And the number one Ford Car from TV and Film has been named as...........

• Mustang GT 390 from ‘Bullitt’ named Britain’s favourite film Ford
• Opportunity to see the famous car at FordFest, Santa Pod, Beds, on Sunday, September 18
• Sweeney’s Consul and Professionals’ Capri top UK’s favourite TV Fords
• Last chance to buy advance discount tickets

The Highland Green Mustang GT 390 from the movie Bullitt has been named the all-time star Ford of the silver screen, following a survey carried out by one of the country’s leading events for the Blue Oval, FordFest.

Ahead of the Ford scene season closer, which takes place at Santa Pod, Beds, this weekend, the organisers ran a public survey to find out which of the famous Fords of film and TV resonates most with the British public – and the star of the show will be a replica of the iconic Bullitt Mustang itself, alongside its Dodge Charger nemesis.

Dave Redhead’s Mustang is period correct in every detail, while Chris How’s black 440 R/T Dodge Charger is identical to the one that duelled with Steve McQueen as Frank Bullitt in the most famous car chase of all time.

Hot on its heels, true to form, were detectives Regan and Carter in the Roman Bronze Consul 3000 GT made famous by the Seventies cop drama, The Sweeney, while fellow 1970s law enforcers Bodie and Doyle, The Professionals, were in hot pursuit in the series’ famous silver Capri 3.0S.

Police officers from both sides of the Atlantic completed the top five, with DI Gene Hunt’s Mk 3 Cortina fromLife on Mars in fourth position, and US crime enforcement duo Starsky and Hutch in their distinctive red and white Gran Torino filling the next two positions. 

The top 10 film and TV Fords were:

1.       Mustang GT 390, Bullitt

2.       Consul 3000 GT, The Sweeney

3.       Capri 3.0S, The Professionals

4.       Cortina 2000 GXL, Life on Mars

5.       Gran Torino, Starsky and Hutch

6.       Shelby Mustang (Eleanor), Gone in 60 Seconds

7.       Escort XR3i Cabriolet, Dempsey and Makepeace

8.       Capri Mk 2, Minder

9.       GT40, Le Mans

10.     Anglia 105E, Harry Potter

As well as the Bullitt pairing, FordFest will pay tribute to some of the other cars that made the Fords on Film top 10, such as the Ford Mustang GT500 ‘Eleanor’ from Gone in 60 Seconds, the 3.0S Capri from The Professionals and the famous red and white Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch, along with a replica of the ‘Interceptor’ Ford Falcon from Mad Max, which came in just outside the top 10.

Based at the world famous drag strip in Podington, Beds, FordFest’s first year saw incredible attendance, with over 1,700 club cars on display, and 2016 looks set to be even bigger and even better.

From Anglias to Zodiacs, via Mondeos and Mustangs, Fords of all eras will be in display as both club and individual entries, while the drag strip itself will be active, with a Ford-themed ‘Run what Ya Brung’ event taking place, with recent and classic Fords going head-to-head in a new vs. old face-off.

As well as the ‘Run What Ya Brung’, the drag strip will also play host to Fireforce 3, Santa Pod’s very own Jet Car, capable of a sub-six second quarter mile and speeds in excess of 300mph.

A substantial retail village, full of new and used parts, clothing and souvenirs is also a major highlight, as is the party atmosphere of the event itself, with camping available from midday on Saturday September 17, plus a bar and live entertainment.

Other highlights include the massively entertaining Drift Trikes (at just £10 a go), a Show and Shine, entrance photography by Photography UK and stands from the leading Ford titles, Fast Ford and Classic Ford.

FordFest is part of a family of Ford events celebrating Europe’s love for the famous blue oval brand, including the International Ford Show, Classic Ford Show, The Ford Summer Festival and Ford Fair.

An historic line-up of 40 Ford Fiestas came together in convoy to mark it's 40th birthday at the Ford Summer Festival.

• Convoy of classic and modern Fiestas attend 40^th anniversary event
• Run from Dagenham to Brighton ends at new Ford event
• Stunning selection of cars on display

An historic line-up of 40 Ford Fiestas came together in convoy to mark the model’s 40^th birthday at the Ford Summer Festival.

Setting off from Dagenham, the Fiesta convoy was made up of classic and modern Fiestas, driven by owners’ club members, Ford employees and prominent motoring journalists.

The cavalcade included some very special Fiestas, including the all-new ST200, a super-rare Mk 1 Fiesta Van, A Fiesta Fly Crayford Convertible and the last Fiesta to leave the Ford site at Dagenham, which – in 14 years - had covered a mere 17 miles from new before going on the run.

The run was also joined by a car that joined Ford’s heritage fleet just a day before the event – a silver Fiesta Mk 4 that was donated to the company by its previous owner, having covered only 22,000 miles.

“We got it on the ramp, put some new brake pads on it, and away we went,” said Ivan Bartholomeusz, who looks after the company’s heritage fleet.

Others from Ford’s own collection included two immaculate Mk 1s, a 17,000-mile from new Fiesta Mk 2 and a pair of original, unrestored XR2s, one of which was driven to the venue by a prominent European Car of the Year Juror who remembered driving it when new.

The birthday run concluded at Brighton Racecourse with a cake-cutting ceremony, while a display of even more classic Fords meant there was plenty for guests to look at.

The People’s Choice award for car of the day went to Dave Lane for his Mk1 Cortina Estate, while the award for furthest travelled went to Avelino Pirin, who had driven 235 miles to get to the event.

Organised by the team behind Fast Ford, Classic Ford, Fast Car and Retro Cars magazines, the event also featured live music for a Rod Stewart tribute act, a casino and a Scalextric competition, along with guest appearances from TV host Ant Anstead (who presented the awards) and former racing driver Barrie Williams, who has a long-standing history with the Blue Oval brand.

Event manager, Katherine Chappell, said: “The festival was a great opportunity for Ford to celebrate the 40^thanniversary of one of its icons, and we were delighted to have such an incredible turnout of Fiestas on the day.”

And Anstead will be at the International Ford Show for a meet & greet & to talk about the escort Mexico they restored.

• For the Love of Cars host to appear at The International Ford Show on Sunday May 1
• Star to talk about the show’s Escort Mexico restoration and answer visitors’ questions
• Advance tickets now available, from just £10 a head

One of the stars of Channel 4’s hit series, ForThe Love of Cars, is to be the special guest at the first ever The International Ford Show, which takes place on the weekend of April 30-May 1.

Ant Anstead, who stars alongside Philip Glenister in the popular programme, will attend the event at Sandown Park, Surrey, on the Sunday. He will regale showgoers with stories about his vehicle restoration business, and talk about the iconic Mk 1 Ford Escort Mexico that he and his team restored in the first ever episode, as well as making himself available to meet and answer questions from show visitors.

The 36-year old, who runs his own design and restoration business and has recently bought himself a rare Escort Mk1 van, said: “I’m delighted to be attending The International Ford Show, as the very first car we featured on For the Love of Cars was an Escort Mexico Mk 1.

“There’s a huge amount of love around for classic Fords, and the popularity of the marque means it has touched almost everybody’s life at some point – every single one of us has a Ford memory, either owning one, riding in one, or having a friend or family member who owned one, so being part of an event that celebrates those cars and those memories is a real honour.”

The International Ford Show will bring together fans of the blue oval from all over the globe and will feature some of the finest Fords from the UK and beyond, be them standard, restored or modified. There will also be premium trade stands from a variety of Ford experts and specialists, live demonstrations throughout the day and a significant presence from two of the Ford scene’s most respected magazines – Classic Ford and Fast Ford.

Further highlights of the indoor event will be announced soon and will further strengthen its position as an unmissable season opener for Ford fans.

Advance tickets for the show are available now, priced at just £10 per person for single day access, or £30 for the weekend (up to two children below the age of 14 go free) including camping. Those wishing to make a weekend of it at shorter notice can also take advantage of on-site camping for an extra £10 per person on the gate, adding to the show’s festival feel. Advance tickets can be bought from the show’s official website at 

www.theinternationalfordshow.co.uk

Full details of the show, the cars and the various activities will be announced nearer the date, on the event website, or via the official Facebook page and twitter feeds.

This years Silverstone Classic will be bigger, better and more fuel filled than ever before. This is a must go to event.

• Biggest ever historic touring car extravaganza
• Bumper-to-bumper race action from Minis to Super Tourers
• Exciting new grid featuring Capris, Rovers and BMW M3s
• Big Bangers return to complete spectacular showcase 

Next summer’s Silverstone Classic is all set to break yet more records with its biggest ever line-up of spectacular touring car race action.

For the first time in history, the packed programme at the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival will feature no fewer than four separate touring car grids, providing fans with hitherto unseen levels of epic bumper-to-bumper entertainment. Adding to the appeal, all four grids will be included on the final day’s schedule under the evocative and exciting ‘Tin-Top Sunday’ banner.

Both U2TC and Super Touring races are already strong fans’ favourites at the Classic and continue to go from strength-to-strength. The former is for pre-1966 under two-litre cars and features Alfa Romeo GTAs, BMW TiSAs, Lotus Cortinas and hordes of giant-killing Mini Coopers. The latter is from a more recent era, putting the spotlight on the high-tech tourers from the nineties when, for many, saloon car racing reached its absolute zenith.

Adding some Yankee V8 thunder to the bill, the Big Engined Touring Cars also make a welcome comeback. The mighty American muscle cars from the sixties were last out in 2014 as part of the Ford Mustang’s memorable 50^th birthday celebrations.

While these three grids return by popular demand, the fourth is a never-before-seen new addition, ensuring the full spectrum of dazzling touring car history is included on the unprecedented Tin-Top Sunday racecard.

The Historic Touring Car Challenge (HTCC) was launched back in 2011 by Motor Racing Legends (MRL) and revives the heydays of the British and European Touring Car Championships from the seventies and early eighties. 

It was the golden Group 1, Group 2 and Group A era that spawned such racing icons as the TWR Jaguar XJS, Rover Vitesse, BMW CSL and Dolomite Sprint – not forgetting the evergreen Ford Capri which dominated the BTCC between 1976 and 1981. 

Such was the interest in the new series that entries were quickly extended to include further cars from the late sixties.

Now, as the HTCC prepares to make its eagerly anticipated Silverstone Classic debut in 2016, the regulations have been widened still further to include non-turbo cars right up to 1990. While not catering for the fearsome Sierra Cosworths which will remain among the Super Tourers, newcomers such as the BMW M3, Golf GTi and Astra GTE will be permitted to enter the fray.

“Featuring so many great cars from such a great era, the HTCC has already gained a huge fan base among both competitors and spectators,” said MRL Chairman, Duncan Wiltshire. “Its arrival on the coveted Silverstone Classic programme is yet more proof of its spiralling popularity, and the further widening of eligibility is certain to produce an incredible grid well worthy of this landmark occasion.”

The HTCC’s debut on Tin-Top Sunday at the Silverstone Classic will come in the guise of a 40-minute showdown on the full Grand Prix circuit with a compulsory pit-stop and optional driver change adding to the retro drama.

“Right from its very early days, touring car racing has always been a massive hit with the British public and that’s why we have created this very special Tin-Top Sunday,” explained Nick Wigley, CEO of Goose Live Events, the company responsible for the Silverstone Classic. “By adding the flourishing HTCC to our more familiar U2TC, Big Banger and Super Touring grids, Tin-Top Sunday will live up to its star billing as the biggest and best celebration of touring car history ever seen at the Classic. There really will be something for everyone.”

Fans wanting to experience Tin-Top Sunday can take advantage of Early Bird tickets now on sale for the 2016 Classic, offering significant savings of up to 17 per cent. There is also the all-new Family Ticket available for 2016 – this includes camping for two adults and two children across the whole weekend and gives a discount of more than 20 per cent on advance tickets if bought individually.

Full details of all tickets (which must be purchased in advance) – as well as hospitality packages and weekend festival camping – can be found on the event website at: www.silverstoneclassic.com. 

Anglia Car Auctions set a new auction house record in its June Classic Car Sale.

Anglia Car Auctions set a new auction house record in its June Classic Car Sale with the sale of a 1962 Maserati 3500 GT for £117,600 including premium, more than three times its highest estimate.

With 263 classic vehicles on offer, the matching numbers exhumed Maserati was just one of 72 per cent of lots sold with an overall sales total of £1,955,860 as the hammer dropped for the final time on Saturday 13^thJune.

Proprietor Lyn George said: “It was a great auction with a diverse catalogue and we’d like to thank all the vendors and bidders who came and supported the sale. We still have some outstanding provisional bids, which we feel confident will take the final figure to over £2,000,000.”

Other estimate busters included a genuine 59,000 miles 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth barn find, with an estimate of £15-20,000, which saw the hammer down at £47,250 including premium.

ACA’s success with Mercedes ‘Pagoda’ sales continued with a two-owner 1967 250 selling at the higher end of its estimate at £81,900 including premium, while a 1957 190SL rested at the lower end, selling at £61,950 plus premium.

The limited edition BMW E30 M3 Europameister sold at £38,850, with all but one of the dozen BMWs on offer also finding new homes.

With its biggest-ever Capri offering, the Kings Lynn auction house saw the last off the line 280 Brooklands sell for £14,910 including premium.