wheelbase Mk2 was discovered in a French scrapyard,
and was restored as part of Ford’s centenary celebrations.
Ivan and Colin are old-school Ford through and through.
Cortina fights for space with a Ford GT and 4x4 Capri!
Late Mk1 Mexico is ready to go. Unsurprisingly,
it’s one of the most-used cars in the workshop.
models, Boats
and skullcaps
Believe it or not, the Heritage collection
doesn’t just cover vehicles. Alongside the
101 blue ovals on John’s inventory, is a Ford
motorboat, styling models, a Merlin
engine (they were assembled at
Dagenham during the Second World War),
a cheque from Henry Ford from when he
brought all the shares in the company back
into private ownership, and even a skullcap
belonging to the Pope that was given to
one of the Ford doctors!
“Ford’s extensive film archive also
comes under Heritage,” explains John. “It’s
kept down at the National Motor Museum,
and contains some wonderful footage that
needs to be seen, so we’ve been uploading
films to our YouTube page.”
You can find it at www.youtube.com/
fordheritage, and you can also check out
what the Heritage workshop is up to by
following their Twitter feed at www.twitter.
com/fordheritage.
Early to middle years Z-cars are covered, but the
workshop would also like a Mk4 on the fleet.
3-litre Granada Estate — the coolest
car in the workshop, we reckon!
administrator for the collection, “not even
America.” The collection is vast — the
workshop recently celebrated its 100th vehicle,
the Focus RS — and the total now stands at 101
and rising, and is best described as eclectic.
Whereas a museum may concentrate on the RS
models, there’s a bit of everything here from a
Mk1 Fiesta to a pre-facelift Mk2 Granada, and
even Supervan 3!
Origin Of The Species
The roots of the Heritage collection go back to
the 1960s, but it was the determined efforts of
the late Ron Staughton that sowed the seeds of
what you now see before you. Ron pulled
together important Ford-owned cars scattered
around the various factories and dealerships, and
brought them together in their rightful home at
Dagenham, slowly expanding the collection
with cars donated by owners and the acquisition
of ex-apprentice training vehicles.
Then things stepped up a gear in 2003 when
Ford celebrated its 100th anniversary. With
numerous special events and displays planned,
the number of requests to borrow the vehicles
went up massively from just 20 to 300 that year,
and currently the workshop fulfils around 200
requests for vehicle loans a year.
The workshop is currently manned by three
dedicated staff — John Nevill, Ivan
Bartholmeusz and Colin Gray — and all are
longtime Ford employees. John joined in 1988,
starting on the production line before becoming
a tour guide around the plant. When car
production stopped in 2002 and the tours
began to be phased out, John moved over to the
Public Affairs department, joining the Heritage
workshop just as the centenary celebrations
were being planned. These days he’s in charge of
the fleet, and works with the press office making
sure the vehicles are available for photo shoots,
dealerships, shows, events and even filming.
Both Ivan and Colin came over from the
prototype department in Dunton, and with 28
years and 36 years respectively, worked on the
Base-model Mk1 Fiesta is one of two that the workshop has
on its fleet. The collection covers all Fords from all ages.
Parts are sourced through contacts and autojumbles.
Silver Mk1 Fiesta’s interior trim is so late ’70s, it hurts!
“things stepped up a gear
in 2003 when Ford celebrated
its 100th anniversary”
48 May 2010 May 2010 49