Blue Oval fans rejoice, it’s Ford Fair season! Here are all the main 2023 Ford Fair highlights direct from Silverstone!
Whether its the classic Mustangs, retro Sierras, or modern Focus hyper hatches that take your fancy, Ford Fair has got something for everyone. But, if you weren’t able to come along to Silverstone today to witness it for yourself, we’ll share some of the main sights and stand-outs with you right here, in this article.
Let’s get straight into it shall we? Here are some of the main 2023 Ford Fair highlights!
Magazine Stands
We’ll start off with our own stand because, well… we can. Our sister brand Fast Ford brought along some of the nation’s top modified Fords for fans to drool over. Outside, we had everything from a V8 Sierra to a Focus with scissor doors (how about that for a noughties throw-back), while inside the Fast Ford pit garages, show attendees could enjoy more high-end cars and even get stuck into SEGA Rally at the Fast Car Games zone. Live viewings of Fast Car’s latest YouTube videos were also on display. On the other side of the circuit, Classic Ford Magazine brought with it plenty of older vehicles, all of which had aged like fine wine.
Ford Fair Select: Sponsored by Auto Finesse
Ford Fair Select is a chance for detailers to proudly display their pride and joy as part of a show & shine competition. As well as a Ford Fair trophy, the three lucky winners also got a goodie bag full of detailing products from our friends at Auto Finesse.
Runner-Up #1: Sophie Irvine-Dunnett & her Ford Fiesta Zetec
Our first runner-up was Sophie Irvine-Dunnett, who had driven her modified Fiesta Zetec to Silverstone all the way from John o’Groats. In case you’re wondering, that’s a 13-hour trip! As you can imagine, the car had picked up lots of road dirt on its way down, so fair play to Sophie for getting it to look as good as it did on display!
Runner-Up #2: John Maxwell & his Ford Fiesta ST2
Our judges were wowed by the truly immaculate engine bay under the hood of John Maxwell’s Fiesta ST2, not to mention the high quality of the rest of his work around the car. A well-deserved runner-up.
Winner: Jackie Manson’s & his Ford Escort
There could only be one winner though, and in this instance it was Jackie Manson and his Mk2 Escort that came out on top. From top to bottom, this Mk2 was utterly beautiful. What’s more, both the car and driver are originally from South Africa! If you wish you could have a car like this, we’ve got good news. Jackie’s next project is on the horizon, meaning that this very car is now up for sale.
Auto Finesse Academy
As well as sponsoring Ford Fair Select, Auto Finnesse set up shop in Silverstone’s scrutineering bay, in which it housed a number of high-quality builds. As well as the cool cars on display, event attendees could also get their hands on Auto Finesse’s latest products.
Club Awards
Every year, Ford Fair is populated with the UK’s top enthusiast clubs. It quite simply wouldn’t be the same without you! So, to show some love back, our team of judges hand out a selection of awards to the best of the bunch. Here are this year’s lucky lot:
Best Club Stand: Mk4 ST Owner’s Club
The Best Club Stand award does what it says on the tin. Of all the clubs that attended, our panel decided that the Mk4 ST Owner’s Club stood out above them all. When you look at how many people we had to try and fit in t
his photo, you can imagine the sheer number of cars these heroes brought along with them. A thoroughly well-deserved reward!
Best Classic Club Stand: West London Classic Ford
For the third year on the trot, the folks at West London Classic Ford stole the show in the retro space. Their combination of stock classics and modified track monsters drew the attention of many, and these weren’t just mere show queens either – several of the group’s members took to the track during live public sessions to prove what their modified creations were capable of.
Best Regional Club Stand: West Yorkshire Ford Culture
The regional award goes to the best club stand defined by where its members are from. And if it’s modern variety that you’re after, then West Yorkshire Ford Culture is the place to be. This group of Northern enthusiasts open their doors to any type of Ford fan with any model of car… so long as it’s a Ford, obviously.
Club Hero: Zara Firth
While it’s good to acknowledge groups as a whole, we also think it’s important to celebrate individuals who go above and beyond. That’s where the Club Hero Award comes in. This year’s winner is Zara Firth of Mk3 ST/RS Owner’s UK. We’ll hand over to her friends at the club to explain why she’s this year’s winner:
“After being diagnosed with cancer last year, Zara has continued to run the meets and the social pages for our club, in addition to organising shows throughout the year for us all.
She never stops trying to improve our club and pours her heart and soul into making it one of the best clubs to be part of. She is passionate, strong, caring, and we genuinely think the car scene need more like her. We want to thank her for all her dedication and hard work, she is an inspiration.”
Can’t say it better than that.
Carly Live Demonstration
Care about your car’s health? Carly diagnostics will help you to keep on top of maintenance and assess any problems that your car may have. The German engineers were here in person to demonstrate the capabilities of their diagnostic tool in a live show, using our Mondeo Project Car as a willing test subject. Oh, and speaking of which, you can win our Teng-wrapped track car by entering a raffle! All proceeds from which will go to the charity, Children with Cancer UK, so you’ll be helping a good cause in the process. The winner of the the Mondeo will be announced on September 10 at the German Car Festival.
Anyway, we’ll stop jabbering on now and instead show you a load of cool cars. That’s what you’re here for, yeah? Well, check out the gallery below!
