1. The phrase ‘you can have any colour you like as long as it’s black’ is closely associated with how the Model T Ford was first sold, but it’s a myth. In fact, in the first six years the cars were made (1908-1914) you couldn’t even get one in black. The motors were available in grey, green or red.
2. Ford has won more WRC events than anyone else. In May 2010, Latvala’s victory in New Zealand saw Ford take the record from Lancia. Now Ford has 76 world event wins under their belt. Incidentally, the Focus accounts for 44 of them!
3. The Cosworth DFV Formula One engine is one of the most iconic motors of all time, but why does it wear the Ford badge as it generally wasn’t fitted to Fords? Well, in 1966 Lotus asked Ford to supply him with an engine, but Ford enlisted Cosworth to design and build the DFV for them.
4. Henry Ford commissioned the legendary GT40s to be built purely to beat Ferrari at Le Mans after Enzo Ferrari refused to sell Ford the road car side in the early ’60s. In 1966, Ford achieved that goal when the GT40s came first, second and third at that year’s Le Mans.
5. There are no fewer than 25 RS-badged Fords that have been produced since the very first in 1970, making the RS brand one of the most recognisable names in performance motoring.
6. Ford has turned out enough vehicles to circle the world 10 times over.
7. Sir Malcolm Campbell, legendary serial land and water speed record breaker, was once a director at Ford.
8. Way back in 1911, the Model T Ford was fitted with an adjustable ignition timing and variable carburettor so it could run on dual fuels. It would run 50RON petrol of the time, or the 100RON alcohol fuel!
9. The inventor of the Gatso speed camera, Maurice Gatsonides, won the 1953 Monte Carlo rally in a Ford Zephyr built at the British Dagenham plant. The car even featured a trick brake light which fooled other drivers into braking too late!
10. The huge success of the Sierra Cosworth RS500 Touring Cars is well documented, but not many realise their abrupt end was brought about after other manufacturers complained about the car’s unbeatable pace which led to the governing bodies banning the use of turbocharged engines. A rule which was still in force until 2010.
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